Struggling to find commonalities in today’s Connections grid? We’re here to sort out the fuzz. As you scroll down, you’ll see some spoiler-free hints to point you in the direction of the answers. Next, we’ll give you one word from each category, followed by the list of themes. The answers and their explanations will be waiting for you at the end of the page. So, let’s dive into the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1,162, August 16, 2026).
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In This Article
What is Connections?
Connections is one of the most popular word games from The New York Times, only trailing behind Wordle. The rules of the game are simple. You are presented with a 16-word grid where you’re supposed to find the entries that share something in common. There are a total of 4 groups, each consisting of 4 words, that you must find. The Yellow group is the easiest to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple. Sometimes, there are a couple of red herrings to throw you off and make the puzzle more interesting. You can play Connections in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.
Here’s your grid for today
- PARTY
- ACTOR
- HANDY
- GRAND
- UPRIGHT
- HALF
- STEP
- PLAYER
- WISE
- CONCERT
- STEP
- AGENT
- SHOW
- GREAT
- FROM NEANDER
- GIG
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,162) August 16, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Your guitarist friend insists you attend this.
- 🟢Green Group: Stakeholder.
- 🔵Blue Group: Found in a family tree.
- 🟣Purple Group: Human evolution.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Concert.
- 🟢Green Group: Actor.
- 🔵Blue Group: Grand.
- 🟣Purple Group: From Neander.
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: Musical Performance.
- 🟢Green Group: Participant.
- 🔵Blue Group: Family Relationship Modifiers.
- 🟣Purple Group: Descriptors For Our Human Ancestors.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,162) August 16, 2026
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Concert, Gig, Set, Show. (Musical Performance)
A pop-up show or an elaborate musical performance.
- 🟢Green Group: Actor, Agent, Party, Player. (Participant)
These terms are used to describe the stakeholders in a project.
- 🔵Blue Group: Grand, Great, Half, Step. (Family Relationship Modifiers)
Grand-father/mother, Great-uncle/aunt, Half-brother/sister, Step-father/mother.
- 🟣Purple Group: From Neander, Handy, Upright, Wise. (Descriptors For Our Human Ancestors)
From Neander (Neanderthal), Handy (Homo Habilis), Upright (Homo Erectus), Wise (Homo Sapiens).
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,161, August 15, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Beat, Fried, Spent, Worn Out. (Exhausted)
- 🟢Green Group: Leg, Phase, Stage, Stretch. (Segment)
- 🔵Blue Group: Chamomile, Grinch, Hotfoot, Lanyard. (Ending In Units Of Length)
- 🟣Purple Group: Beanstalk, Eyeshadow, Hightail, Soundtrack. (Ending In Synonyms For Follow Secretly)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,160 (August 14, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Bumblebee, Caution Tape, Charlie Brown, Wolverine. (Black-and-Yellow)
- 🟢Green Group: Bubble, Echo Chamber, Hivemind, Silo. (Places Where Everyone Thinks The Same Ways)
- 🔵Blue Group: Bristol Board, Dip Pen, India Ink, Straightedge. (Comic Book Artist’s Tools)
- 🟣Purple Group: Bass Ale, Citgo, Delta Airlines, Google Drive. (Triangle Logos)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,159 (August 13, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Carry On, Continue, Make It, Persist. (Persevere)
- 🟢Green Group: Creep, Ease, Edge, Inch. (Move Slowly (Up To))
- 🔵Blue Group: Checked Bags, Lounge, Miles, Upgrade. (Airline Status Perks)
- 🟣Purple Group: Comfort, Feet, Shoulder, Turkey. (“Cold” Things, In Idioms)
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How did other solvers do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connections puzzle 2 out of 5. This puts it in the medium difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!
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