NYT Connections Hints Today — August 3, 2026

Today's Connections board has a classic mix: one straightforward group, two that need a second look, and a purple group that will make you groan when you see it. Work through our hints in order — each one gets you closer without giving the game away.

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Today's Category Hints (No Spoilers)

One-Word Clues for Each Group

⚠️ Spoiler warning: Full group answers are below. Stop here if you want to keep solving!

Today's Connections Answers

GroupCategoryWords
🟨 YellowRun quicklyDASH, BOLT, RACE, SPRINT
🟩 GreenBathroom cabinet itemsTOOTHPASTE, FLOSS, RAZOR, LOTION
🟦 BlueFire ___TRUCK, DRILL, ALARM, ESCAPE
🟪 PurpleHidden numbersTENNIS, EIGHTY, ONCE, TWINE

The purple group was today's trap, as usual — TENNIS hides "ten," EIGHTY... well, almost. If purple got you today, you're in good company. Check back tomorrow for a fresh board.

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5 Quick Tips for Tomorrow's Puzzle

  1. Shuffle the board first. The default layout often places misleading neighbors side by side.
  2. Never guess on a "maybe four." If you have five candidate words for a group, solve another group first to narrow it down.
  3. Purple loves wordplay. Hidden words, homophones, add-a-letter — if a group feels impossible, stop looking at meanings.
  4. Watch for red herrings. The puzzle designers deliberately place 5+ words that seem connected. Count before you commit.
  5. Save your last mistake. Playing your fourth guess with three hearts left is very different from playing it with one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the colors mean in NYT Connections?

Yellow is the easiest category, green is medium-easy, blue is medium-hard, and purple is the hardest — usually involving wordplay rather than straightforward meanings.

How many mistakes can you make?

You get four mistakes total. On your fourth wrong guess the game ends, so treat that last life carefully.

When does the Connections puzzle reset?

A new puzzle is released daily at midnight in your local time zone. We post hints by 6:00 AM ET.