A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1160
hints & answers for August 14, 2026

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows August 14, 2026. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, C, C and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BUMBLEBEE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BLACK-AND-YELLOW

Reveal all four words
  • BUMBLEBEE
  • CAUTION TAPE
  • CHARLIE BROWN
  • WOLVERINE

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, E, H and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BUBBLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PLACES WHERE EVERYONE THINKS THE SAME WAYS

Reveal all four words
  • BUBBLE
  • ECHO CHAMBER
  • HIVEMIND
  • SILO

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, D, I and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BRISTOL BOARD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

COMIC BOOK ARTIST'S TOOLS

Reveal all four words
  • BRISTOL BOARD
  • DIP PEN
  • INDIA INK
  • STRAIGHTEDGE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, C, D and G. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BASS ALE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TRIANGLE LOGOS

Reveal all four words
  • BASS ALE
  • CITGO
  • DELTA AIR LINES
  • GOOGLE DRIVE
Show categories only
  • Yellow: BLACK-AND-YELLOW
  • Green: PLACES WHERE EVERYONE THINKS THE SAME WAYS
  • Blue: COMIC BOOK ARTIST'S TOOLS
  • Purple: TRIANGLE LOGOS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

BLACK-AND-YELLOW

BUMBLEBEE · CAUTION TAPE · CHARLIE BROWN · WOLVERINE

Green

PLACES WHERE EVERYONE THINKS THE SAME WAYS

BUBBLE · ECHO CHAMBER · HIVEMIND · SILO

Blue

COMIC BOOK ARTIST'S TOOLS

BRISTOL BOARD · DIP PEN · INDIA INK · STRAIGHTEDGE

Purple

TRIANGLE LOGOS

BASS ALE · CITGO · DELTA AIR LINES · GOOGLE DRIVE

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.