If you’re having trouble with today’s Connections puzzle, we’re here to help you out. We’ll get you started with some general hints to nudge you in the direction of the answers. Next, we’ll give you one word from each category, followed by the list of themes. Finally, you can have the answers and their explanations at the end. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers to NYT Connections today (#1,158, August 12, 2026).
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In This Article
What is Connections?
The New York Times has a thriving online word game section, with Connections being the second-most-played title behind the crown jewel, Wordle. The rules of this game are simple – you need to find 4 groups comprising 4 words each in a 16-word grid. The words in each group are united by a common theme. The Yellow group is the easiest one to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple (toughest). Sometimes, there are red herrings and misdirects in the grid to throw you off your game, so don’t take your thinking cap off at any time! Ready to lock in? You can play Connections in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.
Here’s your grid for today
- LEMON
- TREE
- HARBOR
- FINE PRINT
- GREAT WHITE
- GREEN
- GOODBYE
- NURSE
- BULL
- BING
- FOSTER
- SCOTT
- BENES
- OKAYAMA
- POISON DART
- MAINTAIN
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,158) August 12, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Nurture.
- 🟢Green Group: Semiaquatic amphibians, green.
- 🔵Blue Group: Last names of TV show characters.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting with words for ‘👍’ or ‘👌’.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Foster.
- 🟢Green Group: Bull.
- 🔵Blue Group: Benes.
- 🟣Purple Group: Fine Print.
List of Themes (Major Spoilers)
Maybe getting to know the common themes among the words will help you spot them faster. Here are all the categories for today.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Hold Onto, As A Feeling.
- 🟢Green Group: Kinds Of Frogs.
- 🔵Blue Group: NBC Sitcom Surnames.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting With Affirmative Responses.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,158) Today (August 12, 2026)
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Foster, Harbor, Maintain, Nurse. (Hold Onto, As A Feeling)
These words describe cultivating or giving space to a feeling. Often used with ‘resentment’.
- 🟢Green Group: Bull, Green, Poison Dart, Tree. (Kinds Of Frogs)
Today’s Green group is pretty self-explanatory. These are all different kinds of frogs.
- 🔵Blue Group: Benes, Bing, Lemon, Scott. (NBC Sitcom Surnames)
Elaine Benes (Seinfeld), Chandler Bing (Friends), Liz Lemon (30 Rock), Michael Scott (The Office).
- 🟣Purple Group: Fine Print, Goodbye, Great White, Okayama. (Starting With Affirmative Responses)
Fine print, Good-bye, Great white, Okay-ama.
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,157, August 11, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Done, Sunk, Through, Toast. (Doomed)
- 🟢Green Group: BET, Bravo, History, USA. (Basic Cable Channels)
- 🔵Blue Group: Going, Once, Sold, Twice. (Words In An Auctioneer’s Chant)
- 🟣Purple Group: Aye, Hare, Knows, Tung. (Homophones Of Facial Features)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,155 (August 10, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Any Old How, At Random, Helter-Skelter, Willy Nilly. (Haphazardly)
- 🟢Green Group: Mail Delivery, Mobile Ticket, Print-At-Home, Will Call. (Ways To Receive Event Tickets)
- 🔵Blue Group: Balance Due, Bill To, Order Number, Unit Price. (Sections On An Invoice)
- 🟣Purple Group: Billy Goat, Colonel Sanders, Doctor Strange, The Devil. (Famous Goatees)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,155 (August 9, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Change Tack, Course-Correct, Recalibrate, Shift Gear. (Take A Different Approach)
- 🟢Green Group: Caps For Sale, Corduroy, Goodnight Moon, Madeline. (Classic Children’s Books)
- 🔵Blue Group: Buddy Cop, Neo-Noir, Space Opera, Spaghetti Western. (Movie Subgenres)
- 🟣Purple Group: Bad Dream, Escape Room, Jury Duty, Labyrinth. (Things People Try To Get Out Of)
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How did other solvers do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 2.3 out of 5. This puts it in the medium difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!
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