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Verified archive for August 17, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1163

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 17, 2026

Connections #1163 for August 17, 2026 combines platform names, spreadsheet vocabulary, first names, and a shared-opening pattern across its four official groups.

Guide editorMaya BrooksSenior 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 17 board is organized

The board progresses in the verified yellow, green, blue, and purple order. Possible ambiguity comes from words such as PATSY having a supplied dictionary sense outside the first-name reading required by the official category.

Overall difficultyThe official sequence runs from yellow through purple, with a direct platform set first, spreadsheet terminology second, first names third, and a word-opening pattern fourth.Biggest trapPATSY may draw attention to its dictionary meaning of an easily manipulated person, but the official group uses PATSY as a first name.Best first moveTest FORMULA, FUNCTION, MACRO, and SCRIPT together. All four satisfy the official category SPREADSHEET FEATURES without requiring a narrower relationship.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow and green groups are direct category matches: video call platforms followed by spreadsheet features.

The blue group requires reading four tiles specifically as first names, while purple depends on inspecting how each word begins.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Start with FORMULA, FUNCTION, MACRO, and SCRIPT, then isolate the four video call platforms. Read DOLLY, JOHNNY, PATSY, and WILLIE as first names, leaving four words that start with BIRD, CAT, DOG, and FISH.

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.

Video call platformsReveal this group

What connects HUDDLE, MEET, TEAMS and ZOOM?

HUDDLE · MEET · TEAMS · ZOOM

VIDEO CALL PLATFORMS. HUDDLE, MEET, TEAMS, and ZOOM are the four entries in the official VIDEO CALL PLATFORMS category.

Best anchor: Treat each tile as a platform name.

Spreadsheet featuresReveal this group

What connects FORMULA, FUNCTION, MACRO and SCRIPT?

FORMULA · FUNCTION · MACRO · SCRIPT

SPREADSHEET FEATURES. FORMULA, FUNCTION, MACRO, and SCRIPT all satisfy the official relationship SPREADSHEET FEATURES.

Best anchor: Collect the four spreadsheet terms.

Country music legends' first namesReveal this group

What connects DOLLY, JOHNNY, PATSY and WILLIE?

DOLLY · JOHNNY · PATSY · WILLIE

FIRST NAMES OF COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS. DOLLY, JOHNNY, PATSY, and WILLIE are used as FIRST NAMES OF COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS in the official solution.

Best anchor: Use the first-name reading of every tile.

Starting with petsReveal this group

What connects BIRDIE, CATTLE, DOGIE and FISHEYE?

BIRDIE · CATTLE · DOGIE · FISHEYE

STARTING WITH PETS. BIRDIE starts with BIRD, CATTLE with CAT, DOGIE with DOG, and FISHEYE with FISH, preserving the official STARTING WITH PETS relationship.

Best anchor: Read only the opening letters of each word.

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 guideVideo Call Platforms in Connections #1163Explain this connection Supporting clue guideSpreadsheet Features in Connections #1163Explain this connection Supporting clue guideCountry Music Legends' First Names in Connections #1163Explain this connection Supporting clue guideWords Starting With Pets in Connections #1163Explain 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
    VIDEO CALL PLATFORMS

    Treat each tile as a platform name.

  2. 2
    SPREADSHEET FEATURES

    Collect the four spreadsheet terms.

  3. 3
    FIRST NAMES OF COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS

    Use the first-name reading of every tile.

  4. 4
    STARTING WITH PETS

    Read only the opening letters of each word.

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: Test FORMULA, FUNCTION, MACRO, and SCRIPT together. All four satisfy the official category SPREADSHEET FEATURES without requiring a narrower relationship..

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, the first group in the verified color order. groupVideo call platforms
VIDEO CALL PLATFORMS: Treat each tile as a platform name.
Green, the second group in the verified color order. groupSpreadsheet features
SPREADSHEET FEATURES: Collect the four spreadsheet terms.
Blue, the third group in the verified color order. groupCountry music legends' first names
FIRST NAMES OF COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS: Use the first-name reading of every tile.
Purple, the fourth group in the verified color order. groupStarting with pets
STARTING WITH PETS: Read only the opening letters of each word.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideMacro Meaning: The Computer Instruction and Puzzle Sense

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

Read the language guide Language guideScript Meaning: Written Text, Computer Code, and the Puzzle Sense

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

Read the language guide Language guidePatsy Meaning: The Slang Noun and the First Name in Connections

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

Maya Brooks

Maya focuses on exact category logic, ambiguous overlaps and hints that help without giving the group away.

Read Maya’s profile →