What is the NYT Connections answer for May 31 (#1085)?

The four groups are THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW (BUTTER, PIKACHU, RUBBER DUCK, SCHOOL BUS); BILLIARDS TERMS (BREAK, CUE, POCKET, RACK); SLANG FOR A SAILOR (JACK, SALT, SEA DOG, TAR); KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" (SASH, SOAK, SPINE, STEAK).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"" — 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.

Sunday, May 31, 2026#1085

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Sunday, May 31

DailyWordHints Editorial May 31

THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW

Easiest

BILLIARDS TERMS

Easy

SLANG FOR A SAILOR

Tricky

KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW (yellow), BILLIARDS TERMS (green), SLANG FOR A SAILOR (blue), KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" (purple).

BUTTER

SALT

STEAK

BREAK

JACK

SOAK

POCKET

SPINE

RUBBER DUCK

TAR

RACK

SCHOOL BUS

PIKACHU

SEA DOG

SASH

CUE

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 #1085, Sunday, May 31. 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 31 (#1085)?: The four groups are THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW (BUTTER, PIKACHU, RUBBER DUCK, SCHOOL BUS); BILLIARDS TERMS (BREAK, CUE, POCKET, RACK); SLANG FOR A SAILOR (JACK, SALT, SEA DOG, TAR); KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" (SASH, SOAK, SPINE, STEAK).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S"" — 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.