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NYT Connections · #1169

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1169) — August 23, 2026

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“Before you commit to any group, look at each word's spelling — one category is built entirely on what you see on the page, not what the word means.TINDERBOX appeared in Connections #1121 (Jul 6, 2026) as part of words starting with dating app names. VOLCANO also appeared in that same puzzle, grouped among science fair project subjects. VACUUM has shown up five times before — as a word that follows or precedes other words, and once among cleaning verbs — but today it's here for a completely different reason.”

NYT Connections hints for August 23, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 ANTIFREEZEContains EE — the double vowel is tucked at the end of the word.
2 BAKING SODAA baking staple that doubles as a mild abrasive stain remover — especially on fabric.
3 BAZAARContains AA — the double vowel sits right before the final R.
4 CLUB SODAThe carbonation helps lift fresh stains from upholstery and clothing before they set.
5 HOME FRIESDiced or sliced potatoes pan-fried for breakfast — the most obvious potato dish here.
6 HYDROGEN PEROXIDEThe brown-bottle medicine cabinet staple — effective on blood and organic stains.
7 POTATO BATTERYA classic science experiment: a raw potato conducts enough electricity to power a small LED.
8 POWDER KEGA barrel of gunpowder — and a classic metaphor for a crisis ready to ignite.
9 SKIINGContains II — easy to miss because the two I's sit together in the middle, sandwiched between K and N.
10 TIME BOMBLiterally a bomb on a timer; figuratively any problem building toward an inevitable explosion.
11 TINDERBOXOriginally a kit for starting fires; now almost always used to mean a volatile situation.
12 VACUUMContains UU — nothing to do with cleaning here, just the spelling.
13 VINEGARReads as a salad dressing ingredient, but diluted white vinegar is a go-to stain and odour remover.
14 VISCHYSSOISEA cold French cream soup built on a base of puréed potatoes and leeks.
15 VODKAReads as a spirit you order at a bar, but traditional vodka is distilled from fermented potatoes.
16 VOLCANOThe most literal entry — molten rock under pressure, waiting to erupt.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint Each one is a disaster waiting to happen.
See Group POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE THINGS
See WordPOWDER KEG
See WordTIME BOMB
See WordTINDERBOX
See WordVOLCANO
See Hint Two identical letters sitting side by side inside each word.
See Group DOUBLE VOWELS
See WordANTIFREEZE
See WordBAZAAR
See WordSKIING
See WordVACUUM
See Hint A humble root vegetable is the star ingredient in all four.
See Group MADE WITH POTATOES
See WordHOME FRIES
See WordPOTATO BATTERY
See WordVISCHYSSOISE
See WordVODKA
See Hint Check under the sink before you check the recipe box.
See Group HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS
See WordBAKING SODA
See WordCLUB SODA
See WordHYDROGEN PEROXIDE
See WordVINEGAR
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 VODKA Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of it as a spirit you drink — but the puzzle is using it as a product defined by what it's distilled from, not what you mix it with.
2 VINEGAR Tap to see why this word traps.
You're almost certainly reading it as a kitchen condiment, but the puzzle is treating it as a cleaning agent, not a food ingredient.
3 BAKING SODA Tap to see why this word traps.
Your brain goes straight to baking and cooking, but here it's being used in a household utility sense that has nothing to do with recipes.
4 VACUUM Tap to see why this word traps.
You're picturing the appliance you push across the floor, but the puzzle isn't interested in what it does — only in how it's spelled.

NYT Connections answers for August 23, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE THINGS · Yellow · easiest
  • POWDER KEG
  • TIME BOMB
  • TINDERBOX
  • VOLCANO

POWDER KEG, TIME BOMB, TINDERBOX and VOLCANO are all things — literal or figurative — on the verge of blowing up. TINDERBOX is the sneakiest: it started as a historical fire-starting kit but today it almost always means a situation about to erupt, not an actual box.

G DOUBLE VOWELS · Green · easy
  • ANTIFREEZE
  • BAZAAR
  • SKIING
  • VACUUM

ANTIFREEZE (EE), BAZAAR (AA), SKIING (II) and VACUUM (UU) each contain a pair of the same vowel written consecutively. Four of the five vowels are covered — A, E, I and U — with O the only one absent.

B MADE WITH POTATOES · Blue · medium
  • HOME FRIES
  • POTATO BATTERY
  • VISCHYSSOISE
  • VODKA

HOME FRIES, POTATO BATTERY, VISCHYSSOISE and VODKA are all made from potatoes. VODKA is the big surprise — most solvers lock it in as a drink category, but traditional vodka is distilled from potatoes.

P HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS · Purple · hardest
  • BAKING SODA
  • CLUB SODA
  • HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
  • VINEGAR

BAKING SODA, CLUB SODA, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE and VINEGAR are all common household stain removers. The trap is that three of the four live in the kitchen and feel like food or cooking items — but all four are well-known for lifting stains from fabric and surfaces.

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