What is the NYT Connections answer for May 22 (#1076)?

The four groups are REACH BACK OUT (CHECK IN, FOLLOW UP, RECONNECT, TOUCH BASE); THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE (CONVENTION, CUSTOM, SOCIAL NORM, UNWRITTEN RULE); PLACES WITH CONVEYOR BELTS (ASSEMBLY LINE, BAGGAGE CLAIM, CHECKOUT LANE, REVOLVING SUSHI BAR); STARTING WITH NAME HOMOPHONES (CARRY-ON, EL NIÑO, LOOSEY-GOOSEY, TAILOR-MADE).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "STARTING WITH NAME HOMOPHONES" — 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.

Friday, May 22, 2026#1076

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Friday, May 22

DailyWordHints Editorial May 22

REACH BACK OUT

Easiest

THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE

Easy

PLACES WITH CONVEYOR BELTS

Tricky

STARTING WITH NAME HOMOPHONES

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are REACH BACK OUT (yellow), THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE (green), PLACES WITH CONVEYOR BELTS (blue), STARTING WITH NAME HOMOPHONES (purple).

LOOSEY-GOOSEY

CONVENTION

CHECK IN

BAGGAGE CLAIM

CARRY-ON

CUSTOM

CHECKOUT LANE

FOLLOW UP

ASSEMBLY LINE

EL NIÑO

SOCIAL NORM

TOUCH BASE

REVOLVING SUSHI BAR

UNWRITTEN RULE

RECONNECT

TAILOR-MADE

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 #1076, Friday, May 22. 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 22 (#1076)?: The four groups are REACH BACK OUT (CHECK IN, FOLLOW UP, RECONNECT, TOUCH BASE); THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE (CONVENTION, CUSTOM, SOCIAL NORM, UNWRITTEN RULE); PLACES WITH CONVEYOR BELTS (ASSEMBLY LINE, BAGGAGE CLAIM, CHECKOUT LANE, REVOLVING SUSHI BAR); STARTING WITH NAME HOMOPHONES (CARRY-ON, EL NIÑO, LOOSEY-GOOSEY, TAILOR-MADE).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "STARTING WITH NAME HOMOPHONES" — 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.