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Spoiler-safeMay 27, 2026Puzzle #1081

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for May 27, 2026

The Connections puzzle No. 1081 pulls one word away from every official category using a strong Shakespeare decoy. Thus careful cross-checking matters.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Places with relatively few residentsEasy
Familiar tabletop titlesEasy
Sound like visual actionsMedium
Words with concealed March sister namesHard

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

Connections No. 1081 overview

Edited by Wyna Liu. The puzzle's defining construction is the false Shakespeare quartet HAMLET, OTHELLO, LEAR, and MACBETH. Solvers who submit that tempting set lose one member from each official category.

Overall difficultyHardBiggest trapHAMLET, OTHELLO, LEAR, and MACBETH form a convincing Shakespeare set, but each belongs to a different official group.Best first moveStart with BATTLESHIP, OPERATION, OTHELLO, and TROUBLE, the four unmistakable classic board games.

Why the board is deceptive

The board mixes settlements, tabletop titles, sound-alike words, and hidden character names.

Its central trap is unusually tidy because four Shakespeare-related entries span all four answers.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Lock in the board games first, identify the four small communities next, then resolve the homophones before checking the remaining words for March sister names.

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 with relatively few residentsReveal this group

What connects COMMUNE, HAMLET, TOWNSHIP and VILLAGE?

COMMUNE · HAMLET · TOWNSHIP · VILLAGE

SMALL COMMUNITY. COMMUNE, HAMLET, TOWNSHIP, and VILLAGE can each describe a comparatively small community or local settlement.

Best anchor: HAMLET is the key trap because it also looks like a Shakespeare answer.

Familiar tabletop titlesReveal this group

What connects BATTLESHIP, OPERATION, OTHELLO and TROUBLE?

BATTLESHIP · OPERATION · OTHELLO · TROUBLE

CLASSIC BOARD GAMES. BATTLESHIP, OPERATION, OTHELLO, and TROUBLE are established titles of classic board games.

Best anchor: OTHELLO belongs here despite strengthening the board's Shakespeare decoy.

Sound like visual actionsReveal this group

What connects AYE, LEAR, PIER and STAIR?

AYE · LEAR · PIER · STAIR

HOMOPHONES OF WAYS OF LOOKING. AYE, LEAR, PIER, and STAIR sound like eye, leer, peer, and stare, words associated with ways of looking.

Best anchor: LEAR is another Shakespeare lure, but its sound is the operative feature.

Words with concealed March sister namesReveal this group

What connects BANJO, MACBETH, MONOGAMY and NUTMEG?

BANJO · MACBETH · MONOGAMY · NUTMEG

ENDING IN THE "LITTLE WOMEN" MARCH SISTERS. BANJO, MACBETH, MONOGAMY, and NUTMEG end in JO, BETH, AMY, and MEG, the March sisters from "Little Women."

Best anchor: Reading only the endings reveals one March sister in each word.

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
    SMALL COMMUNITY

    HAMLET is the key trap because it also looks like a Shakespeare answer.

  2. 2
    CLASSIC BOARD GAMES

    OTHELLO belongs here despite strengthening the board's Shakespeare decoy.

  3. 3
    HOMOPHONES OF WAYS OF LOOKING

    LEAR is another Shakespeare lure, but its sound is the operative feature.

  4. 4
    ENDING IN THE "LITTLE WOMEN" MARCH SISTERS

    Reading only the endings reveals one March sister in each word.

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 BATTLESHIP, OPERATION, OTHELLO, and TROUBLE, the four unmistakable classic board games..

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.

Easy groupPlaces with relatively few residents
SMALL COMMUNITY: HAMLET is the key trap because it also looks like a Shakespeare answer.
Easy groupFamiliar tabletop titles
CLASSIC BOARD GAMES: OTHELLO belongs here despite strengthening the board's Shakespeare decoy.
Medium groupSound like visual actions
HOMOPHONES OF WAYS OF LOOKING: LEAR is another Shakespeare lure, but its sound is the operative feature.
Hard groupWords with concealed March sister names
ENDING IN THE "LITTLE WOMEN" MARCH SISTERS: Reading only the endings reveals one March sister in each word.

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

Jordan Ellis

Jordan connects editorial explanations with practice tools, custom puzzles and the site’s future original games.

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