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Verified archive for August 15, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1161

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 15, 2026

Connections puzzle #1161 for August 15, 2026 combines two meaning-based groups with two categories determined by the endings of longer words.

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

How the August 15 board is organized

Wyna Liu is listed as the editor in the verified puzzle source. The explanations preserve the four official category titles and their verified color order.

Overall difficultyThe verified board progresses through yellow, green, blue and purple, with two ending-based categories occupying the blue and purple positions.Biggest trapThe longer words encourage suffix inspection, but they divide between two exact rules: units of length and synonyms for FOLLOW SECRETLY.Best first moveStart with LEG, PHASE, STAGE and STRETCH. Each can denote a SEGMENT, giving a four-word set that does not require splitting or modifying the entries.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow and green groups rely on shared meanings: EXHAUSTED and SEGMENT, respectively.

The blue and purple groups require inspecting word endings for units of length or synonyms for FOLLOW SECRETLY.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Resolve LEG, PHASE, STAGE and STRETCH as SEGMENT, then collect the four EXHAUSTED terms. With eight words left, inspect their endings and separate the units of length from the synonyms for FOLLOW SECRETLY.

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.

Exhausted termsReveal this group

What connects BEAT, FRIED, SPENT and WORN OUT?

BEAT · FRIED · SPENT · WORN OUT

EXHAUSTED. Each official word fits the category EXHAUSTED when read in the tired or depleted sense required by the group.

Best anchor: SPENT provides a clean entry into the depleted sense.

Words for a segmentReveal this group

What connects LEG, PHASE, STAGE and STRETCH?

LEG · PHASE · STAGE · STRETCH

SEGMENT. LEG, PHASE, STAGE and STRETCH each satisfy the official relationship by naming a SEGMENT.

Best anchor: PHASE and STAGE point toward a bounded part of a process.

Words ending in length unitsReveal this group

What connects CHAMOMILE, GRINCH, HOTFOOT and LANYARD?

CHAMOMILE · GRINCH · HOTFOOT · LANYARD

ENDING IN UNITS OF LENGTH. The words end in MILE, INCH, FOOT and YARD, which are the units of length required by the official category.

Best anchor: CHAMOMILE visibly contains MILE at its ending.

Words ending in secret-following synonymsReveal this group

What connects BEANSTALK, EYESHADOW, HIGHTAIL and SOUNDTRACK?

BEANSTALK · EYESHADOW · HIGHTAIL · SOUNDTRACK

ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR FOLLOW SECRETLY. Their endings are STALK, SHADOW, TAIL and TRACK, the synonyms for FOLLOW SECRETLY specified by the official category.

Best anchor: BEANSTALK exposes STALK as a useful suffix anchor.

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 BEAT, FRIED, SPENT and WORN OUT Mean EXHAUSTEDExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy LEG, PHASE, STAGE and STRETCH Are a SEGMENTExplain this connection Supporting clue guideCHAMOMILE, GRINCH, HOTFOOT and LANYARD Length EndingsExplain this connection Supporting clue guideBEANSTALK, EYESHADOW, HIGHTAIL and SOUNDTRACK EndingsExplain 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
    EXHAUSTED

    SPENT provides a clean entry into the depleted sense.

  2. 2
    SEGMENT

    PHASE and STAGE point toward a bounded part of a process.

  3. 3
    ENDING IN UNITS OF LENGTH

    CHAMOMILE visibly contains MILE at its ending.

  4. 4
    ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR FOLLOW SECRETLY

    BEANSTALK exposes STALK as a useful suffix anchor.

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 LEG, PHASE, STAGE and STRETCH. Each can denote a SEGMENT, giving a four-word set that does not require splitting or modifying the entries..

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, first in the verified color order. groupExhausted terms
EXHAUSTED: SPENT provides a clean entry into the depleted sense.
Green, second in the verified color order. groupWords for a segment
SEGMENT: PHASE and STAGE point toward a bounded part of a process.
Blue, third in the verified color order. groupWords ending in length units
ENDING IN UNITS OF LENGTH: CHAMOMILE visibly contains MILE at its ending.
Purple, fourth in the verified color order. groupWords ending in secret-following synonyms
ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR FOLLOW SECRETLY: BEANSTALK exposes STALK as a useful suffix anchor.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guidePhase Meaning: Definition, Usage and Connections Group Logic

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

Read the language guide Language guideStage Meaning: Definition, Examples and Connections Group Logic

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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