NYT Connections #1055
Hints, category titles, and full answers for Friday, May 1, 2026
Connections Hint #1055 — May 1, 2026
Connections Walkthrough — May 1, 2026
A breakdown of every category from the May 1, 2026 puzzle, the trap words designed to fool players, and what made it tricky.
Group-by-group breakdown (easiest to hardest)
- MAKE GLOSSY
You can spot the surface-finishing verbs together: BUFF, POLISH, SHINE, and WAX all improve luster.
- FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD
Next, group the anatomy terms; BEAK, COMB, CREST, and WATTLE all sit on a fowl’s head.
- TRANSLUCENT GOLDEN THINGS
Then notice ALE, AMBER, CITRINE, and HONEY share a warm clear yellow look.
- NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED
Finally, say HIVE, MIX, POUR, and WIGHT aloud beside number words with swapped first letters.
The trap words that fool most players
Words placed in this puzzle to make one category look like another.
- HIVElooks like · TRANSLUCENT GOLDEN THINGSactually · NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED
You may think of bees and honey, but HIVE is really FIVE with a changed first letter.
- WAXlooks like · TRANSLUCENT GOLDEN THINGSactually · MAKE GLOSSY
Beeswax can be golden and semi-clear, but here WAX is an action that adds luster.
- COMBlooks like · MAKE GLOSSYactually · FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD
A comb can groom hair, but the puzzle wants the fleshy ridge on a bird.
What makes this puzzle clever
The hardest set hides familiar number words in plain sight by changing only the first letter.
About this puzzle
This is the complete solution to NYT Connections puzzle #1055, originally published on Friday, May 1, 2026. The four categories ranged from MAKE GLOSSY (the easiest, yellow group) through NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED (the trickiest, purple group, which usually involves wordplay or hidden patterns).
You can browse our complete Connections archive for every past puzzle since the game launched in June 2023, or jump to today's puzzle for the latest hints.