What is the NYT Connections answer for May 21 (#1075)?

The four groups are KINDS OF PIES (CHESS, PECAN, PUMPKIN, SHOOFLY); THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS (CABOOSE, CAN, MOON, PEACH); TENNIS SCORING TERMS (ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY, LOVE); ___ MUSTARD (COLONEL, HONEY, HOT, YELLOW).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "___ MUSTARD" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.

What do the Connections colors mean?

Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.

Thursday, May 21, 2026#1075

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Thursday, May 21

DailyWordHints Editorial May 21

KINDS OF PIES

Easiest

THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS

Easy

TENNIS SCORING TERMS

Tricky

___ MUSTARD

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are KINDS OF PIES (yellow), THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS (green), TENNIS SCORING TERMS (blue), ___ MUSTARD (purple).

LOVE

CHESS

HONEY

MOON

PEACH

HOT

YELLOW

PUMPKIN

ADVANTAGE

CAN

PECAN

COLONEL

DEUCE

SHOOFLY

CABOOSE

FORTY

Hints by group

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

Full answers below

Today’s answers

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

See all past Connections puzzles →

Today's Connections hints (no answers yet)

Here are spoiler-free nudges for NYT Connections #1075, Thursday, May 21. Reveal one color at a time and work from the easiest group (yellow) to the trickiest (purple).

How to use these hints

Each clue is written so it never names any of the sixteen words — it just points you in the right direction. Open the full answer only once you're truly stuck.

Strategy for solving today's grid

Lock in the group you're most confident about first to shrink the board, but resist the obvious four-of-a-kind — the puzzle almost always plants a word that fits two themes. Save the purple group for last; it usually hides the wordplay twist.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NYT Connections answer for May 21 (#1075)?: The four groups are KINDS OF PIES (CHESS, PECAN, PUMPKIN, SHOOFLY); THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS (CABOOSE, CAN, MOON, PEACH); TENNIS SCORING TERMS (ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY, LOVE); ___ MUSTARD (COLONEL, HONEY, HOT, YELLOW).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "___ MUSTARD" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.
What do the Connections colors mean?: Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.