What is the NYT Connections answer for August 31 (#1177)?

The four groups are THINGS THAT COME IN TUBES (LIPSTICK, POSTER, TENNIS BALLS, TOOTHPASTE); WARNINGS ON A SHIPPING BOX (FRAGILE, HEAVY, PERISHABLE, THIS SIDE UP); HISTORICAL SOVEREIGN TITLES (CALIPH, KHAN, PHARAOH, SHOGUN); ___ BOWL (DUST, POKE, SALAD, SUPER).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "___ BOWL" — 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.

Monday, August 31, 2026#1177

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Monday, August 31

DailyWordHints Editorial August 31

THINGS THAT COME IN TUBES

Easiest

WARNINGS ON A SHIPPING BOX

Easy

HISTORICAL SOVEREIGN TITLES

Tricky

___ BOWL

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are THINGS THAT COME IN TUBES (yellow), WARNINGS ON A SHIPPING BOX (green), HISTORICAL SOVEREIGN TITLES (blue), ___ BOWL (purple).

SUPER

CALIPH

FRAGILE

LIPSTICK

SALAD

HEAVY

DUST

POSTER

PHARAOH

POKE

TOOTHPASTE

KHAN

PERISHABLE

TENNIS BALLS

SHOGUN

THIS SIDE UP

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 #1177, Monday, August 31. 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 31 (#1177)?: The four groups are THINGS THAT COME IN TUBES (LIPSTICK, POSTER, TENNIS BALLS, TOOTHPASTE); WARNINGS ON A SHIPPING BOX (FRAGILE, HEAVY, PERISHABLE, THIS SIDE UP); HISTORICAL SOVEREIGN TITLES (CALIPH, KHAN, PHARAOH, SHOGUN); ___ BOWL (DUST, POKE, SALAD, SUPER).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "___ BOWL" — 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.