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Spoiler-safeMay 24, 2026Puzzle #1078

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for May 24, 2026

Connections puzzle #1078 for May 24, 2026 mixes concrete places, collective actions, ceremonial objects, and a compact letter-based wordplay group.

Guide editorMaya BrooksSenior Editor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Places that house farm animals or equipmentMost direct concrete category
Ways workers may demonstrate collectivelyFamiliar terms with distracting alternate senses
Ceremonial performance objectsConceptual category spanning sound, dress, and authority
Possessive forms extended by one characterHardest wordplay group

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

Today’s puzzle explained

How the May 24 board fits together

The strongest misdirection comes from highly flexible words such as PEN, STAFF, MARCH, and STRIKE. The board becomes more controlled once solvers prioritize complete four-word relationships over isolated pairings.

Overall difficultyModerate, with a demanding wordplay finishBiggest trapSeveral words suggest unrelated meanings or actions: PEN can mean writing, STAFF can mean employees, MARCH is also a month, and STRIKE has many nonlabor senses.Best first moveStart with the concrete farm structures: COOP, PEN, SHED, and STABLE.

Why the board is deceptive

The board opens with recognizable nouns, but their alternate meanings create plausible overlaps across several categories.

The last bunch partitions each term into a possessive adjective plus an extra letter instead of interpreting it normally.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Clear COOP, PEN, SHED, and STABLE first, then isolate the labor actions. The ritual objects leave four unusual spellings whose internal construction reveals the purple group.

Spoilers below

Today’s groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

Places that house farm animals or equipmentReveal this group

What connects COOP, PEN, SHED and STABLE?

COOP · PEN · SHED · STABLE

FARM FIXTURES. Each word names a structure or enclosure commonly found as a fixture on a farm.

Best anchor: Concrete farm locations provide the cleanest opening set.

Ways workers may demonstrate collectivelyReveal this group

What connects MARCH, PICKET, RALLY and STRIKE?

MARCH · PICKET · RALLY · STRIKE

LABOR PROTEST ACTIONS. Each word can name an action associated with an organized labor protest or demonstration.

Best anchor: The shared labor context resolves several broad, ambiguous verbs.

Ceremonial performance objectsReveal this group

What connects DRUM, MASK, RATTLE and STAFF?

DRUM · MASK · RATTLE · STAFF

OBJECTS USED IN RITUAL PERFORMANCES. All four are objects that may be used as part of ritual performances or ceremonies.

Best anchor: Function within a ritual links four otherwise different objects.

Possessive forms extended by one characterReveal this group

What connects HERB, HISS, ITSY and MYA?

HERB · HISS · ITSY · MYA

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES PLUS A LETTER. All the entries are constructs of a possessive adjective with one extra letter HER+B, HIS+S, ITS+Y, MY+A.

Best anchor: Letter splitting reveals the board's final constructed relationship.

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use today’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    FARM FIXTURES

    Concrete farm locations provide the cleanest opening set.

  2. 2
    LABOR PROTEST ACTIONS

    The shared labor context resolves several broad, ambiguous verbs.

  3. 3
    OBJECTS USED IN RITUAL PERFORMANCES

    Function within a ritual links four otherwise different objects.

  4. 4
    POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES PLUS A LETTER

    Letter splitting reveals the board's final constructed relationship.

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

Today’s best first move: Start with the concrete farm structures: COOP, PEN, SHED, and STABLE..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

Most direct concrete category groupPlaces that house farm animals or equipment
FARM FIXTURES: Concrete farm locations provide the cleanest opening set.
Familiar terms with distracting alternate senses groupWays workers may demonstrate collectively
LABOR PROTEST ACTIONS: The shared labor context resolves several broad, ambiguous verbs.
Conceptual category spanning sound, dress, and authority groupCeremonial performance objects
OBJECTS USED IN RITUAL PERFORMANCES: Function within a ritual links four otherwise different objects.
Hardest wordplay group groupPossessive forms extended by one character
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES PLUS A LETTER: Letter splitting reveals the board's final constructed relationship.

Questions players ask

Connections help without extra spoilers

I’m stuck. Which hint should I open first?

Start with the small hint for the group you feel closest to solving. Use the stronger hint only if the first nudge is not enough, then reveal the category or four words when you want confirmation.

What should I do when five words seem to belong together?

Assume one is a red herring. Look for the word with a strong second meaning, then test whether it forms a cleaner group elsewhere.

What does “Test a group” do?

Select four words and choose “Check these four” to see whether your grouping works. It stays on this page and never submits a guess to the official puzzle or affects a streak.

Do I need to solve the groups in difficulty order?

No. Start with the clearest exact set. Removing an obvious group often exposes the overlapping meanings and wordplay in the harder groups.

Can I check one answer without spoiling the whole puzzle?

Yes. Every group opens independently, so you can reveal one hint, category or set of four words while keeping the other groups hidden.

About the guide editor

Maya Brooks

Maya focuses on exact category logic, ambiguous overlaps and hints that help without giving the group away.

Read Maya’s profile →