EASYPuzzle #1149

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1149) – Today's Puzzle, Aug 3

TODAY'S NYT CONNECTIONS TIP

“Look beyond primary noun definitions; words like MINT, SAGE, and HUNTER frequently function as color shades in Connections.”

Written by Naveed Ahmed · Updated: August 3, 2026

← Yesterday's Connections Hint (#1148, Aug 2)

Connections Hint for Each Word Today

Tap any word to see its Connections hint — what it means in today's puzzle, no spoilers.

ALLEY hint: In the context of road less traveled, "ALLEY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BACKSTREET hint: In the context of road less traveled, "BACKSTREET" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BYWAY hint: In the context of road less traveled, "BYWAY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

LANE hint: In the context of road less traveled, "LANE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FOREST hint: In the context of shades of green, "FOREST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HUNTER hint: In the context of shades of green, "HUNTER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MINT hint: In the context of shades of green, "MINT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SAGE hint: In the context of shades of green, "SAGE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FLY BY hint: In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "FLY BY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MYRRH hint: In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "MYRRH" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NSYNC hint: In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "NSYNC" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

RHYTHM hint: In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "RHYTHM" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BUG FIX hint: In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "BUG FIX" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NAG CHAMPA hint: In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "NAG CHAMPA" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NEEDLESS hint: In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "NEEDLESS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TEA SET hint: In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "TEA SET" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

Hints uncovered0 / 16

Today's NYT Connections Hints for All Four Categories

Reveal progressively: see the category hint first, then the group name, then individual words — stop whenever you have enough.

🟡 Straightforward

🟢 Medium

🔵 Hard

🟣 Tricky

⚠️Traps & Misdirects Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle

Today’s Connections puzzle includes words intentionally placed to misdirect you into wrong groups. These traps and misdirects hints reveal which words are designed to mislead, so you don’t burn your 4 allowed mistakes on deliberate decoys.

90s Boy Band Reunion (NSYNC, BACKSTREET)

Seeing NSYNC right next to BACKSTREET creates an immediate trap for pop culture enthusiasts, who will instantly pair them together as famous 1990s boy bands (NSYNC and Backstreet Boys). However, BACKSTREET belongs to secondary roads, while NSYNC fits a unique spelling rule category.

Aromatic Herbs & Spices (SAGE, MINT, MYRRH, NAG CHAMPA)

SAGE and MINT are widely recognized culinary herbs, while MYRRH is an ancient aromatic resin and NAG CHAMPA is a world-famous incense blend. Grouping these four together as fragrant plants or room aromatics is extremely tempting, but completely derails the board.

Outdoors & Wilderness (FOREST, HUNTER, BYWAY, LANE)

FOREST and HUNTER naturally suggest hunting in the wild, while BYWAY and LANE evoke rustic countryside walks. This overlap tricks players into forming an outdoor recreation cluster, masking the fact that FOREST and HUNTER are color shades while BYWAY and LANE are road types.

Today's NYT Connections Answers

Click to reveal the complete solution — all four categories.

Category: ROAD LESS TRAVELED (Straightforward) — Answers: ALLEY, BACKSTREET, BYWAY, LANE

Category: SHADES OF GREEN (Medium) — Answers: FOREST, HUNTER, MINT, SAGE

Category: "Y" IS THE ONLY VOWEL (Hard) — Answers: FLY BY, MYRRH, NSYNC, RHYTHM

Category: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER" (Tricky) — Answers: BUG FIX, NAG CHAMPA, NEEDLESS, TEA SET

Today's NYT Connections Answers Explained

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

The words ALLEY, BACKSTREET, BYWAY, LANE all share a unique thematic connection as road less traveled.

ALLEY

In the context of road less traveled, "ALLEY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BACKSTREET

In the context of road less traveled, "BACKSTREET" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BYWAY

In the context of road less traveled, "BYWAY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

LANE

In the context of road less traveled, "LANE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SHADES OF GREEN

The words FOREST, HUNTER, MINT, SAGE all share a unique thematic connection as shades of green.

FOREST

In the context of shades of green, "FOREST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HUNTER

In the context of shades of green, "HUNTER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MINT

In the context of shades of green, "MINT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SAGE

In the context of shades of green, "SAGE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

"Y" IS THE ONLY VOWEL

The words FLY BY, MYRRH, NSYNC, RHYTHM all share a unique thematic connection as "y" is the only vowel.

FLY BY

In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "FLY BY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MYRRH

In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "MYRRH" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NSYNC

In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "NSYNC" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

RHYTHM

In the context of "y" is the only vowel, "RHYTHM" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "PESTER"

The words BUG FIX, NAG CHAMPA, NEEDLESS, TEA SET all share a unique thematic connection as starting with synonyms for "pester".

BUG FIX

In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "BUG FIX" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NAG CHAMPA

In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "NAG CHAMPA" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NEEDLESS

In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "NEEDLESS" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TEA SET

In the context of starting with synonyms for "pester", "TEA SET" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

What Makes Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Tricky?

FOREST, HUNTER, MINT, SAGE sit alongside FLY BY, MYRRH, NSYNC, RHYTHM and phrases like BUG FIX, NAG CHAMPA, NEEDLESS, TEA SET — a collision of distinct word groups and subtle misdirects.

The editor's sharpest trick is hiding a word-within-a-word: some of the multi-word phrases are not grouped by their topic but by what their first word secretly means.

How to Use Connections Hints

Everyone playing NYT Connections puzzle gets stuck at a different point. Some players can’t figure out a single word. Others have three groups solved and can’t find the fourth. Where you are stuck determines which connection hint you need.

A word in the puzzle has an unfamiliar meaning

Some words in today’s NYT Connections puzzle are uncommon. Connections editor Wyna Liu often uses words with specific or less familiar meanings, particularly in the green, blue, and purple categories. If you don’t know what a word means, you cannot reliably place it in a group.

Recommendation: Use the Word Hint. It tells you what the word means in the context of today’s puzzle. Tap any word directly on the board above to see its hint.

No groups are forming after reading all sixteen words

The connection between words is often not obvious from their meanings alone — categories are built around themes that require a specific angle to see. These category-level clues are the most useful hints.

Recommendation: Use the Category Hint. It points you toward the theme of a category without revealing the category name or which words belong to it. Tap “Yellow Category Hint” first.

You have a possible group but aren’t ready to guess

You think four words belong together but you’re not confident enough to guess. If you’re unsure, don’t guess yet — a wrong guess costs you one of your four mistakes.

Recommendation: Use the Category Name. It reveals the exact name of the category without showing you which words belong to it.

One word seems to fit more than one group

You have built a group of four words but one word in it could also fit somewhere else. NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu deliberately places misleading words on the board.

Recommendation: Use the Traps and Misdirects Hints. It identifies the specific misleading words in today’s puzzle and explains why they don’t belong where you think they do.

You know the category but can’t find all four words

You have identified the theme of a category but can’t find all four words that belong to it.

Recommendation: Use the Word Reveal. It uncovers one masked word at a time without revealing the full group. This is the most precise connection hint available.

One mistake left with two groups unsolved

You have one mistake remaining and two groups unsolved. If you guess wrong here, the game ends and NYT reveals all the answers automatically.

Recommendation: Do not guess yet. Use the Category Name for both remaining groups first. If that is still not enough, tap “Category Words” and reveal one word at a time.

You want today’s answers without solving the puzzle

Use the Answers section. It shows all four category names and the four words that belong to each one.

Recommendation: Go to the Answers section.

The puzzle is over but a category still doesn’t make sense

You can see the four groups and their words but the connection between them isn’t clear.

Recommendation: Use the Answer Explanation. It tells you exactly what connects the words in each category and why each individual word belongs there.

Browse Past Puzzles

View answers and hints for every previous NYT Connections puzzle.

Puzzle Archive →

Frequently Asked Questions

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle by The New York Times where you group 16 words into 4 categories of 4 words each. Each category has a hidden theme color-coded by difficulty.

Yellow is the most straightforward category, Green is medium difficulty, Blue is harder, and Purple contains the trickiest, most misleading groupings.

Yes, NYT Connections is free to play once per day on the New York Times Games website.

A new NYT Connections puzzle releases every day at midnight in your local time zone (12:00 AM ET for US Eastern Time).

Naveed Ahmed

@NaveedAhmedDev

Lead Writer & Connections Puzzle Analyst

Naveed is a dedicated puzzle strategist and word game analyst who breaks down daily NYT Connections categories, uncovers tricky wordplay patterns, and delivers progressive, spoiler-free clues to help thousands of players solve every puzzle.