Connections Hints

Monday, May 4, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — May 4, 2026

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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
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Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

BEANIE BABY
CHOWDER
CONTROL PANEL
DESICCANT PACKET
DOODLEBUG
ETCH A SKETCH
EYE PILLOW
HACKY SACK
LABUBU
MARSHMALLOW
PITTER-PATTER
RADIO
SOFTIE
STOVE
SWEETHEART
TEDDY BEAR
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Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

TENDER-HEARTED PERSONStraightforward
PELLET-FILLED THINGSModerate
THINGS WITH KNOBSTricky
STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGSDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

TENDER-HEARTED PERSONStraightforward
WORDS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S GENTLE, KIND, AND EMOTIONALLY WARM+ 3 more…
PELLET-FILLED THINGSModerate
THESE OBJECTS ARE ALL STUFFED WITH TINY PELLETS OR BEADS+ 3 more…
THINGS WITH KNOBSTricky
YOU'D TWIST OR TURN KNOBS ON ALL OF THESE+ 3 more…
STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGSDevious
EACH WORD BEGINS WITH A BREED OR TYPE OF DOG NICKNAME+ 3 more…
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Full solution
TENDER-HEARTED PERSONStraightforward
MARSHMALLOW,SOFTIE,SWEETHEART,TEDDY BEAR

MARSHMALLOW, SOFTIE, SWEETHEART, and TEDDY BEAR are all informal terms for a person who is gentle, kind, or emotionally soft

PELLET-FILLED THINGSModerate
BEANIE BABY,DESICCANT PACKET,EYE PILLOW,HACKY SACK

BEANIE BABY, DESICCANT PACKET, EYE PILLOW, and HACKY SACK are all items filled with small pellets or beads

THINGS WITH KNOBSTricky
CONTROL PANEL,ETCH A SKETCH,RADIO,STOVE

CONTROL PANEL, ETCH A SKETCH, RADIO, and STOVE all feature knobs as a key part of their operation

STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGSDevious
CHOWDER,DOODLEBUG,LABUBU,PITTER-PATTER

CHOW(der), DOODLE(bug), LAB(ubu), and PITTER-PATTER each begin with a familiar nickname for a dog breed: Chow, Doodle, Lab, and Pitt(er)

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