The NYT Connections answers for Saturday, August 15, 2026 (puzzle #1161) are in. Today’s grid is built around two wordplay categories. One hides units of imperial measurement inside longer words; the other conceals verbs for covert surveillance. The yellow and green groups are more accessible, making Saturday’s difficulty weighted toward the final two colors.
NYT Connections Hints – August 15, 2026 (#1161)
Still working through today’s grid? One clue per group before the reveal.
Yellow (EXHAUSTED): These four words all mean the same thing after a long day. None include the word “tired.”
Green (SEGMENT): Think of a relay race, a project timeline, or a political campaign. Each word names a distinct portion of something larger.
Blue (ENDING IN UNITS OF LENGTH): The connection is in the final letters of each word, not the word’s own meaning. Standard imperial measurements are hiding inside longer words.
Purple (ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR FOLLOW SECRETLY): The last syllable of each word is a verb a private investigator might use on a surveillance job. The full words themselves have nothing to do with spying.
NYT Connections Answers – August 15, 2026 (#1161)
- Yellow (EXHAUSTED): BEAT, FRIED, SPENT, WORN OUT
- Green (SEGMENT): LEG, PHASE, STAGE, STRETCH
- Blue (ENDING IN UNITS OF LENGTH): CHAMOMILE, GRINCH, HOTFOOT, LANYARD
- Purple (ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR FOLLOW SECRETLY): BEANSTALK, EYESHADOW, HIGHTAIL, SOUNDTRACK
Today’s Connections Categories Explained
Yellow: EXHAUSTED. BEAT, FRIED, SPENT, and WORN OUT are all colloquial synonyms for exhausted. BEAT is the trickiest placement in today’s grid. To beat someone can also mean to follow or pursue, the same concept driving the purple category. The editors almost certainly placed BEAT in yellow knowing it would tempt players toward the surveillance column.
Green: SEGMENT. LEG, PHASE, STAGE, and STRETCH all name a distinct portion of something larger: a relay leg, a project phase, a concert tour stage, a long stretch of road. STAGE carries the most interference, since theatrical associations pull it toward performance rather than progression. Players who ruled out STAGE early may have found green the harder of the two accessible categories.
Blue: ENDING IN UNITS OF LENGTH. The measurement hides inside the word’s final letters. CHAMOMILE ends in MILE. GRINCH ends in INCH. HOTFOOT ends in FOOT. LANYARD ends in YARD. None of the words are units of measurement themselves; INCH, FOOT, YARD, and MILE are embedded inside them like code. Identifying any single one unlocks the pattern for the rest. HOTFOOT is the most deceptive: the word FOOT appears in full and is easy to spot, yet many players misread the category as something related to movement rather than measurement.
Purple: ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR FOLLOW SECRETLY. BEANSTALK ends in STALK. EYESHADOW ends in SHADOW. HIGHTAIL ends in TAIL. SOUNDTRACK ends in TRACK. STALK, SHADOW, TAIL, and TRACK are all verbs for following someone without being detected. HIGHTAIL is the most counterintuitive entry: the phrase typically means to leave somewhere in a hurry, not to pursue anyone. But the TAIL at the end earns its place here. TRACK is equally deceptive for solvers thinking of music playlists or railroad lines who might miss the surveillance reading entirely.
For yesterday’s puzzle, the NYT Connections answers for August 14, 2026 (#1160) are also available.
Related Posts
