What is the NYT Connections answer for August 23 (#1169)?

The four groups are POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE THINGS (POWDER KEG, TIME BOMB, TINDERBOX, VOLCANO); DOUBLE VOWELS (ANTIFREEZE, BAZAAR, SKIING, VACUUM); MADE WITH POTATOES (HOME FRIES, POTATO BATTERY, VISCHYSSOISE, VODKA); HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS (BAKING SODA, CLUB SODA, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, VINEGAR).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS" — 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.

Sunday, August 23, 2026#1169

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Sunday, August 23

DailyWordHints Editorial August 23

POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE THINGS

Easiest

DOUBLE VOWELS

Easy

MADE WITH POTATOES

Tricky

HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE THINGS (yellow), DOUBLE VOWELS (green), MADE WITH POTATOES (blue), HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS (purple).

ANTIFREEZE

VACUUM

BAKING SODA

VOLCANO

VINEGAR

VODKA

TINDERBOX

POTATO BATTERY

SKIING

HOME FRIES

CLUB SODA

POWDER KEG

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

BAZAAR

VISCHYSSOISE

TIME BOMB

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 #1169, Sunday, August 23. 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 23 (#1169)?: The four groups are POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE THINGS (POWDER KEG, TIME BOMB, TINDERBOX, VOLCANO); DOUBLE VOWELS (ANTIFREEZE, BAZAAR, SKIING, VACUUM); MADE WITH POTATOES (HOME FRIES, POTATO BATTERY, VISCHYSSOISE, VODKA); HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS (BAKING SODA, CLUB SODA, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, VINEGAR).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS" — 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.