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Verified archive for August 2, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1148

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 2, 2026

Connections #1148 combines everyday speech, flexible prepositions, phrase completion, and a precise airport-code transformation that rewards close attention to spelling.

Guide editorNora BennettSenior Editor

Start here

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

How the August 2 board is constructed

The board moves from conversational language and familiar prepositions to phrase completion, then finishes with a letter-plus-code construction. The accent in À LA is significant and must be preserved.

Overall difficultyModerate to hardBiggest trapSeveral short words have many grammatical uses, so semantic overlap can pull LIKE, SO, BY, and WELL into plausible but incomplete sets. AIRPLANE also suggests travel, which can distract from the airport-code mechanism.Best first moveStart with BY, PER, THROUGH, and VIA because all four can express the means, route, or agency by which something happens.

Why the board is deceptive

The accessible half of the board depends on recognizing conversational fillers and words that can express a method or route.

The harder half shifts to compound expressions with MODE and four disguised U.S. airport codes hidden after an added first letter.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Solve BY, PER, THROUGH, and VIA first, then test ACTUALLY, LIKE, SO, and WELL as conversational fillers. Add MODE to the next four candidates, leaving ASEA, FLAX, LORD, and OLGA for the airport-code transformation.

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.

Conversational placeholdersReveal this group

What connects ACTUALLY, LIKE, SO and WELL?

ACTUALLY · LIKE · SO · WELL

FILLER WORDS. ACTUALLY, LIKE, SO, and WELL can all appear in speech as fillers or discourse markers while a speaker frames, softens, or continues a thought.

Best anchor: Each word can function as conversational padding or a discourse marker.

Method or routeReveal this group

What connects BY, PER, THROUGH and VIA?

BY · PER · THROUGH · VIA

BY MEANS OF. BY, PER, THROUGH, and VIA can each convey that something is done, sent, obtained, or reached by means of a particular method or route.

Best anchor: All four can introduce the method, route, or agency used.

Words before MODEReveal this group

What connects AIRPLANE, BEAST, DARK and À LA?

AIRPLANE · BEAST · DARK · À LA

___ MODE. AIRPLANE mode, BEAST mode, DARK mode, and À LA mode are all established expressions formed by placing MODE after the official board word.

Best anchor: Place the same noun after every entry to form a familiar expression.

Prefixed airport codesReveal this group

What connects ASEA, FLAX, LORD and OLGA?

ASEA · FLAX · LORD · OLGA

U.S. AIRPORT CODES PLUS STARTING LETTER. Removing the starting letter gives SEA from ASEA, LAX from FLAX, ORD from LORD, and LGA from OLGA, all three-letter U.S. airport codes.

Best anchor: Remove the first letter to expose a three-letter U.S. airport code.

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 guideWhy ACTUALLY, LIKE, SO and WELL Are Filler WordsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow BY, PER, THROUGH and VIA Mean By Means OfExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy AIRPLANE, BEAST, DARK and À LA Go Before MODEExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow ASEA, FLAX, LORD and OLGA Hide U.S. Airport CodesExplain 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
    FILLER WORDS

    Each word can function as conversational padding or a discourse marker.

  2. 2
    BY MEANS OF

    All four can introduce the method, route, or agency used.

  3. 3
    ___ MODE

    Place the same noun after every entry to form a familiar expression.

  4. 4
    U.S. AIRPORT CODES PLUS STARTING LETTER

    Remove the first letter to expose a three-letter U.S. airport code.

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 BY, PER, THROUGH, and VIA because all four can express the means, route, or agency by which something happens..

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 groupConversational placeholders
FILLER WORDS: Each word can function as conversational padding or a discourse marker.
Easy to moderate groupMethod or route
BY MEANS OF: All four can introduce the method, route, or agency used.
Moderate groupWords before MODE
___ MODE: Place the same noun after every entry to form a familiar expression.
Hard groupPrefixed airport codes
U.S. AIRPORT CODES PLUS STARTING LETTER: Remove the first letter to expose a three-letter U.S. airport code.

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

Nora Bennett

An editor focused on spoiler-conscious daily puzzle guides and plain-English solving explanations.

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