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NYT Connections · #1175

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1175) — August 29, 2026

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“Start with the groups where every word has one clear, concrete meaning — lock those in before you tackle anything that feels like it could belong in two places at once.GREEK and WEDGE appeared together in Connections #447 (Aug 31, 2024). They were both part of a group built around a specific style of dish.”

NYT Connections hints for August 29, 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 ALTERNATORThe component that recharges the battery while the engine is running.
2 AT LASTReads as an expression of relief; the Titan ATLAS is hiding across its first two words.
3 BATTERYStores the electrical charge needed to start the engine — sits right under the hood.
4 CHOPPEDA salad where every ingredient is cut into small, uniform pieces.
5 CONTROLReads as authority or power; here it's the Ctrl key used in nearly every keyboard shortcut.
6 ENGINEThe big one — the whole reason the hood exists.
7 ESCAPEReads as a verb meaning to flee; here it's the Esc key in the top-left corner.
8 GREEKThe classic combo of olives, feta, cucumber and tomato.
9 HERALDMeans a messenger or announcer; the goddess HERA is concealed in its first four letters.
10 HOUSELooks like a building; here it's the default salad a restaurant serves with your meal.
11 HYDRANTThe fire hydrant on your street; the multi-headed serpent HYDRA lurks at the start.
12 RADIATORKeeps the engine from overheating by circulating coolant.
13 SHIFTHold it down to get a capital letter or the symbol above a number.
14 SPACEThe longest key on the board — the spacebar.
15 TRITONEA dissonant musical interval; the sea god TRITON is embedded in its opening five letters.
16 WEDGEA quarter head of iceberg lettuce served with blue cheese dressing.
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 A mechanic opens the hood and finds all four.
See Group UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR
See WordALTERNATOR
See WordBATTERY
See WordENGINE
See WordRADIATOR
See Hint Order one of these at a diner and the server knows exactly what you mean.
See Group KINDS OF SALAD
See WordCHOPPED
See WordGREEK
See WordHOUSE
See WordWEDGE
See Hint Each one is a word printed on a physical button you tap without looking.
See Group KEYBOARD KEYS
See WordCONTROL
See WordESCAPE
See WordSHIFT
See WordSPACE
See Hint Something old and mythological is tucked into the opening letters of each entry.
See Group STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH
See WordAT LAST
See WordHERALD
See WordHYDRANT
See WordTRITONE
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 AT LAST Tap to see why this word traps.
You're reading it as an expression of relief — that's the bait. The puzzle is using it because a well-known name from ancient myth is hiding across those first two words, not because of what the phrase means.
2 HERALD Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a messenger or a newspaper — but the puzzle is interested in the first four letters, not the word's meaning.
3 CONTROL Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as authority or power over something — but the puzzle is treating it as a labeled key, not a concept.
4 HOUSE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing a building — but the puzzle is using it in a food context, not an architectural one.

NYT Connections answers for August 29, 2026

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

Y UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR · Yellow · easiest
  • ALTERNATOR
  • BATTERY
  • ENGINE
  • RADIATOR

ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ENGINE and RADIATOR are all components found under a car's hood. The ALTERNATOR is the sneakiest for non-gearheads — it charges the battery while the engine runs, and many solvers forget it lives under the hood at all.

G KINDS OF SALAD · Green · easy
  • CHOPPED
  • GREEK
  • HOUSE
  • WEDGE

CHOPPED, GREEK, HOUSE and WEDGE are all established salad types. HOUSE is the trickiest — it looks like a building, but a house salad is simply whatever the restaurant serves as its default green salad.

B KEYBOARD KEYS · Blue · medium
  • CONTROL
  • ESCAPE
  • SHIFT
  • SPACE

CONTROL, ESCAPE, SHIFT and SPACE are all keys on a standard keyboard. ESCAPE is the most deceptive — it reads so naturally as a verb that solvers often overlook the Esc key in the top-left corner.

P STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH · Purple · hardest
  • AT LAST
  • HERALD
  • HYDRANT
  • TRITONE

AT LAST, HERALD, HYDRANT and TRITONE each begin with the name of a figure from Greek myth: ATLAS, HERA, HYDRA and TRITON respectively. The trick is that none of these words look mythological on the surface — AT LAST is an idiom, HERALD is a job title, HYDRANT is street furniture, and TRITONE is a music term.

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