Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
Picture their usual colour, rather than their purpose.
Show one word
BUTTER belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW
Reveal all four words
- BUTTER
- PIKACHU
- RUBBER DUCK
- SCHOOL BUS
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #1085
hints & answers for May 31, 2026
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#1085
This reference always shows May 31, 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.
1/4
Green group
A little trickier
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with B, C, P and R. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
BREAK belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
BILLIARDS TERMS
Reveal all four words
- BREAK
- CUE
- RACK
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with J, S, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
JACK belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
SLANG FOR A SAILOR
Reveal all four words
- JACK
- SALT
- SEA DOG
- TAR
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with S, S, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
SASH belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"
Reveal all four words
- SASH
- SOAK
- SPINE
- STEAK
Show categories only
- Yellow: THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW
- Green: BILLIARDS TERMS
- Blue: SLANG FOR A SAILOR
- Purple: KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW
BUTTER · PIKACHU · RUBBER DUCK · SCHOOL BUS
Green
BILLIARDS TERMS
BREAK · CUE · POCKET · RACK
Blue
SLANG FOR A SAILOR
JACK · SALT · SEA DOG · TAR
Purple
KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"
SASH · SOAK · SPINE · STEAK
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.
Continue from this date
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.