NYT Connections Answer

Welcome to another beautiful day for a puzzle! If you’re looking for the NYT Connections hint or the full answer for 2026-05-23, you’ve come to the right place.

Today’s grid, curated by Wyna Liu, offers a delightful mix of vintage fashion, superhero lore, and a journey to a galaxy far, far away. Whether you're stuck on the final purple group or just want to confirm your suspicions before clicking, let’s dive into the solution.

Quick Hints for Today’s Categories

Sometimes you don’t want the whole answer right away—just a little nudge in the right direction. Here are some hints for the May 23, 2026, puzzle:

• Yellow: Words used to indicate a choice or a preference.
• Green: Styles you might see at a high-end salon or a vintage fashion show.
• Blue: These are all famous members of the Marvel Universe.
• Purple: Focus on the specific words that follow the word "The" in famous sci-fi movie titles.

Yellow: MORE READILY

These words are often used when you are describing what you would choose to do in a specific situation, usually expressing a preference.

• FIRST
• PREFERABLY
• RATHER
• SOONER

Why they fit: Think of the sentence "I would just as ______ stay home." All four words function as adverbs that prioritize one action over another.

Green: HAIRDOS

This category is a throwback to classic and elegant hairstyles.

• BEEHIVE
• BOUFFANT
• CHIGNON
• POMPADOUR

Why they fit: These are all specific, structured ways to style hair. You might recognize the Beehive and Bouffant from the 1960s, the Pompadour from Elvis Presley or 18th-century France, and the Chignon as a classic knot or bun at the nape of the neck.

Blue: MARVEL CHARACTERS

If you’re a fan of comic books or the MCU, this group likely jumped out at you immediately.

• DAREDEVIL
• HAWKEYE
• NIGHTCRAWLER
• WOLVERINE

Why they fit: These are iconic characters from Marvel Comics. While Hawkeye and Daredevil are often associated with the Avengers or Defenders, Nightcrawler and Wolverine are staples of the X-Men.

Purple: WORDS AFTER "THE" IN "STAR WARS" MOVIE TITLES

This is a classic "fill-in-the-blank" style category that NYT Connections loves to use for its hardest group.

• EMPIRE
• FORCE
• LAST
• PHANTOM

Why they fit: Each of these words follows the word "The" in a Star Wars title:

• The Empire Strikes Back
• The Force Awakens
• The Last Jedi
• The Phantom Menace

Final Thoughts on the May 23 Puzzle

Today’s puzzle wasn't overly devious, but it did require a broad range of knowledge. The "Star Wars" category (Purple) was the trickiest because "FORCE" and "EMPIRE" could easily belong to other groups if you weren't looking for the movie connection. Meanwhile, the Hairstyles (Green) required a bit of a vocabulary check—particularly for "CHIGNON."

How did you do? Did the superheroes save your streak, or did the hairdos leave you tangled?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you play NYT Connections?

The goal is to find four groups of four words that share a common thread. Select four words and tap "Submit" to see if you’re right. You have four lives (mistakes) before the game ends.

What do the colors mean in Connections?

The colors indicate the difficulty level of the category:

• Yellow: Most straightforward/easiest.
• Green: Common knowledge/intermediate.
• Blue: Tricky or more specific trivia.
• Purple: The most abstract or wordplay-heavy category.

When does the NYT Connections reset?

A new puzzle is released every day at midnight in your local time zone via the New York Times Games app and website.

Can I play past NYT Connections puzzles?

Yes! You can find archives of past puzzles on the NYT Games website if you have a subscription, or through various unofficial online archive sites.