Connections Hints

Saturday, May 23, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — May 23, 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.

BEEHIVE
BOUFFANT
CHIGNON
DAREDEVIL
EMPIRE
FIRST
FORCE
HAWKEYE
LAST
NIGHTCRAWLER
PHANTOM
POMPADOUR
PREFERABLY
RATHER
SOONER
WOLVERINE
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Themes

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

HAIRDOSStraightforward
MORE READILYModerate
MARVEL CHARACTERSTricky
WORDS AFTER "THE" IN "STAR WARS" MOVIE TITLESDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

HAIRDOSStraightforward
STYLES YOU MIGHT SEE AT A VINTAGE SALON OR RETRO PHOTO SHOOT+ 3 more…
MORE READILYModerate
WORDS MEANING 'BY PREFERENCE' OR 'GIVEN THE CHOICE'+ 3 more…
MARVEL CHARACTERSTricky
SUPERHEROES FROM THE MARVEL UNIVERSE WITH ANIMALISTIC OR SENSORY POWERS+ 3 more…
WORDS AFTER "THE" IN "STAR WARS" MOVIE TITLESDevious
COMPLETE THE TITLE: 'STAR WARS: THE ___'+ 3 more…
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Full solution
HAIRDOSStraightforward
BEEHIVE,BOUFFANT,CHIGNON,POMPADOUR

BEEHIVE, BOUFFANT, CHIGNON, and POMPADOUR are all classic hairstyles known for their distinctive, often voluminous or sculpted shapes.

MORE READILYModerate
FIRST,PREFERABLY,RATHER,SOONER

FIRST, PREFERABLY, RATHER, and SOONER all convey the idea of preference or willingness — something done more readily or by choice.

MARVEL CHARACTERSTricky
DAREDEVIL,HAWKEYE,NIGHTCRAWLER,WOLVERINE

DAREDEVIL, HAWKEYE, NIGHTCRAWLER, and WOLVERINE are all Marvel Comics characters, well known from comics, films, and TV series.

WORDS AFTER "THE" IN "STAR WARS" MOVIE TITLESDevious
EMPIRE,FORCE,LAST,PHANTOM

EMPIRE (The Empire Strikes Back), FORCE (The Force Awakens), LAST (The Last Jedi), and PHANTOM (The Phantom Menace) all follow 'The' in official Star Wars movie titles.

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