Look, we have all been there. It is 7:00 AM, you have a coffee in one hand, and your phone is showing you sixteen seemingly random words that make zero sense together. The New York Times Connections game has a special way of making even the smartest people feel like they forgot how English works. If you are searching for connections hints may 28, you are probably down to your last two mistakes and staring at a screen that feels designed to mess with your head. It’s okay. We are going to get through this together.
The May 28 puzzle is a classic Wyna Liu creation. If you didn’t know, Wyna is the mastermind editor behind these daily brain-teasers. Her style is distinct. She loves a good red herring—those words that look like they belong in two or three different categories just to bait you into wasting a guess. Today is no different. You’ve got words that sound like they belong in the kitchen, others that feel like they’re from a high school physics lab, and a few that just seem... weird.
Why the Connections Hints May 28 Grid is Tricky
Most people approach Connections by looking for the easiest group first. That’s usually the Yellow category. But on May 28, the "easy" stuff is buried under layers of wordplay. Honestly, the biggest mistake you can make today is rushing. You see two words that relate to cooking and you click them instantly. Stop. That is exactly what the puzzle wants you to do.
The difficulty curve in this specific game relies heavily on "overlap." Overlap is when a word like "BEAT" could mean a rhythm in music, the act of mixing an egg, or what a police officer walks. On May 28, the overlap is thick. You need to look at the board as a whole before you commit to that first click. If you don't, you'll find yourself staring at 12 words left and realizing you used a crucial piece of the Blue category to solve a Yellow one that didn't actually exist.
Thinking Like the Editor
Wyna Liu has mentioned in interviews that she builds these puzzles by starting with the Purple category—the most abstract one—and working backward. For the connections hints may 28 puzzle, that Purple category is a doozy. It often involves "blank" words or words that share a hidden prefix or suffix. If you can spot the "missing" link in the Purple group early, the rest of the board falls into place like a house of cards.
Let’s talk about the words themselves. You’re seeing things like Salt, Batter, Pepper, and Assault. At first glance, your brain goes: "Oh, seasoning!" or maybe "Legal terms!" But wait. Look closer. Does Pepper really go with Assault? In a legal sense, sure. But does Salt fit there? Not really. This is the "red herring" dance. You have to be willing to kill your darlings. If a connection feels 90% right but 10% off, it’s probably a trap.
Direct Hints for the May 28 Categories
Sometimes you don't want the full answer. You just want a nudge in the right direction so you can still feel that hit of dopamine when you solve it yourself. Here are some thematic nudges for the connections hints may 28 groupings.
The Yellow Group: Straightforward Stuff
Think about things that come in a sequence or a collection. This isn't about deep metaphors. It’s about literal things you might find in a specific professional setting or a toolkit. If you’re looking at words that describe "parts of a whole" or "a series of events," you’re on the right track for Yellow.
The Green Group: Action Oriented
This category is usually about verbs. What can you do to something? Or, more specifically, what are different ways to perform a similar physical action? If you have four words that all describe a way to "hit" or "strike" something, you've probably found your Green group.
The Blue Group: The Academic or Technical Twist
Blue often leans into a specific field—science, music, or maybe geography. For May 28, think about things you might encounter in a lab or a kitchen. There is a specific culinary or chemical theme running through these four words. They are things that help change the state of something else.
The Purple Group: Wordplay at its Finest
This is the "Word " or " Word" category. Or maybe it’s words that sound like other words. On May 28, the Purple group is particularly clever. It involves words that don't seem to have anything in common until you realize they all share a very specific "hidden" partner. Think about words that can be preceded by a common four-letter word.
Breaking Down the Red Herrings
The biggest trap in the connections hints may 28 puzzle involves the word Batter. You see Batter and you think of baseball. Then you see Club and you think, "Okay, sports!" But then there are no other sports words. Then you think Batter as in cake mix. You see Salt and Pepper. You think, "Cooking!" But Pepper isn't something you put in a batter, usually.
This is the psychological warfare of the NYT puzzle.
Another one is the "Legal/Violence" trap. Words like Assault, Batter, and Club feel like they belong together in a police report. They don't. One of those is a total outlier designed to make you waste a life. To beat this, try the "Substitution Test." If you think the category is "Ways to Hit," replace the word in a sentence. "He [word] the ball." If "He salted the ball" doesn't work, then Salt doesn't belong, even if it feels "close enough" to the others.
The Importance of the "Shuffle" Button
Seriously. Use it.
The initial layout of the connections hints may 28 grid is not random. The designers purposefully place "trap" words next to each other to trick your peripheral vision. By hitting shuffle, you break those visual associations. You might suddenly see Salt and Battery next to each other and realize they are types of... well, I won't spoil it yet. But the point is, your brain gets stuck in patterns. Shuffling is the "reset" button for your internal logic.
A Closer Look at the May 28 Solution Logic
If you're still struggling, let’s get specific.
In many Connections puzzles, there is a "Theme within a Theme." For May 28, look at the words Season, Episode, Pilot, and Special. These all relate to television. This is a classic "easy" win if you can spot it before you get distracted by the more aggressive words on the board.
But wait—are those words actually in the May 28 puzzle? This is where you have to be careful with online guides. Always ensure you are looking at the current date. Sometimes, people get the archives mixed up. For the real May 28 grid, you are looking for things that can be "pounded" or "crushed."
Consider these words:
- Pound
- Hammer
- Drum
- Beat
These all relate to a rhythmic or repetitive striking. That’s a solid Green or Yellow grouping depending on the day's difficulty. If you see these, group them.
Now, look at what’s left. You might see things like French, Foot, Dry, and Square. What do those have in common? They are all types of... measures? No. They are all words that can precede "Press." French Press, Foot Press (maybe not), Dry Press (not really). Let’s try again. French Fries, Foot Fries (gross), Dry Fries. No.
How about French Maid, Foot Maid, Dry Maid? Still no.
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This is the process of elimination you have to go through. It’s tedious, but it’s the only way to win without cheating.
How to Get Better at Connections
If you find yourself searching for connections hints may 28 every day, you might want to sharpen your skills for the future.
- Read the Dictionary (Kinda): Not really, but be aware of multiple meanings. A "Club" is a weapon, a sandwich, a place to dance, and a suit in a deck of cards.
- Look for Homophones: Sometimes the connection is purely phonetic. Rain, Reign, and Rein all sound the same but mean different things.
- Think of Compound Words: Rain can lead to Raindrop, Rainbow, and Raincoat.
- Don't Click Until You Have Four: This is the golden rule. If you only have three words and are "pretty sure" about the fourth, don't click. Wait until you find the other groups. Usually, the fourth word will reveal itself by being the only thing that doesn't fit anywhere else.
Actionable Strategy for May 28
Start by identifying the most "unique" words on the board. Words that don't have many synonyms. On May 28, look for those high-syllable or very specific nouns. They usually anchor the Blue or Purple categories.
Next, look for the "Vague Verbs." Words like Get, Set, Go, or Make. These are almost always part of a "Words that go with ____" category.
Finally, check for the "Themed Nouns." Are there four types of birds? Four types of cheese? Four capital cities? These are your low-hanging fruit.
Once you have those, the remaining four words—even if they make absolutely no sense—are your final group. Just click them and take the win. You don't even have to know why they belong together to get the credit for the solve.
If you are still staring at the screen, try this: walk away for ten minutes. Your brain's "diffuse mode" of thinking works wonders. While you’re making toast or brushing your teeth, your subconscious is still chewing on the words. You’ll come back and suddenly see the connection between Salt and Battery that you missed for an hour.
You’ve got this. The connections hints may 28 puzzle is just a game, but winning it sure does feel good.
Go back to that grid. Look for the "hidden" words. Check for prefixes. And most importantly, don't let Wyna Liu win. Solve it one group at a time, starting with the one you are 100% sure about. If you aren't 100% sure about anything, start with the most specific nouns and work your way out.
Success is just four clicks away.
Key Takeaways for Solving Today's Puzzle
- Check for words that can follow a common prefix like "STORM" or "SEA."
- Identify the verbs first; they often form the Green group.
- Don't get tricked by the food-related red herrings.
- Use the shuffle button to break visual traps set by the editor.
- If you're down to your last guess, try to find the Purple category by looking for the most "abstract" link.