Here are today's NYT Connections hints and answers for August 18, 2026, puzzle #1255. 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: 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.
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 L, P, R, and V. If that is not enough, one of them is LIMOUSINE.
Green group hint
These four start with P, P, P, and P. If that is not enough, one of them is PETROLEUM JELLY.
Blue group hint
These four start with B, O, S, and T. If that is not enough, one of them is BASKETBALL.
Purple group hint
These four start with C, F, F, and S. If that is not enough, one of them is COWBOY COFFEE.
Today's NYT Connections answers
Reveal today's answers
Full spoilers inside. The four groups for August 18, 2026, in difficulty order.
Yellow: SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERE
LIMOUSINE, PAPARAZZI, RED CARPET, VELVET ROPE
Green: PJS
PETROLEUM JELLY, POETIC JUSTICE, PRACTICAL JOKE, PRIVATE JET
Blue: THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE
BASKETBALL, ORANGUTAN, SWEET POTATO, TRAFFIC CONE
Purple: THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY
COWBOY COFFEE, FILM NOIR, FLYERS MASCOT, SANDPAPER
At a movie premiere, a LIMOUSINE is the star-studded ride that drops celebrities at the velvet rope.
The chauffeur asked if the carpet was red for a reason; turns out it was just the limo's extended warranty on fame.
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?
Our word unscrambler turns any jumble of letters into every word you can make from them, which covers Wordscapes, Words with Friends, and anagram puzzles.