Here are today's NYT Connections hints and answers for August 10, 2026, puzzle #1236. Solving tips come first, then progressive hints, then the full solution behind a spoiler.
How to solve Connections
Work the board like a set of four tiny categories, not sixteen random words.
- Start with the most obvious foursome. That is usually the Yellow group, and clearing it shrinks the board fast.
- When two words feel linked, hunt for the other two before you submit. A wrong guess burns one of your four lives.
- Watch for red herrings: words that fit two categories on purpose. If a set feels almost right but one word is forced, leave it.
- Save Purple for last. It is often wordplay, a shared phrase piece, or a trickier theme than the earlier colors.
- If you are stuck, sort the leftover words by part of speech or by the kind of thing they name (places, foods, verbs) and see what clusters.
Today's Connections board
The sixteen words in today's grid: BILLY GOAT, BALANCE DUE, WILLY-NILLY, MAIL DELIVERY, BILL TO, HELTER-SKELTER, WILL CALL, THE DEVIL, DOCTOR STRANGE, ORDER NUMBER, ANY OLD HOW, MOBILE TICKET, UNIT PRICE, COLONEL SANDERS, PRINT-AT-HOME, AT RANDOM.
Today's NYT Connections hints
Each hint gives away a little more than the last. Stop as soon as one clicks.
Yellow group hint
These four start with A, A, H, and W. If that is not enough, one of them is ANY OLD HOW.
Green group hint
These four start with M, M, P, and W. If that is not enough, one of them is MAIL DELIVERY.
Blue group hint
These four start with B, B, O, and U. If that is not enough, one of them is BALANCE DUE.
Purple group hint
These four start with B, C, D, and T. If that is not enough, one of them is BILLY GOAT.
Today's NYT Connections answers
Reveal today's answers
Full spoilers inside. The four groups for August 10, 2026, in difficulty order.
Yellow: HAPHAZARDLY
ANY OLD HOW, AT RANDOM, HELTER-SKELTER, WILLY-NILLY
Green: WAYS TO RECEIVE EVENT TICKETS
MAIL DELIVERY, MOBILE TICKET, PRINT-AT-HOME, WILL CALL
Blue: SECTIONS ON AN INVOICE
BALANCE DUE, BILL TO, ORDER NUMBER, UNIT PRICE
Purple: FAMOUS GOATEES
BILLY GOAT, COLONEL SANDERS, DOCTOR STRANGE, THE DEVIL
ANY OLD HOW means done haphazardly, without care or order.
So my decluttering strategy is any old how , apparently that's why my socks are filed under 'alphabetical by first letter of the color.'
How to play NYT Connections
Sixteen words, four hidden groups of four, and four mistakes allowed. Use the solving tips above before you burn a life on a maybe.
FAQ
What time does NYT Connections reset?
The puzzle refreshes at midnight Eastern time, which is when this page picks up the new answers.
Where can I play NYT Connections?
On the New York Times Games site and in the NYT Games app.
Stuck on a different word game?
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