A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1165
hints & answers for August 19, 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 19, 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, P and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BREEZE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PIECE OF CAKE

Reveal all four words
  • BREEZE
  • CINCH
  • PICNIC
  • SNAP

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
Gentle hint

Keep something from being seen or discovered.

Show one word

BLANKET belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CONCEAL

Reveal all four words
  • BLANKET
  • HIDE
  • MASK
  • OBSCURE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BASE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES

Reveal all four words
  • BASE
  • BASKET
  • FOOT
  • PICKLE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ANTS belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS

Reveal all four words
  • ANTS
  • COCOA
  • RHEO
  • SEOUL
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PIECE OF CAKE
  • Green: CONCEAL
  • Blue: WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES
  • Purple: HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PIECE OF CAKE

BREEZE · CINCH · PICNIC · SNAP

Green

CONCEAL

BLANKET · HIDE · MASK · OBSCURE

Blue

WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES

BASE · BASKET · FOOT · PICKLE

Purple

HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS

ANTS · COCOA · RHEO · SEOUL

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.