This FluentSlang explainer covers Tar as it appeared in the NYT Connections hints and answers for May 31, 2026. Use it for the quick meaning, the puzzle trap, and the related same-day clues.
Tar meaning in this puzzle
Tar usually means a thick, dark, sticky substance used in road work, roofing, and old ship maintenance. But tar can also mean a sailor, especially in older slang.
Read this clue through the group label slang for a sailor, then check whether the other answers point the same way.
Why It Showed Up In Connections
This clue came from the NYT Connections hints and answers for May 31, 2026. In that grid, it pointed toward slang for a sailor.
The key is to test the whole group, not just the first meaning that pops into your head.
Why this clue can fool people
This is why Tar was such a good trap. Most modern readers see Tar and think of pavement, roofs, or something sticky on a beach. The puzzle wanted the older peopleword, not the substance.
How To Read It Fast
Start with the ordinary meaning of Tar, then ask whether the puzzle is using it as slang, a phrase, a category label, or a wordplay trick.
If the clue only matches one other answer, keep going. The correct Connections group should make all four answers feel like they belong together.
Quick Examples
Today’s Connections Explainers
These pages are built from the same puzzle, so they are the most relevant next reads.