Connections August 3, 2026: Hints & Answers (#1230)
Recap
The puzzle required grouping 16 words into four categories based on their meanings and connections. Solvers had to carefully consider the relationships between the words to place them correctly.
The sixteen tiles
The sixteen tiles as dealt. Reveal a group below to tint and caption its tiles here.
Connections hints, one rung at a time
Six rungs, softest first. The recap above already named the groups, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the board fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.
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Hint 1: Four one-line nudges, one per group
The softest hint there is.
- Yellow
- Less traveled paths
- Green
- Color variations
- Blue
- Vowel rarity
- Purple
- Pestering starts
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Hint 2: What linked each group, described
Still no titles and no tiles named.
Yellow group
These words describe routes that are not main roads, often quieter and less used.
Green group
These terms all refer to different shades or tones of the color green.
Blue group
These phrases or words are notable for containing the letter 'Y' as their only vowel.
Purple group
These phrases begin with words that mean to bother or pester someone.
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Hint 3: Board facts
Counted off the sixteen printed tiles.
Sixteen tiles, four groups of four, ordered yellow → green → blue → purple from most to least obvious. 4 of the sixteen tiles were more than one word.
- Tiles
- 16 across 4 groups
- Longest tile
- 10 characters
- Shortest tile
- 4 characters
- Multi-word tiles
- 4
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Hint 4: The trap on this board
Which tiles pulled in two directions.
Some cards could fit into multiple categories at first glance, particularly those with common words or phrases. Be cautious with words that have multiple meanings or uses.
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Hint 5: The four category titles
Half the answer.
- Yellow
- ROAD LESS TRAVELED
- Green
- SHADES OF GREEN
- Blue
- "Y" IS THE ONLY VOWEL
- Purple
- STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER"
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Hint 6: One tile from each group
The anchor most people misplaced, matched to its title.
- Yellow — ROAD LESS TRAVELED
- BYWAY
- Green — SHADES OF GREEN
- HUNTER
- Blue — "Y" IS THE ONLY VOWEL
- RHYTHM
- Purple — STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER"
- NEEDLESS
Every Connections group from that board
All four groups, folded. Opening one tints its four tiles above and captions them with the category name.
Yellow group · 4 tiles
ROAD LESS TRAVELED
ALLEY, BACKSTREET, BYWAY, LANE. The yellow group, 'ROAD LESS TRAVELED', consists of 'ALLEY', 'BACKSTREET', 'BYWAY', 'LANE'.
Green group · 4 tiles
SHADES OF GREEN
FOREST, HUNTER, MINT, SAGE. The green group, 'SHADES OF GREEN', consists of 'FOREST', 'HUNTER', 'MINT', 'SAGE'.
Blue group · 4 tiles
"Y" IS THE ONLY VOWEL
FLY BY, MYRRH, NSYNC, RHYTHM. The blue group, ''Y' IS THE ONLY VOWEL', consists of 'FLY BY', 'MYRRH', 'NSYNC', 'RHYTHM'.
Purple group · 4 tiles
STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER"
BUG FIX, NAG CHAMPA, NEEDLESS, TEA SET. The purple group, 'STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER"', consists of 'BUG FIX', 'NAG CHAMPA', 'NEEDLESS', 'TEA SET'.
This board by the numbers
- Puzzle
- (#1230) · Monday, August 3, 2026
- Tiles
- 16 in a 4 × 4 grid
- Groups
- 4, yellow to purple
- Multi-word tiles
- 4
- Longest tile
- BACKSTREET
- Mistakes allowed
- 4 before the board locked
More Connections
See the live Connections hints and answers page for the current board, or browse every archived Connections date by month.
Try the other two puzzles
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The live NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers page
Six theme words plus the spangram, with a read-only board that traces each answer.
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The live NYT Pips hints and answers page
Easy, medium and hard boards with domino inventories and full walkthroughs.