Each day’s game of NYT Connections goes live at midnight local time. Before today’s NYT Connections hints, here’s what you missed on Tuesday:

It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means: it’s time for another game of Connections ! A very funky one, no less!

If I’d been paying more attention to the Connections home screen before I initially hit the "Play" button on today’s game, I would have seen "Illustrations by Glenn Harvey" at the bottom and known we were in for a little trouble. I think it’s a fun one! Hope you dig it too.

Before we start, I want to highlight the rad community we have on Discord , where we chat about Connections , the rest of the NYT games and all kinds of other stuff. It’s a lovely group of folks. You’re more than welcome to join us.

Also, my weekend editions of this column are available over on my newsletter, Pastimes . If you enjoy the intros and recommendations in my Connections columns, I publish longer pieces along similar lines on Pastimes as well. I think you’d dig them.

Today’s NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, May 5 are coming right up. Let’s get rolling!

NYT Connections Hints – Today’s Word List

As with the other rare occasions when we have an image-based game, I'm going to skip the usual word list today. I don't want to accidentally spoil anything too early by describing the illustrations, y'know? Figuring out what each of the illustrations refers to is what today's puzzle is all about.

So, instead, here’s a screenshot of the grid. I’ve included the image descriptions in the alt text for those who use screen readers. That might spoil things a bit for those folks – apologies if so – but I just want to make sure everything’s accessible for those who need it:

And the hints for today’s Connections groups are:

  • 🟨 Yellow group — you can visit and try your luck, but the house always wins
  • 🟩 Green group — there's a decent chance these are all on you right now
  • 🟦 Blue group — from a place where everyone wants to go on strike
  • 🟪 Purple group — elements of emblems

NYT Connections Hints – One Answer Per Group

Be warned: we’re starting to get into spoiler territory.

Let’s take a look at one answer for each group.

  • 🟨 Yellow group — DICE
  • 🟩 Green group — BUTTON
  • 🟦 Blue group — BOWLING BALL
  • 🟪 Purple group — CIRCLE

NYT Connections Hints – Groups/Categories

Today’s Connections groups are...

  • 🟨 Yellow group — found in a casino
  • 🟩 Green group — ways to fasten things
  • 🟦 Blue group — seen in a bowling alley
  • 🟪 Purple group — flag designs

Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Connections answers.

This is your last chance to look away.

This is your final warning!

Today’s Connections answers are...

Putting the circle with four holes in the middle next to what looked like a bowling ball made me think that was a button, so maybe a group of sewing-related drawings? It seemed like there might be a bowling group as well with said ball, pins shown from above and a bowling lane (two sets of vertical parallel lines) but I didn't see a fourth thing that made sense right away.

I did see what appeared to be a slot machine, along with dice, cards and poker chips. So, I guessed that group of casino things and got the yellows.

I then figured that what I initially suspected was a bed with pillows was actually a bowling scorecard, which has smaller boxes for strikes and spares in the top right. So I was able to square away the blues.

It took me a while to realize what I first thought was an exit sign was actually a belt buckle. That tied in with the button, laces and what I eventually figured out was a zipper for clothing-related things for the greens.

I didn’t have a clue about the purple category before submitting it. I’ll be honest, for a half-second, I thought it would be a reference to the legendary webcomic, "Loss." But sure, flag designs make sense.

Figuring out what the BOWLING BALL, BUTTON and SLOT MACHINE were what opened everything up for me today. I thought it was cute that revised illustrations showing the initially more abstract looks in better context popped up after solving each group.

I can't believe I escaped this one with a perfect game. Today' Answers Explained column (which I'm going to write immediately after this) should be interesting!

My streak now sits at 430 wins in a row. How did you get on today? Here's my grid:

Want to know more about how everything fits together? Let’s explore today’s game in more depth in my NYT Connections Answers Explained column. You can check that out by visiting my author page .

That’s all there is to it for today’s Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Thursday’s game if you need them.

P.S. This has been on my list of things to recommend at some point for a while. I don’t even remember how I learned about it. Probably a YouTube algorithm recommendation at one point?

Anyway, I hadn’t heard of Sammy until this popped up. Just based on this song, “Neptune Ave,” I would have been able to tell you that this alt-rock/indie rock band were active in the '90s. The sound is very much of that era. Alas, they were only around for a couple of years. Good tune, though:

Have a great day! Stay hydrated! Be kind to yourself and each other! Call someone you love!

Please follow my blog for more NYT Connections hints and help with other word games, and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Sharing this column with other people who play Connections would be appreciated too. You can also read my weekend editions of this column at my newsletter, Pastimes .