The New York Times continues to expand its collection of digital puzzle games with NYT Connections, a daily challenge that tests vocabulary, logic, and pattern recognition equally. Puzzle #1067 for May 13, 2026, offers a balanced mix of straightforward associations and misleading overlaps, making it an enjoyable challenge for both newcomers and regular players. Today's puzzle moves from sandwich terminology and logical justifications to smartphone editing tools and a tricky wordplay category built around "jelly" compounds. This guide covers the hints, complete answers, and strategies to help you solve today's Connections puzzle.
What is NYT's 'Connections' game
Connections is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times that asks players to identify hidden relationships between words. The game features four color-coded categories — Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple — with each level increasing in difficulty. Players are presented with 16 words and must organize them into four groups of four connected by a common theme. These links can involve meanings, phrases, patterns, cultural references, or wordplay, making the puzzle deceptively challenging despite its simple format.
NYT Connections hints for today
- Yellow: Names for long sandwiches
- Green: Words connected to reasoning or justification
- Blue: Editing options commonly found in smartphone photo apps
- Purple: Words that can follow "jelly"
NYT Connections answers for May 13, 2026
Here are the correct groupings for today's puzzle:
- Yellow – LONG SANDWICHES: GRINDER, HERO, HOAGIE, SUB
- Green – PRETEXT OR JUSTIFICATION: ARGUMENT, BASIS, CAUSE, GROUNDS
- Blue – SMARTPHONE PHOTO EDITING OPTIONS: ADJUST, CROP, FILTERS, MARKUP
- Purple – JELLY ___ : BEAN, BELLY, DONUT, ROLL
How to play NYT Connections
In NYT Connections, players are presented with a grid of 16 words and must organize them into four groups of four based on a shared connection. These links can relate to meanings, phrases, patterns, cultural references, or wordplay. A new puzzle is released daily on The New York Times Games page and through the NYT Games app. Players select four words they believe belong together and submit their choices. Correct answers are locked into place, while incorrect guesses reduce the number of remaining attempts. The challenge becomes progressively harder as the more obvious categories are solved, often leaving behind misleading combinations and tricky word associations that require careful elimination and pattern recognition.
Strategies for solving NYT Connections
- Start with the clearest category to reduce confusion across the grid
- Be cautious of words that appear to fit multiple groups
- Look for phrase-based or compound-word patterns in Purple categories
- Use elimination once one or two groups are confirmed
- Rearranging possible combinations mentally can help uncover hidden themes
Other NYT games to explore
If you enjoy Connections, The New York Times also offers several other popular puzzle games: Wordle, Spelling Bee, The Mini Crossword, and Strands. Wordle challenges you to guess a five-letter word within six attempts. Spelling Bee asks you to create as many words as possible using a set of letters. The Mini Crossword is a compact daily crossword challenge. Strands is a themed word search puzzle with hidden links.
About the Author
The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. The TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports, and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. From how-tos to the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, and platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and more, the TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.
