NYT Connections Hints & Answers — Tuesday, August 18, 2026 (#1164)
Puzzle #1164. Start with a gentle nudge and work down — the full answers are at the bottom, hidden until you ask for them.
Just tell me the answer
The NYT Connections answer for Tuesday, August 18, 2026 (puzzle #1164) is: 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.
Today's 16 words
The grid exactly as NYT laid it out for Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Nothing below this point is spoiled until you open it.
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
How hard is Connections #1164?
Easy35/100
• At least one entry is a phrase rather than a single word.
Where to start: Every category here is meaning-based, so group by topic first and use the four-per-group constraint to settle any word that could go two ways.
Connections hints for Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Four levels, each giving away a little more. Open only as many as you need.
yellow(the most straightforward group — start here) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about premiere.
green(a little trickier, but still direct) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — the category is a single word beginning with "P".
blue(where the misdirection usually starts) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about orange.
purple(the wordplay group, and almost always the last to fall) A group united by what they ARE, not by wordplay — think about gritty.
yellow4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
green4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
blue4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
purple4 things that belong to the same real-world set — the link is meaning, not spelling.
yellowOne member is
greenOne member is
blueOne member is
purpleOne member is
yellow
green
blue
purple
NYT Connections answers for Tuesday, August 18, 2026
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Common questions
What is the NYT Connections answer for Tuesday, August 18, 2026?
The NYT Connections answer for Tuesday, August 18, 2026 (puzzle #1164) is: 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.
What is the purple group in Connections #1164?
The purple (hardest) group is "THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY": COWBOY COFFEE, FILM NOIR, FLYERS MASCOT, SANDPAPER.
What is the easiest group in today's Connections puzzle?
The yellow group is the most straightforward: "SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERE" — LIMOUSINE, PAPARAZZI, RED CARPET, VELVET ROPE. Solving it first removes four words from the grid.
What number is today's Connections puzzle?
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 is NYT Connections puzzle #1164. Connections launched on 12 June 2023 with puzzle #1, and a new puzzle is published every day.
What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle come out?
A new Connections puzzle unlocks at midnight in your own local time zone, so the changeover happens at a different moment around the world. The puzzle itself is the same for everyone on a given date.