The New York Times Connections puzzle for Sunday, August 23, 2026, has been released, offering players a familiar yet challenging linguistic puzzle. For those who find themselves stumped, comprehensive hints and the complete answer set are available.
The puzzle presents four distinct groups of four words each, requiring players to identify the common theme that links the words within each set. This particular edition's groups, as revealed in the guide, span various categories.
Hints for Today's Puzzle
For players who wish to tackle the puzzle with minimal assistance, the following hints offer a starting point:
- Yellow: Words in this group relate to things that can produce an explosion.
- Green: This group features words where a letter appears twice in succession, effectively doubling a vowel sound or appearance.
- Blue: The words in this group are all connected by a common ingredient used in their creation or composition.
- Purple: This category includes items typically found in a household setting, often used for cleaning or household tasks.
Additional clues are provided, noting that one group relies on visual cues rather than auditory ones, and that every group except the purple category contains at least one word with the letter 'T'.
Full Solution Revealed
For those who have exhausted their efforts or prefer a direct solution, the complete breakdown of the puzzle's groups is as follows:
- Potentially Explosive Things: Powder Keg, Time Bomb, Tinderbox, Volcano
- Double Vowels: Antifreeze, Bazaar, Skiing, Vacuum
- Made with Potatoes: Home Fries, Potato Battery, Vichyssoise, Vodka
- Household Stain Removers: Baking Soda, Club Soda, Hydrogen Peroxide, Vinegar
The guide notes that the inclusion of "Vichyssoise," a thick potato soup, might be a point of difficulty for some solvers. As with all New York Times puzzles, a new Connections challenge is made available daily at midnight, offering a fresh opportunity to test one's word-finding skills.