A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1058
hints & answers for May 4, 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 4, 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 M, S, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

MARSHMALLOW belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TENDER-HEARTED PERSON

Reveal all four words
  • MARSHMALLOW
  • SOFTIE
  • SWEETHEART
  • TEDDY BEAR

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, D, E and H. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BEANIE BABY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PELLET-FILLED THINGS

Reveal all four words
  • BEANIE BABY
  • DESICCANT PACKET
  • EYE PILLOW
  • HACKY SACK

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, E, R and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CONTROL PANEL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS WITH KNOBS

Reveal all four words
  • CONTROL PANEL
  • ETCH A SKETCH
  • RADIO
  • STOVE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, D, L and P. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CHOWDER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGS

Reveal all four words
  • CHOWDER
  • DOODLEBUG
  • LABUBU
  • PITTER-PATTER
Show categories only
  • Yellow: TENDER-HEARTED PERSON
  • Green: PELLET-FILLED THINGS
  • Blue: THINGS WITH KNOBS
  • Purple: STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

TENDER-HEARTED PERSON

MARSHMALLOW · SOFTIE · SWEETHEART · TEDDY BEAR

Green

PELLET-FILLED THINGS

BEANIE BABY · DESICCANT PACKET · EYE PILLOW · HACKY SACK

Blue

THINGS WITH KNOBS

CONTROL PANEL · ETCH A SKETCH · RADIO · STOVE

Purple

STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGS

CHOWDER · DOODLEBUG · LABUBU · PITTER-PATTER

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.