Update: We last updated this article with today's NYT Connections Answers on May 17, 2026.

Do you like making connections in life? No, I am not talking about the ones on LinkedIn, but NYT's much-hyped Connections game. Unlike theaa social media app, creating a connection in the game is pretty easy as you need to categorize four similar words into a category. It's a simple yet challenging game that can test your wits as well as your vocabulary skills. So, without any further ado, here are NYT Connections answers today with hints for May 17, 2026.

NYT Connections #1071 Hints Today for May 17, 2026

Click here to reveal all the hints to get you started with today's NYT Connections:
  • Yellow category hint: Various channels used for the transport of water, gas, or cables.
  • Green category hint: Slang terms for overcharging someone or failing to pay what is owed.
  • Blue category hint: The sequential actions involved in preparing a hot, leafy beverage.
  • Purple category hint: These words all commonly precede the same institution of learning.

Did you guess all the words? Let's take a look at them below.

NYT Connections Answer Today for May 17, 2026

Click here to reveal the solution to NYT Connections answer today:
  • Yellow Category: DUCT, LINE, MAIN, PIPE (CONDUIT)
  • Green Category: FLEECE, HOSE, SQUEEZE, STIFF (SWINDLE)
  • Blue Category: BOIL, POUR, STEEP, STRAIN (TEA-MAKING VERBS)
  • Purple Category: GRADE, GRAMMAR, HIGH, PRIMARY ("SCHOOL" MODIFIERS)

What do you think of today's NYT Connections puzzle?

Today's Connections puzzle was a clever test of vocabulary and association. Yellow and Blue were quite approachable, as the functional relationships between the words felt very natural once a few were grouped together. The Green category added a bit of grit with its colorful synonyms, requiring a moment to separate those terms from more literal meanings. Purple provided that classic "aha" moment, hiding a common link behind words that seem standard on their own but share a specific prefix. It was a smartly constructed set, earning a solid 3 out of 5.

You can also checkout today’s answers for other NYT puzzles :

How to Play NYT Connections

Playing NYT Connections is pretty straightforward, as you need to group four similar words in a single group. However, the difficulty increases, with theyellow category being the easiest and purple being the hardest. The green category refers to moderate difficulty, while blue is complex, being one notch above.

There are 16 words in each puzzle, and there is a theme for each group, although the puzzle doesn't reveal it. You only get four chances to correctly guess every group's meaning; you can have four incorrect guesses, so use them wisely. If the answer is correct, you can move on to the next group; otherwise, you are stuck with the same one.

Moreover, just like Wordle, Connections refreshes every 24 hours, so you will need to wait till the next day for a fresh one. Also, if you guess incorrectly, there's no way to play the game again, and it will simply reveal the correct results.

While the game itself does not require a subscription, you will need to create an account to track your progress. You can also share your results by copying them to the clipboard and pasting them wherever you want.

And that's it with the NYT connections answers today. Make sure to come back tomorrow for the next one.