Connections Hints

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — May 21, 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.

ADVANTAGE
CABOOSE
CAN
CHESS
COLONEL
DEUCE
FORTY
HONEY
HOT
LOVE
MOON
PEACH
PECAN
PUMPKIN
SHOOFLY
YELLOW
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Themes

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

KINDS OF PIESStraightforward
THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTSModerate
TENNIS SCORING TERMSTricky
___ MUSTARDDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

KINDS OF PIESStraightforward
THESE ALL BELONG IN A PIE DISH AT THANKSGIVING OR A SOUTHERN KITCHEN+ 3 more…
THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTSModerate
SLANG OR PLAYFUL WORDS FOR THE BACKSIDE — OR THINGS THAT LOOK LIKE ONE+ 3 more…
TENNIS SCORING TERMSTricky
YOU'D HEAR THESE CALLED OUT ON A WIMBLEDON COURT+ 3 more…
___ MUSTARDDevious
EACH OF THESE CAN PRECEDE 'MUSTARD' TO MAKE A FAMILIAR PHRASE OR NAME+ 3 more…
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Full solution
KINDS OF PIESStraightforward
CHESS,PECAN,PUMPKIN,SHOOFLY

Chess, pecan, pumpkin, and shoofly are all classic pie varieties

THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTSModerate
CABOOSE,CAN,MOON,PEACH

Caboose, can, moon, and peach are all informal or visual references to buttocks

TENNIS SCORING TERMSTricky
ADVANTAGE,DEUCE,FORTY,LOVE

Advantage, deuce, forty, and love are all terms used in tennis scoring

___ MUSTARDDevious
COLONEL,HONEY,HOT,YELLOW

Colonel, honey, hot, and yellow can all precede 'mustard' — Colonel Mustard (Clue), honey mustard, hot mustard, yellow mustard

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