Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today's NYT Connections puzzle is a real challenge, but fun if you have a sweet tooth. Read on for clues and today's Connections answers.
The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today's Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Kiss kiss!
Green group hint: Not four or six.
Blue group hint: Not "in to."
Purple group hint: Think Willy Wonka.
Answers for today's Connections groups
Yellow group: Canoodling.
Green group: Five-sided things.
Blue group: Unexpected places to be "out of."
Purple group: Ending in candy brands minus "S."
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today's Connections answers?
The completed NYT Connections puzzle for May 8, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is canoodling. The four answers are first base, making out, necking and tonsil hockey.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is five-sided things. The four answers are home plate, jeans back pocket, school crossing sign and the Pentagon.
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is unexpected places to be "out of." The four answers are left field, nowhere, the blue and thin air.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is ending in candy brands minus "S." The four answers are Burger King Whopper (Whoppers), film nerd (Nerds), memento (Mentos) and pitcher's mound (Mounds).
Toughest Connections puzzles
We've made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles so far. Maybe they'll help you see patterns in future puzzles.
#5: Included "things you can set," such as mood, record, table and volleyball.
#4: Included "one in a dozen," such as egg, juror, month and rose.
#3: Included "streets on screen," such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.
#2: Included "power ___" such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.
#1: Included "things that can run," such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.
