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The New York Times continues to grow its lineup of digital puzzle games with NYT Connections, a daily challenge that tests vocabulary, logic and pattern recognition. The May 12 puzzle (#1066) delivers a clever mix of straightforward associations and deceptive wordplay.
Today’s categories range from literary terms and famous cities to hidden currency names, making the puzzle both approachable and surprisingly tricky. While some groups are easier to identify at first glance, the purple category stands out as the toughest because of its layered wordplay. This guide includes today’s hints, complete answers and useful strategies to help solve the puzzle.
What is NYT’s ‘Connections’ game
Connections is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times that asks players to find relationships between words.
The game features four colour-coded difficulty levels: Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple, with each level becoming progressively more difficult.Players are presented with 16 words and must organise them into four groups of four connected by a shared theme. These themes can involve meanings, phrases, hidden patterns, cultural references or linguistic tricks, which makes the game both engaging and challenging.
NYT Connections hints for today
- Yellow: Words related to large written works
- Green: Cities named after saints
- Blue: Terms commonly paired with “long”
- Purple: Currency names with one extra letter added
NYT Connections answers for May 12, 2026
Here are the correct groupings for today’s puzzle:
- Yellow – SUBSTANTIAL BOOK: OPUS, TOME, VOLUME, WORK
- Green – ‘SAINT’ CITIES: MONICA, PAULO, PETERSBURG, SALVADOR
- Blue – THINGS PRECEDED BY ‘LONG’: DISTANCE, DIVISION, JOHNS, WEEKEND
- Purple – CURRENCIES PLUS A LETTER: FRANCI, RANDO, REALM, WONK
How to play NYT Connections
Understand the objectiveThe game presents a grid of 16 words, and your task is to organise them into four groups of four. Each group shares a hidden connection based on meaning, structure or wordplay.Access the puzzleA new Connections puzzle is released daily on The New York Times website and mobile app.Begin analysingStudy all the words carefully and look for obvious links first. Rearranging the grid can help reveal hidden patterns and associations.Submit your choicesSelect four words that you think belong together and submit them. The game will confirm whether your grouping is correct.Evaluate feedbackCorrect answers are colour-coded and locked into place. Incorrect guesses reduce your remaining attempts.Track attemptsPlayers have a limited number of mistakes available, so strategic thinking and elimination are important.
Difficulty levels explained
YellowUsually the easiest category with direct or familiar connections.Green and BlueModerately difficult categories that may involve broader associations or phrases.PurpleThe hardest category, often involving puns, hidden meanings or unusual wordplay.
Strategies for solving NYT Connections
- Start with the most obvious groupings first
- Use elimination to narrow down difficult choices
- Consider phrases, prefixes and word associations
- Look for misleading combinations designed to confuse players
- Pay extra attention to the purple category, which often hides the trickiest pattern
Other NYT games to explore
If you enjoy Connections, The New York Times also offers several other popular puzzle games:
- Wordle: Guess a five-letter word within six attempts
- Spelling Bee: Create as many words as possible using a set of letters
- Mini Crossword: A short daily crossword puzzle
- Strands: A themed word-search style puzzle with hidden connections
English (US) ·