NYT Connections Puzzle 1075 Solved for May 21 2026 with Pie and Tennis Themes

NEW YORK — The New York Times Connections puzzle No. 1,075 for Thursday, May 21, 2026, challenged players with 16 words grouped into four categories featuring kinds of pies, slang associated with butts, tennis scoring terms and varieties of mustard.

The 16 words in today's grid were: LOVE, CHESS, HONEY, MOON, PEACH, HOT, YELLOW, PUMPKIN, ADVANTAGE, CAN, PECAN, COLONEL, DEUCE, SHOOFLY, CABOOSE and FORTY.

The yellow category, typically the easiest, was "Kinds of pies": CHESS, PECAN, PUMPKIN, SHOOFLY.

The green category was "Things associated with butts": CABOOSE, CAN, MOON, PEACH.

The blue category was "Tennis scoring terms": ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY, LOVE.

The purple category, often the most difficult, was "___ Mustard": COLONEL, HONEY, HOT, YELLOW.

Connections, created by Josh Wardle and acquired by The New York Times, presents 16 words daily that must be sorted into four groups of four sharing a common theme. Players receive feedback with colored tiles: yellow for the easiest group, progressing to green, blue and purple for increasing difficulty.

The puzzle resets at midnight local time. Players have four mistakes allowed before the game ends. Many shared scores on social media using emoji grids showing their solve path.

Community discussions on Reddit's r/NYTConnections highlighted the U.S.-centric nature of some categories, particularly the pies and mustard varieties, which sparked comments from international players. Shoofly pie and chess pie are traditional American desserts, contributing to the puzzle's challenge level for non-U.S. solvers.

Yesterday's puzzle on May 20, 2026, was No. 1,074. The May 21 edition followed the standard format without additional twists.

The New York Times publishes a Connections Companion article daily with hints and community conversation. For puzzle 1,075, the companion noted the mix of everyday slang and niche cultural references.

Players often start by identifying obvious connections, such as tennis terms like LOVE, DEUCE, FORTY and ADVANTAGE, which form a standard scoring sequence in the sport. This blue group proved accessible for many.

The butt-associated group drew on slang: "moon" for mooning, "peach" for the fruit emoji often used that way, "can" as slang for buttocks, and "caboose" referring to the rear of a train.

Pie varieties included chess pie, a Southern custard-style dessert; pecan pie; pumpkin pie; and shoofly pie, a molasses-based Pennsylvania Dutch treat.

The mustard category featured brand or style names: Colonel Mustard from the board game Clue, honey mustard, hot mustard and yellow mustard.

Forbes and other sites provided pre-solve hints: the yellow group referenced items like apple, pizza and cutie as other options; the green group linked to targets of jokes or cigarette parts; the blue group preceded "game and set"; and the purple group noted "hot dog!" with a tangy kick.

Difficulty varied. Some solvers completed it in one or two attempts by spotting the tennis and pie groups quickly, while others struggled with the purple category until eliminating other possibilities.

The game encourages logical deduction and word association. Strategies include scanning for proper nouns, brand names, homophones or thematic clusters like sports, food or slang.

Connections has grown in popularity alongside Wordle, Strands and other New York Times Games. It attracts a broad audience seeking a daily mental workout that combines vocabulary, general knowledge and pattern recognition.

No repeats occur in the curated word list. Editors select groupings to balance accessibility with challenge, occasionally drawing from American cultural references that resonate differently globally.

Tomorrow's puzzle, No. 1,076 for May 22, 2026, will offer a new set of 16 words at midnight. Players are encouraged to attempt solves independently before checking solutions.

Educational uses include classroom activities for building categorical thinking and cultural literacy. The game's mobile and web accessibility supports play across devices.

As of midday May 21, online forums continued discussing solve strategies and near-misses for puzzle 1,075. Common mistakes involved mixing pie types with other food words or confusing slang terms.

The New York Times Games team curates Connections to maintain engagement. Puzzle 1,075 exemplified the blend of straightforward and obscure connections that defines the daily experience.