Can’t find any links in today’s Connections grid? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you out. As you scroll down, you’ll see some general hints to nudge you in the right direction. Then, we’ll give you one word from each category, followed by the list of themes. Finally, you can have the answers and their explanations. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1,164, August 18, 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
- 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
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,164) August 18, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: A star-studded event.
- 🟢Green Group: Same abbreviation.
- 🔵Blue Group: Same colour.
- 🟣Purple Group: Tough in different ways.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Limousine.
- 🟢Green Group: Petroleum Jelly.
- 🔵Blue Group: Basketball.
- 🟣Purple Group: Cowboy Coffee.
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: Seen At A Movie Premiere.
- 🟢Green Group: PJs.
- 🔵Blue Group: Things That Are Orange.
- 🟣Purple Group: Things That Are Gritty.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,164) Today (August 18, 2026)
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Limousine, Paparazzi, Red Carpet, Velvet Rope. (Seen At A Movie Premiere)
The stars arrive in a limousine, cross the velvet rope to walk the red carpet, and get their pictures snapped by the paparazzi.
- 🟢Green Group: Petroleum Jelly, Poetic Justice, Practical Joke, Private Jet. (PJs)
Today’s Green group is pretty self-explanatory. These things are abbreviated as ‘PJ’.
- 🔵Blue Group: Basketball, Orangutan, Sweet Potato, Traffic Cone. (Things That Are Orange)
Another self-explanatory group, but one that’s sneakier due to the random nature of its contents.
- 🟣Purple Group: Cowboy Coffee, Film Noir, Flyers Mascot, Sandpaper. (Things That Are Gritty)
‘Gritty’ means something different for each of these entries. The method of preparing cowboy coffee (without any paper filter) is quite rugged, hence gritty. Film noir is associated with raw and dark movies. The mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers is named ‘Gritty’. Lastly, the texture of sandpaper is gritty.
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,163, August 17, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Huddle, Meet, Teams, Zoom. (Video Call Platforms)
- 🟢Green Group: Formula, Function, Macro, Script. (Spreadsheet Features)
- 🔵Blue Group: Dolly, Johnny, Patsy, Willie. (First Names Of Country Music Legends)
- 🟣Purple Group: Birdie, Cattle, Dogie, Fisheye. (Starting With Pets)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,162 (August 16, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Concert, Gig, Set, Show. (Musical Performance)
- 🟢Green Group: Actor, Agent, Party, Player. (Participant)
- 🔵Blue Group: Grand, Great, Half, Step. (Family Relationship Modifiers)
- 🟣Purple Group: From Neander, Handy, Upright, Wise. (Descriptors For Our Human Ancestors)
Answers to NYT Connections #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)
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How did other Connectors do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connections 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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