What is the NYT Connections answer for August 18 (#1164)?

The four groups are SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERE (LIMOUSINE, PAPARAZZI, RED CARPET, VELVET ROPE); PJS (PETROLEUM JELLY, POETIC JUSTICE, PRACTICAL JOKE, PRIVATE JET); THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE (BASKETBALL, ORANGUTAN, SWEET POTATO, TRAFFIC CONE); THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY (COWBOY COFFEE, FILM NOIR, FLYERS MASCOT, SANDPAPER).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.

What do the Connections colors mean?

Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026#1164

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Tuesday, August 18

DailyWordHints Editorial August 18

SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERE

Easiest

PJS

Easy

THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE

Tricky

THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERE (yellow), PJS (green), THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE (blue), THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY (purple).

RED CARPET

FILM NOIR

BASKETBALL

PRIVATE JET

SWEET POTATO

SANDPAPER

VELVET ROPE

FLYERS MASCOT

PRACTICAL JOKE

LIMOUSINE

TRAFFIC CONE

PETROLEUM JELLY

ORANGUTAN

COWBOY COFFEE

POETIC JUSTICE

PAPARAZZI

Hints by group

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

Full answers below

Today’s answers

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

See all past Connections puzzles →

Today's Connections hints (no answers yet)

Here are spoiler-free nudges for NYT Connections #1164, Tuesday, August 18. Reveal one color at a time and work from the easiest group (yellow) to the trickiest (purple).

How to use these hints

Each clue is written so it never names any of the sixteen words — it just points you in the right direction. Open the full answer only once you're truly stuck.

Strategy for solving today's grid

Lock in the group you're most confident about first to shrink the board, but resist the obvious four-of-a-kind — the puzzle almost always plants a word that fits two themes. Save the purple group for last; it usually hides the wordplay twist.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NYT Connections answer for August 18 (#1164)?: The four groups are SEEN AT A MOVIE PREMIERE (LIMOUSINE, PAPARAZZI, RED CARPET, VELVET ROPE); PJS (PETROLEUM JELLY, POETIC JUSTICE, PRACTICAL JOKE, PRIVATE JET); THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE (BASKETBALL, ORANGUTAN, SWEET POTATO, TRAFFIC CONE); THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY (COWBOY COFFEE, FILM NOIR, FLYERS MASCOT, SANDPAPER).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.
What do the Connections colors mean?: Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.