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Verified archive for August 1, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1147

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 1, 2026

Connections #1147 mixes a direct household set with actor surnames, specialized machining verbs and a final group built from variable-length word beginnings.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

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Take one step at a time

4 groups
Group 1Category hidden
Group 2Category hidden
Group 3Category hidden
Group 4Category hidden

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

Today’s puzzle explained

Connections #1147 Board Overview

The board escalates cleanly from a concrete household category to three groups that demand reinterpretation. Exact official category titles and words are preserved from the validated source edited by Wyna Liu.

Overall difficultyModerate to hard, with an accessible bedding group followed by surname ambiguity, technical machining vocabulary and variable-length bread wordplay.Biggest trapThe strongest cross-group lure is BALE with BUNDLE, since both can suggest packaged material. REAM may also attract SHEET through paper, while LOAFER's shoe sense hides LOAF.Best first moveStart with COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET and THROW. They form the most concrete set and remove words whose alternate senses could interfere with the later groups.

Why the board is deceptive

The opening solve is likely BEDDING, although SHAM and THROW both carry familiar meanings outside the bedroom.

The remaining grid rewards three different shifts: reading words as surnames, adopting technical verb senses and inspecting initial letter strings.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Remove the four bedding items first. Next test BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX and WALTZ as surnames, use COUNTERSINK to establish the machining domain, and inspect the beginnings of the four remaining long words.

Spoilers below

Today’s groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

Bedroom textilesReveal this group

What connects COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET and THROW?

COMFORTER · SHAM · SHEET · THROW

BEDDING. COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET and THROW are all bedding items, despite several words also having common non-bedroom meanings.

Best anchor: COMFORTER is the clearest bed-specific anchor.

Award-winning actor surnamesReveal this group

What connects BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX and WALTZ?

BALE · JORDAN · PHOENIX · WALTZ

OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS SINCE 2010. BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX and WALTZ are surnames of actors who won Academy Awards from 2010 onward.

Best anchor: Reading the entries as surnames unlocks the group.

Hole-working actionsReveal this group

What connects BORE, COUNTERSINK, DRILL and REAM?

BORE · COUNTERSINK · DRILL · REAM

PERFORM SOME HOLE MACHINING OPERATIONS. BORE, COUNTERSINK, DRILL and REAM can all function as verbs for creating, shaping, enlarging or finishing holes.

Best anchor: COUNTERSINK supplies the specialized manufacturing context.

Bread hidden at the beginningReveal this group

What connects BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER and ROLLS-ROYCE?

BOULEVARD · BUNDLE · LOAFER · ROLLS-ROYCE

STARTING WITH BREAD SHAPES. BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER and ROLLS-ROYCE begin with BOULE, BUN, LOAF and ROLLS, which are bread shapes or forms.

Best anchor: ROLLS-ROYCE makes the opening bread word most visible.

Today’s supporting guides

Why the trickiest words belong together

These focused articles go beyond the answer: they explain the exact relationship, the convincing red herrings and how to recognize the pattern again.

Supporting clue guideWhat Connects COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET and THROW?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX and WALTZ?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects BORE, COUNTERSINK, DRILL and REAM?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWhat Connects BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER and ROLLS-ROYCE?Explain this connection Supporting clue guideDefinitions for all 16 puzzle wordsExplain this connection

Browse every Connections clue explainer →

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use today’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    BEDDING

    COMFORTER is the clearest bed-specific anchor.

  2. 2
    OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS SINCE 2010

    Reading the entries as surnames unlocks the group.

  3. 3
    PERFORM SOME HOLE MACHINING OPERATIONS

    COUNTERSINK supplies the specialized manufacturing context.

  4. 4
    STARTING WITH BREAD SHAPES

    ROLLS-ROYCE makes the opening bread word most visible.

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

Today’s best first move: Start with COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET and THROW. They form the most concrete set and remove words whose alternate senses could interfere with the later groups..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

Easy groupBedroom textiles
BEDDING: COMFORTER is the clearest bed-specific anchor.
Medium groupAward-winning actor surnames
OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS SINCE 2010: Reading the entries as surnames unlocks the group.
Hard groupHole-working actions
PERFORM SOME HOLE MACHINING OPERATIONS: COUNTERSINK supplies the specialized manufacturing context.
Hard groupBread hidden at the beginning
STARTING WITH BREAD SHAPES: ROLLS-ROYCE makes the opening bread word most visible.

Questions players ask

Connections help without extra spoilers

I’m stuck. Which hint should I open first?

Start with the small hint for the group you feel closest to solving. Use the stronger hint only if the first nudge is not enough, then reveal the category or four words when you want confirmation.

What should I do when five words seem to belong together?

Assume one is a red herring. Look for the word with a strong second meaning, then test whether it forms a cleaner group elsewhere.

What does “Test a group” do?

Select four words and choose “Check these four” to see whether your grouping works. It stays on this page and never submits a guess to the official puzzle or affects a streak.

Do I need to solve the groups in difficulty order?

No. Start with the clearest exact set. Removing an obvious group often exposes the overlapping meanings and wordplay in the harder groups.

Can I check one answer without spoiling the whole puzzle?

Yes. Every group opens independently, so you can reveal one hint, category or set of four words while keeping the other groups hidden.

About the guide editor

Jordan Ellis

Jordan connects editorial explanations with practice tools, custom puzzles and the site’s future original games.

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