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Spoiler warning: The answer groups and all 16 words are revealed below.
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Key takeaways
- Thursday, May 16 refers to the May 16, 2024 edition of NYT Connections, puzzle No. 340.
- The yellow PHOTO group is PIC, SHOT, SNAP, and STILL.
- The green victory-assurance group is CINCH, ICE, LOCK, and SECURE.
- The blue effortless-movement group is BREEZE, COAST, GLIDE, and SAIL.
- The purple BLANKET group is PICNIC, SECURITY, THROW, and WET.
- Connections presents 16 words, divides them into four groups of four, and ends the puzzle after four incorrect guesses.
What are the hints for Today’s NYT Connections Hints And Answers For Thursday, May 16?
The hints for the May 16, 2024 NYT Connections puzzle point to photographs, an easy win, effortless movement, and a word that can precede “blanket.” The four reported hints were:
| Color | Hint | What the hint points toward |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Say “cheese.” | Words connected with a photograph |
| Green | Easy win. | Words meaning to assure or secure victory |
| Blue | Freewheel. | Words describing effortless movement |
| Purple | Linked by one of the first possessions many people have. | Types of blanket |
The hints were published before the full solution, so the groups below contain spoilers. A contemporary Forbes answer guide for the May 16 puzzle also described the game’s four hint categories and complete solution.
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Spoiler warning: what are the answers to the May 16, 2024 Connections puzzle?
The complete word grid was ICE, COAST, STILL, WET, SECURITY, LOCK, BREEZE, SHOT, SECURE, PICNIC, THROW, SAIL, SNAP, GLIDE, CINCH, and PIC. The solution divides those words into four groups of four:
| Color | Category | Four answers | Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | PHOTO | PIC, SHOT, SNAP, STILL | Each word can refer to a photograph or photographic image. |
| Green | ASSURE, AS A VICTORY | CINCH, ICE, LOCK, SECURE | Each word can express making a win certain or securing a victory. |
| Blue | MOVE IN AN EFFORTLESS WAY | BREEZE, COAST, GLIDE, SAIL | Each word can describe moving smoothly or with little effort. |
| Purple | ___ BLANKET | PICNIC, SECURITY, THROW, WET | Each word forms a familiar phrase with “blanket.” |
How does the yellow PHOTO group work?
The yellow group is PIC, SHOT, SNAP, and STILL. A pic, shot, or snap can mean a photograph, while a still is a still photograph or photographic image. The words are related by photographic meaning rather than by one fixed phrase.
Why are CINCH and ICE in the green victory group?
The green group is CINCH, ICE, LOCK, and SECURE, all in the sense of assuring or making a victory certain. “Lock” and “secure” are direct matches, but “ice” and “cinch” are less immediately obvious.
In the intended usage, to ice a victory is to put the result beyond doubt, especially by finishing strongly. A cinch is something certain or nearly guaranteed, so “cinch” can also express an assured outcome. The intended sense of “cinch” is not a claim that the word is identical to “clinch”; the word is being used for something that is certain or easy to accomplish.
What do BREEZE, COAST, GLIDE, and SAIL have in common?
The blue group is BREEZE, COAST, GLIDE, and SAIL. Each word can describe moving in an effortless or smooth way: someone can breeze through a task, coast without much exertion, glide smoothly, or sail through something with ease.
How do the purple words complete “blanket” phrases?
The purple group is PICNIC, SECURITY, THROW, and WET. The completed phrases are picnic blanket, security blanket, throw blanket, and wet blanket.
| Grid word | Completed phrase | Meaning or use |
|---|---|---|
| PICNIC | picnic blanket | A blanket used for sitting outdoors during a picnic. |
| SECURITY | security blanket | A comforting object or source of reassurance. |
| THROW | throw blanket | A small decorative or practical blanket, often used on furniture. |
| WET | wet blanket | A person or thing that dampens enthusiasm or enjoyment. |
Why was the May 16 Connections puzzle difficult?
The May 16 puzzle mixed ordinary semantic links with a phrase-completion category. The yellow and blue groups primarily depend on meaning, while the purple group asks solvers to supply the shared word “blanket.” That difference makes the purple set harder to recognize as a group until one completed phrase reveals the pattern.
The grid also creates an “easy” or “effortless” distraction. BREEZE and CINCH can both suggest that something is easy, and PICNIC may initially look related to a relaxed or easy activity. The final blue category is narrower: BREEZE, COAST, GLIDE, and SAIL all describe moving effortlessly. PICNIC belongs with the blanket phrases instead.
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How does NYT Connections work?
NYT Connections gives players a grid of 16 words and asks them to divide the words into four groups of four by identifying a connection. As Forbes writer Kris Holt explained on May 15, 2024, “In Connections, you’re presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them.”
The game orders its categories from yellow to green, blue, and purple, with yellow intended to be the least difficult and purple the most difficult. Players can shuffle the grid, receive a “one away” notification when three selected words belong together but the fourth does not, and lose after four incorrect guesses. Individual solvers may experience the colors differently, especially when a familiar-looking distractor produces a tempting alternative.
The May 16 edition was puzzle No. 340. The date needs a year because May 16 fell on a Friday in 2025 and a Saturday in 2026; the Thursday edition is specifically Thursday, May 16, 2024.
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What is the best way to solve a Connections grid like this?
- Look for exact phrase patterns. When several words can precede or follow the same word, test that pattern before relying on a broad theme. In this puzzle, identifying “blanket” helps separate PICNIC from the effortless-movement words.
- Prefer four precise matches over a broad idea. “Easy” might describe BREEZE, CINCH, or other words, but BREEZE, COAST, GLIDE, and SAIL share the more specific idea of effortless movement.
- Check alternate meanings. ICE is not being used as frozen water in the green group; ICE means to secure or finish a victory. CINCH refers to certainty or an assured result.
- Use the remaining grid to validate a theory. A possible group is not enough if it strands a word that forms a stronger phrase elsewhere. PICNIC looks plausible as a relaxed activity, but PICNIC BLANKET is the more exact connection.
- Spend guesses carefully. The game allows four incorrect guesses, so a broad category should be narrowed to four words before submission whenever possible.
Want more Connections puzzles?
The official publisher lists the NYT Connections puzzle book titled Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay, by The New York Times Games and Wyna Liu. Simon & Schuster describes the hardcover as a physical collection with more than 100 puzzles, exclusive puzzles, and a lay-flat format, and lists October 27, 2026 as its publication date. The book is a separate collection; the publisher page does not establish that it contains the May 16, 2024 daily puzzle, so readers should verify retailer availability and contents before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which year was the Thursday, May 16 NYT Connections puzzle?
Thursday, May 16 refers to the 2024 NYT Connections edition because May 16 fell on Friday in 2025 and Saturday in 2026. The 2024 edition was puzzle No. 340.
What were the four categories in NYT Connections puzzle No. 340?
The four Connections groups were PHOTO; words meaning to assure or secure a victory; words describing effortless movement; and words that form phrases with BLANKET.
Why does ICE fit the May 16 Connections answer?
ICE means to secure or finish a victory, while CINCH refers to something certain or nearly guaranteed. Those are the intended victory-related meanings in the green group.
What was the purple group in Connections on May 16, 2024?
The purple answers were PICNIC, SECURITY, THROW, and WET, completing picnic blanket, security blanket, throw blanket, and wet blanket.
The Bottom Line
The Thursday, May 16 NYT Connections edition was puzzle No. 340 from 2024. Its solution was PHOTO—PIC, SHOT, SNAP, STILL; victory assurance—CINCH, ICE, LOCK, SECURE; effortless movement—BREEZE, COAST, GLIDE, SAIL; and ___ BLANKET—PICNIC, SECURITY, THROW, WET.
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