A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1162
hints & answers for August 16, 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 16, 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 C, G, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CONCERT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

Reveal all four words
  • CONCERT
  • GIG
  • SET
  • SHOW

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, A, P and P. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ACTOR belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PARTICIPANT

Reveal all four words
  • ACTOR
  • AGENT
  • PARTY
  • PLAYER

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

GRAND belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FAMILY RELATIONSHIP MODIFIERS

Reveal all four words
  • GRAND
  • GREAT
  • HALF
  • STEP

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with F, H, U and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

FROM NEANDER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DESCRIPTORS FOR OUR HUMAN ANCESTORS

Reveal all four words
  • FROM NEANDER
  • HANDY
  • UPRIGHT
  • WISE
Show categories only
  • Yellow: MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
  • Green: PARTICIPANT
  • Blue: FAMILY RELATIONSHIP MODIFIERS
  • Purple: DESCRIPTORS FOR OUR HUMAN ANCESTORS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

CONCERT · GIG · SET · SHOW

Green

PARTICIPANT

ACTOR · AGENT · PARTY · PLAYER

Blue

FAMILY RELATIONSHIP MODIFIERS

GRAND · GREAT · HALF · STEP

Purple

DESCRIPTORS FOR OUR HUMAN ANCESTORS

FROM NEANDER · HANDY · UPRIGHT · WISE

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.