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Verified archive for August 10, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1156

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 10, 2026

Connections #1156 for August 10, 2026 sorts sixteen entries into groups involving manner, event tickets, invoices, and famous goatees.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

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

Connections #1156 group overview

The groups and words retain the official source wording and the verified yellow-to-purple order.

Overall difficultyThe board follows the verified yellow, green, blue, and purple difficulty order.Biggest trapWILLY-NILLY, WILL CALL, BILL TO, and BILLY GOAT have similar-looking openings, but each maps to a distinct official category, so that visual pattern does not supply a shared relationship.Best first moveBegin with ANY OLD HOW, AT RANDOM, HELTER-SKELTER, and WILLY-NILLY, testing whether all four fit the literal category HAPHAZARDLY.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow group consists of four expressions connected by the category HAPHAZARDLY.

The remaining groups sort into event-ticket methods, invoice sections, and FAMOUS GOATEES.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Test the four haphazardly expressions first, then separate the event-ticket entries from the invoice sections. The four remaining names and figures complete FAMOUS GOATEES.

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.

Unplanned mannerReveal this group

What connects ANY OLD HOW, AT RANDOM, HELTER-SKELTER and WILLY-NILLY?

ANY OLD HOW · AT RANDOM · HELTER-SKELTER · WILLY-NILLY

HAPHAZARDLY. Each official entry fits the source category HAPHAZARDLY without requiring a narrower relationship.

Best anchor: Look for complete expressions describing a haphazard manner.

Getting event admissionReveal this group

What connects MAIL DELIVERY, MOBILE TICKET, PRINT-AT-HOME and WILL CALL?

MAIL DELIVERY · MOBILE TICKET · PRINT-AT-HOME · WILL CALL

WAYS TO RECEIVE EVENT TICKETS. All four entries are preserved as the official WAYS TO RECEIVE EVENT TICKETS group.

Best anchor: Read each entry as a possible event-ticket receipt option.

Invoice headingsReveal this group

What connects BALANCE DUE, BILL TO, ORDER NUMBER and UNIT PRICE?

BALANCE DUE · BILL TO · ORDER NUMBER · UNIT PRICE

SECTIONS ON AN INVOICE. BALANCE DUE, BILL TO, ORDER NUMBER, and UNIT PRICE form the official SECTIONS ON AN INVOICE category.

Best anchor: Imagine scanning the labeled sections of an invoice.

Recognizable goateesReveal this group

What connects BILLY GOAT, COLONEL SANDERS, DOCTOR STRANGE and THE DEVIL?

BILLY GOAT · COLONEL SANDERS · DOCTOR STRANGE · THE DEVIL

FAMOUS GOATEES. These four exact entries complete the official category FAMOUS GOATEES.

Best anchor: Focus on the goatee associated with each exact referent.

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 These Four Expressions Mean HAPHAZARDLYExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow the Four Event-Ticket Receipt Options ConnectExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy These Four Phrases Are Invoice SectionsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow the Four Famous Goatees ConnectExplain 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
    HAPHAZARDLY

    Look for complete expressions describing a haphazard manner.

  2. 2
    WAYS TO RECEIVE EVENT TICKETS

    Read each entry as a possible event-ticket receipt option.

  3. 3
    SECTIONS ON AN INVOICE

    Imagine scanning the labeled sections of an invoice.

  4. 4
    FAMOUS GOATEES

    Focus on the goatee associated with each exact referent.

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: Begin with ANY OLD HOW, AT RANDOM, HELTER-SKELTER, and WILLY-NILLY, testing whether all four fit the literal category HAPHAZARDLY..

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.

Yellow-tier group, first in the verified color order. groupUnplanned manner
HAPHAZARDLY: Look for complete expressions describing a haphazard manner.
Green-tier group, second in the verified color order. groupGetting event admission
WAYS TO RECEIVE EVENT TICKETS: Read each entry as a possible event-ticket receipt option.
Blue-tier group, third in the verified color order. groupInvoice headings
SECTIONS ON AN INVOICE: Imagine scanning the labeled sections of an invoice.
Purple-tier group, fourth in the verified color order. groupRecognizable goatees
FAMOUS GOATEES: Focus on the goatee associated with each exact referent.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

These independent language explainers add definition, origin or usage context where it genuinely helps.

Language guideHelter-Skelter Meaning: Disorder, Haste, and Puzzle Usage

Go deeper on this word or phrase without duplicating the puzzle explanation.

Read the language guide Language guideWilly-Nilly Meaning: Disorganized Action and Puzzle Usage

Go deeper on this word or phrase without duplicating the puzzle explanation.

Read the language guide

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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