Crack NYT Connections: Hints and Answers for May 31
- Nishadil
- May 31, 2026
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Your step‑by‑step guide to solving the May 31 New York Times Connections puzzle
Need a little nudge for today’s NYT Connections? We’ve gathered the best hints, possible groupings and the full solution for May 31, plus tips to boost your own solving skills.
Alright, puzzle lovers – if you’ve been staring at today’s NYT Connections grid and feeling a bit stuck, you’re not alone. The game’s clever enough to make you scratch your head, but it’s also generous enough to give us a handful of clues if we look closely.
First things first: the grid for May 31 contains 16 words, split into four hidden groups of four. The trick is to spot the subtle theme that binds each quartet. In today’s edition the themes aren’t wildly obscure, but they do require a little lateral thinking.
Group 1 – Classic Board Games
Look for words that could double as titles of familiar tabletop games. You’ll notice Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk and Clue lurking among the list. They’re the easy‑hit set, especially if you’ve ever rummaged through a family game cabinet.
Group 2 – Types of Clouds
A second cluster is all about the sky. The terms Cumulus, Stratus, Cirrus and Nimbus all point to cloud classifications. If you’re a weather‑watcher, this one should pop out instantly.
Group 3 – Musical Instruments Made of Brass
Here the puzzle gets a bit more musical. The words Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn and Tuba share the same material family. Even if you’re not a brass fan, the distinct “brassy” sound of the names makes the connection clear.
Group 4 – Famous Literary Detectives
Finally, the remaining four words are all sleuths from classic literature: Holmes, Poe (as in C. Auguste Dupin), Poirot and Miss Marple. Spotting this group can be tricky because the names are sometimes just surnames, but the detective vibe ties them together.
That’s the full solution for May 31. If you found any of the groups surprising, you’re doing exactly what the game intends – nudging you to think beyond the obvious.
Quick tip for future puzzles: whenever you feel stuck, start by grouping words that share a grammatical feature (like all being plural) or a common suffix/prefix. From there, you can often cascade into the larger thematic families.
Happy connecting, and may your next grid be a breeze!
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