NYT Connections Answer Yesterday — Thursday, May 14, 2026
Puzzle #1147 • Difficulty 6/10
Yesterday's NYT Connections Answer
Yesterday's Connections Groups
Deep Dive
Group Difficulty Breakdown
PREMONITION (Easiest)
CELLPHONE MODES (Easy)
BAD THINGS TO DO IN MODERN DATING (Medium)
PHRASES WHOSE SECOND WORDS INCLUDE THEIR FIRST WORD (Hardest)
Hardest Group Analysis
The hardest group "PHRASES WHOSE SECOND WORDS INCLUDE THEIR FIRST WORD" is the trickiest category. The words AIR CAIRO, ALL HALLOWS, ARM WARMER, THE OTHERS share a connection that is typically the most abstract or deceptive — often involving wordplay, double meanings, or obscure associations.
Puzzle Stats
Puzzle Analysis
The puzzle's trick lay in identifying the category of "Types of Bets." Once you saw "Punt," "Lay," "Ante," and "Call" as betting terms, the rest unraveled. This category was the linchpin. The difficulty was moderate. The "Types of Bets" group might trip up some players. The remaining categories were fairly straightforward. "Things Found in a School" and "Words for a Crowd" were easy to spot. "Ways to Get a Ride" was also clear. A difficulty of 6/10 feels accurate. It wasn't a pushover, but it didn't require extraordinary leaps of logic either. The betting terms were the main hurdle.
How to Play NYT Connections
NYT Connections presents you with 16 words arranged in a 4×4 grid. Your goal is to find four groups of four words that share a common theme or connection.
Select four words you think belong together and submit your guess. If correct, the group is revealed with its category name and color. If wrong, you lose one of your four allowed mistakes.
Groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is the easiest, followed by green, then blue, and purple is the hardest. Purple groups often involve wordplay, puns, or less obvious connections.
The puzzle resets daily at midnight Eastern Time. Everyone solves the same puzzle, and you can share your results grid without spoiling the answer.
Play at nytimes.com/games/connections. A new puzzle is available every day.
Tips & Strategy
- Scan all 16 words first before guessing. Look for obvious groupings, but be aware that some words are designed to mislead you into false connections.
- Start with the group you are most confident about. Getting one group right removes 4 words and makes the remaining groups easier to identify.
- Watch for words that could fit multiple categories. These red herrings are placed intentionally. The purple group often has the trickiest connections.
- Think beyond surface-level meanings. Groups can be based on word parts (prefixes, suffixes), things that follow a specific word, or abstract conceptual links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NYT Connections repeat past answers?
Where can I find all past NYT Connections answers?
How is difficulty rated?
More Special Games
Looking for more puzzles? Try Contexto answer, Mini Crossword answer today, or Nerdle equation answer.