Connections Hints

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — May 31, 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.

BREAK
BUTTER
CUE
JACK
PIKACHU
POCKET
RACK
RUBBER DUCK
SALT
SASH
SCHOOL BUS
SEA DOG
SOAK
SPINE
STEAK
TAR
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Themes

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

THINGS THAT ARE YELLOWStraightforward
BILLIARDS TERMSModerate
SLANG FOR A SAILORTricky
KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"Devious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

THINGS THAT ARE YELLOWStraightforward
THESE THINGS SHARE A ICONIC SUNNY COLOR+ 3 more…
BILLIARDS TERMSModerate
THESE WORDS BELONG ON A POOL HALL CHALKBOARD+ 3 more…
SLANG FOR A SAILORTricky
OLD-FASHIONED WORDS FOR A SEAFARER+ 3 more…
KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"Devious
ADD THE LETTER S TO A TYPE OF WOOD AND YOU GET SOMETHING NEW+ 3 more…
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Full solution
THINGS THAT ARE YELLOWStraightforward
BUTTER,PIKACHU,RUBBER DUCK,SCHOOL BUS

Butter, Pikachu, rubber ducks, and school buses are all famously yellow

BILLIARDS TERMSModerate
BREAK,CUE,POCKET,RACK

Break, cue, pocket, and rack are all terms used in the game of billiards/pool

SLANG FOR A SAILORTricky
JACK,SALT,SEA DOG,TAR

Jack, salt, sea dog, and tar are all informal or archaic slang terms for a sailor

KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"Devious
SASH,SOAK,SPINE,STEAK

Sash = ash, Soak = oak, Spine = pine, Steak = teak — each word is a wood type with 'S' added to the front

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