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NYT Connections · #1153

Today's NYT Connections Hints & Answers - August 7, 2026 (#1153)

By ·Updated 11:00 PM ET

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“Group the items you can easily visualize in real life first.Today's puzzle has JACKPOT, which also appeared in Connections #782 (Aug 1, 2025). It was part of hit the blank phrases.Today's puzzle has MOTOR, which also appeared in Connections #1130 (Jul 15, 2026). It was part of kinds of sports.”

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Connections hints for today's puzzle

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 BUCKYBALLLooks like a molecule; here it starts with a male deer name.
2 BUTTONSThe controls you press to choose a floor.
3 CABLESThe strong lines that lift and lower the car.
4 FRAGRANCEThe scented part added to make the candle smell good.
5 JACKPOTLooks like a gambling win; here it starts with a male donkey name.
6 JARThe container that holds everything together.
7 LIQUID NITROGENAn extremely cold substance used in labs and shows.
8 MOTORThe machine that powers the whole system.
9 RAMBOLooks like the movie hero; here it starts with a male sheep name.
10 REFRIGERATORThe kitchen appliance that keeps food cold.
11 SHAFTThe vertical space the elevator travels through.
12 SNOWFrozen water that falls from the sky in winter.
13 SUNDAELooks like a dessert; here it's the cold treat itself.
14 TOMATILLOLooks like the fruit; here it starts with a male cat name.
15 WAXThe main material that melts and burns.
16 WICKThe string that carries the flame.
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 The pieces needed to create a scented light source.
See Group COMPONENTS OF A CANDLE
See WordFRAGRANCE
See WordJAR
See WordWAX
See WordWICK
See Hint Items that lower the temperature around them.
See Group COLD THINGS
See WordLIQUID NITROGEN
See WordREFRIGERATOR
See WordSNOW
See WordSUNDAE
See Hint Things that help move people between floors.
See Group PARTS OF AN ELEVATOR
See WordBUTTONS
See WordCABLES
See WordMOTOR
See WordSHAFT
See Hint Wildlife and barnyard males start each word here.
See Group STARTING WITH MALE ANIMALS
See WordBUCKYBALL
See WordJACKPOT
See WordRAMBO
See WordTOMATILLO
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 RAMBO Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the action-movie character, but here the puzzle is using it as a compound built around a male sheep name.
2 TOMATILLO Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the green Mexican fruit, but here the puzzle is using it as a compound built around a male cat name.
3 BUCKYBALL Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the carbon molecule, but here the puzzle is using it as a compound built around a male deer name.
4 JACKPOT Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a big gambling win, but here the puzzle is using it as a compound built around a male donkey name.

Today's Connections answers

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

Y COMPONENTS OF A CANDLE · Yellow · easiest
  • FRAGRANCE
  • JAR
  • WAX
  • WICK

FRAGRANCE, JAR, WAX and WICK are all components of a candle. WICK is the one most people overlook until the others are placed.

G COLD THINGS · Green · easy
  • LIQUID NITROGEN
  • REFRIGERATOR
  • SNOW
  • SUNDAE

LIQUID NITROGEN, REFRIGERATOR, SNOW and SUNDAE are all cold things. SUNDAE is the sneakiest — most solvers read it as a dessert before the temperature link clicks.

B PARTS OF AN ELEVATOR · Blue · medium
  • BUTTONS
  • CABLES
  • MOTOR
  • SHAFT

BUTTONS, CABLES, MOTOR and SHAFT are all parts of an elevator. SHAFT is the one that feels most hidden until the others line up.

P STARTING WITH MALE ANIMALS · Purple · hardest
  • BUCKYBALL
  • JACKPOT
  • RAMBO
  • TOMATILLO

BUCKYBALL, JACKPOT, RAMBO and TOMATILLO are all words that begin with male animal names. BUCKYBALL is the most scientific trap — most solvers read it as chemistry before the prefix clicks.

Try another puzzle

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Answers, pangram & word list

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How to play NYT Connections

The rules, the difficulty scale, and when the next puzzle drops.

The goal

Connections gives you 16 words. Sort them into four groups of four, where every word in a group shares a hidden link — a theme, a category, or a piece of wordplay. You get four mistakes before the game ends.

The colour scale

Groups are graded by difficulty: yellow is the most straightforward, then green, then blue, with purple almost always the trickiest — usually built on wordplay or a homophone rather than a plain category.

When it resets

A new Connections drops at midnight in your local time zone. Yesterday's puzzle moves to the archive, where every past answer stays searchable.