A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1077
hints & answers for May 23, 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 23, 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, B, C and P. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BEEHIVE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HAIRDOS

Reveal all four words
  • BEEHIVE
  • BOUFFANT
  • CHIGNON
  • POMPADOUR

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

FIRST belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MORE READILY

Reveal all four words
  • FIRST
  • PREFERABLY
  • RATHER
  • SOONER

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

DAREDEVIL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MARVEL CHARACTERS

Reveal all four words
  • DAREDEVIL
  • HAWKEYE
  • NIGHTCRAWLER
  • WOLVERINE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

EMPIRE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WORDS AFTER "THE" IN "STAR WARS" MOVIE TITLES

Reveal all four words
  • EMPIRE
  • FORCE
  • LAST
  • PHANTOM
Show categories only
  • Yellow: HAIRDOS
  • Green: MORE READILY
  • Blue: MARVEL CHARACTERS
  • Purple: WORDS AFTER "THE" IN "STAR WARS" MOVIE TITLES

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

HAIRDOS

BEEHIVE · BOUFFANT · CHIGNON · POMPADOUR

Green

MORE READILY

FIRST · PREFERABLY · RATHER · SOONER

Blue

MARVEL CHARACTERS

DAREDEVIL · HAWKEYE · NIGHTCRAWLER · WOLVERINE

Purple

WORDS AFTER "THE" IN "STAR WARS" MOVIE TITLES

EMPIRE · FORCE · LAST · PHANTOM

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.