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NYT Connections · #1173

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1173) — August 27, 2026

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“Work out the color words first — even the ones that feel like they belong somewhere else. Pinning those down early clears the board and makes the trickiest group much easier to spot.EMOTIONAL appeared in Connections #615 (Feb 15, 2025) as part of words shortened in rock genres. Today it plays a completely different role. WRAP has appeared many times before — as a lunch order in Connections #568 (Dec 30, 2024), and as a homophone of a music genre in Connections #546 (Dec 8, 2024). Today the puzzle is using it differently again, though music is still in the picture.”

NYT Connections hints for August 27, 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 ASHThe pale gray left after something burns — also a Pokémon protagonist, which is the bait.
2 BROCKAdd B to ROCK — the Pokémon gym leader is a red herring.
3 CHOKED UPWhen emotion tightens your throat and words won't come out.
4 DOVEA soft, warm gray named after the bird's plumage.
5 ELECTRIC EELA fish that generates up to 600 volts — the most literal member of the group.
6 EMOTIONALThe plain-vanilla member — visibly moved, no hidden twist.
7 LIGHTNINGA bolt of atmospheric electricity; also a Pokémon move, which is exactly the trap.
8 LIVE WIREA wire carrying current — touch it and you'll know.
9 MISTYReads as a Pokémon character or a hazy colour; here it means teary-eyed.
10 NEMOAdd N to EMO — the lost fish is a red herring.
11 OVERCOMEFlooded by feeling — as in overcome with emotion.
12 PEWTERA dark, metallic gray — and the name of a Pokémon city, which is the trap.
13 PIKACHUThe electric-type Pokémon mascot — here for the electricity, not the franchise.
14 SLATEA cool blue-gray named after the flat rock used for roofing.
15 SPUNKAdd S to PUNK — no character trap here, just a hidden genre.
16 WRAPAdd W to RAP — the sandwich meaning is the bait.
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 could send your hair standing on end.
See Group ELECTRIC THINGS
See WordELECTRIC EEL
See WordLIGHTNING
See WordLIVE WIRE
See WordPIKACHU
See Hint You might need a moment to compose yourself.
See Group MOVED TO TEARS
See WordCHOKED UP
See WordEMOTIONAL
See WordMISTY
See WordOVERCOME
See Hint A painter mixing these would never reach black or white.
See Group SHADES OF GRAY
See WordASH
See WordDOVE
See WordPEWTER
See WordSLATE
See Hint Each word is one letter shy of something you'd find on a playlist.
See Group MUSIC GENRE PLUS STARTING LETTER
See WordBROCK
See WordNEMO
See WordSPUNK
See WordWRAP
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 ASH Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing the Pokémon protagonist — but here the puzzle is using it as a colour term, not a character name.
2 MISTY Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the Pokémon gym leader, or a hazy foggy shade — but here the puzzle is using it as an emotional state, not a visual one.
3 PEWTER Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of Pewter City from Pokémon — but here it's a colour, not a place.
4 BROCK Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as the Pokémon gym leader — but the puzzle isn't using it as a character name at all. Look past the proper noun.
5 WRAP Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a sandwich or something you tie around a gift — but the puzzle isn't using it as either of those things. Think about the word itself more carefully.

NYT Connections answers for August 27, 2026

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

Y ELECTRIC THINGS · Yellow · easiest
  • ELECTRIC EEL
  • LIGHTNING
  • LIVE WIRE
  • PIKACHU

ELECTRIC EEL, LIGHTNING, LIVE WIRE and PIKACHU are all things associated with electricity. PIKACHU is the most satisfying here — it's the only one that also doubles as Pokémon bait, making it the hardest to commit to this group.

G MOVED TO TEARS · Green · easy
  • CHOKED UP
  • EMOTIONAL
  • MISTY
  • OVERCOME

CHOKED UP, EMOTIONAL, MISTY and OVERCOME all describe someone on the verge of tears or overwhelmed by feeling. MISTY is the sneakiest — most solvers see a Pokémon character or a foggy shade before the tearful meaning clicks.

B SHADES OF GRAY · Blue · medium
  • ASH
  • DOVE
  • PEWTER
  • SLATE

ASH, DOVE, PEWTER and SLATE are all shades of gray. The Pokémon trap is strongest here — ASH and PEWTER are both Pokémon references, making solvers reluctant to park them in a colour category.

P MUSIC GENRE PLUS STARTING LETTER · Purple · hardest
  • BROCK
  • NEMO
  • SPUNK
  • WRAP

BROCK, NEMO, SPUNK and WRAP each hide a music genre when you add one letter to the start: B+ROCK, N+EMO, S+PUNK, W+RAP. This is the hardest group — the letter-addition trick is invisible until you say each word out loud and listen for what's hiding inside.

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