A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1055
hints & answers for May 1, 2026

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows May 1, 2026. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, P, S and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BUFF belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MAKE GLOSSY

Reveal all four words
  • BUFF
  • POLISH
  • SHINE
  • WAX

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, A, C and H. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ALE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TRANSLUCENT GOLDEN THINGS

Reveal all four words
  • ALE
  • AMBER
  • CITRINE
  • HONEY

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, C, C and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BEAK belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD

Reveal all four words
  • BEAK
  • COMB
  • CREST
  • WATTLE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with H, M, P and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

HIVE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

Reveal all four words
  • HIVE
  • MIX
  • POUR
  • WIGHT
Show categories only
  • Yellow: MAKE GLOSSY
  • Green: TRANSLUCENT GOLDEN THINGS
  • Blue: FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD
  • Purple: NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

MAKE GLOSSY

BUFF · POLISH · SHINE · WAX

Green

TRANSLUCENT GOLDEN THINGS

ALE · AMBER · CITRINE · HONEY

Blue

FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD

BEAK · COMB · CREST · WATTLE

Purple

NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

HIVE · MIX · POUR · WIGHT

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.