The New York Times Connections puzzle for Monday, August 17, 2026, presents a series of word groupings that can challenge even seasoned players. Fortunately, assistance is available to help maintain your puzzle-solving streak.
The puzzle's categories for the day are: Video Call Platforms, Spreadsheet Features, First Names of Country Music Legends, and Starting with Pets. Hints are provided to guide players toward the correct groupings.
For the Yellow category, players are directed to consider "The meeting that could have been an email." The hint suggests words related to virtual communication tools. The revealed word for this category is "Huddle."
The Green category focuses on "Where the numbers live," pointing towards elements found in data organization software. The revealed word here is "Formula."
The Blue category clues "They don't even need a last name," hinting at famous individuals known by a single name. The revealed word is "Dolly."
Finally, the Purple category suggests "Little critters are just the beginning..." leading to words associated with animal classifications. The revealed word is "Dogie."
Additional general hints indicate that one group involves words hidden within others, and each group contains at least one word with the letter 'T'. The full solution groups are: Yellow - Video Call Platforms (Huddle, Meet, Teams, Zoom); Green - Spreadsheet Features (Formula, Function, Macro, Script); Blue - First Names of Country Music Legends (Dolly, Johnny, Patsy, Willie); and Purple - Starting with Pets (Birdie, Cattle, Dogie, Fisheye).
Players who found the Yellow and Green categories particularly tricky are not alone, as these themes overlap with common office environments. The puzzle is reset daily at midnight, offering a new challenge each day.