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NYT Connections August 18 2026 Answers

Puzzle #1164

EDITED BY WYNA LIU

Today's 16-word board, in its starting order:

RED CARPET FILM NOIR BASKETBALL PRIVATE JET SWEET POTATO SANDPAPER VELVET ROPE FLYERS MASCOT PRACTICAL JOKE LIMOUSINE TRAFFIC CONE PETROLEUM JELLY ORANGUTAN COWBOY COFFEE POETIC JUSTICE PAPARAZZI

Category hints (no spoilers)

Yellow — SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERE
Green — PJS
Blue — THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE
Purple — THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY
SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERELIMOUSINE, PAPARAZZI, RED CARPET, VELVET ROPE
PJSPETROLEUM JELLY, POETIC JUSTICE, PRACTICAL JOKE, PRIVATE JET
THINGS THAT ARE ORANGEBASKETBALL, ORANGUTAN, SWEET POTATO, TRAFFIC CONE
THINGS THAT ARE GRITTYCOWBOY COFFEE, FILM NOIR, FLYERS MASCOT, SANDPAPER
Checked against the official NYT Connections solution

How Connections works

Connections gives you 16 words that form four secret groups of four. Find each group — yellow is the easiest, then green, blue, and the famously tricky purple. You're allowed four mistakes. A new puzzle drops daily at midnight; play free at nytimes.com.