The New York Times continues to grow the popularity of its daily puzzle lineup with NYT Connections, a game that challenges players to find hidden links between seemingly unrelated words. The May 17 puzzle (#1071) delivers a balanced mix of straightforward associations and deceptive overlaps, making it moderately tricky for regular players. Today's board features words connected to plumbing, academic grading, cooking and wordplay, with a Purple category that may catch players off guard. This guide provides spoiler-free hints, the complete answers and a quick breakdown of how the puzzle works.
What is NYT's 'Connections' game
Connections is a daily word game from The New York Times that challenges players to identify relationships between words. The puzzle features four colour-coded difficulty levels — Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple — each representing increasing complexity. Players are given 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four, with each group linked by a shared theme. These connections may involve meaning, categories, phrases, structures or wordplay, making the game both accessible and deceptively challenging.
NYT Connections hints for today
- Yellow: Words linked to tubes or channels
- Green: Terms associated with top rankings or importance
- Blue: Actions commonly used while preparing tea or coffee
- Purple: Words that can follow "___ out"
NYT Connections answers for May 17, 2026
Here are the correct groupings for today's puzzle:
- Yellow – TUBES OR CHANNELS: DUCT, HOSE, LINE, PIPE
- Green – MOST IMPORTANT: HIGH, MAIN, PRIMARY, TOP
- Blue – TEA OR COFFEE PREPARATION ACTIONS: BOIL, POUR, STEEP, STRAIN
- Purple – WORDS BEFORE "OUT": FLEECE, GRAMMAR, SQUEEZE, STIFF
How to play NYT Connections
Understand the objective
The game presents a grid of 16 words, and your goal is to organise them into four groups of four. Each group shares a hidden connection, which may involve meaning, structure or wordplay.
Access the puzzle
A new puzzle is released daily on The New York Times website and mobile app, encouraging regular engagement.
Begin analysing
Look through all the words and identify the most obvious connections first. Rearranging the grid can often help reveal patterns and reduce confusion.
Submit your choices
Select four words that you believe belong together and submit them. The game will confirm whether your grouping is correct.
Evaluate feedback
Correct groups are colour-coded and locked in, while incorrect attempts reduce your remaining chances.
Track attempts
You are allowed a limited number of mistakes, so careful reasoning and elimination are essential for solving tougher categories.
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 (form as many words as possible from a set of letters), Mini Crossword (a quick daily crossword challenge), and Strands (a modern twist on word-search puzzles).
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. 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. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.
