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Verified archive for August 19, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1165

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 19, 2026

Connections puzzle #1165 for August 19, 2026 contains four groups built around an expression for ease, concealment, words before "ball" in sport names and film-title homophones.

Guide editorSofia RamirezEditor

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

August 19, 2026 Connections overview

The verified puzzle credits Wyna Liu as editor. Difficulty references below follow only the official yellow-to-purple color order.

Overall difficultyThe groups follow the verified yellow, green, blue and purple order.Biggest trapSeveral short words invite compounds or alternate meanings, so test every proposed relationship against all four entries before submitting.Best first moveBegin with BASE, BASKET, FOOT and PICKLE: each appears before "BALL" in a sport name, giving a four-word set that follows the official category exactly.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow and green groups ask for shared meanings, while the blue group depends on completing sport names with the same word.

The purple group uses the sounds of four board entries, requiring solvers to hear CGI-animated film titles rather than read the entries literally.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

After finding the four words that precede "BALL," compare the remaining verbs with the literal category CONCEAL. Then isolate the four expressions meaning PIECE OF CAKE and finish by reading the final four entries aloud as homophones of CGI-animated films.

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.

Expressions for something easyReveal this group

What connects BREEZE, CINCH, PICNIC and SNAP?

BREEZE · CINCH · PICNIC · SNAP

PIECE OF CAKE. Each word can describe something easy, matching the expression PIECE OF CAKE without changing the official relationship.

Best anchor: CINCH and SNAP provide a direct starting pair for the easy-task sense.

Words meaning concealReveal this group

What connects BLANKET, HIDE, MASK and OBSCURE?

BLANKET · HIDE · MASK · OBSCURE

CONCEAL. BLANKET, HIDE, MASK and OBSCURE can each express the official relationship CONCEAL.

Best anchor: HIDE is the clearest anchor because its supported definition directly includes concealment.

Sport names ending in ballReveal this group

What connects BASE, BASKET, FOOT and PICKLE?

BASE · BASKET · FOOT · PICKLE

WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES. Adding "BALL" after each entry produces the sport names BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL and PICKLEBALL.

Best anchor: BASE and BASKET quickly demonstrate the shared "BALL" completion.

Film-title sound-alikesReveal this group

What connects ANTS, COCOA, RHEO and SEOUL?

ANTS · COCOA · RHEO · SEOUL

HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS. Read aloud, the four entries are homophones of the CGI-animated film titles Antz, Coco, Rio and Soul.

Best anchor: COCOA points to Coco, while SEOUL points to Soul in the sound-based set.

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 BREEZE, CINCH, PICNIC and SNAP Mean Something EasyExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow BLANKET, HIDE, MASK and OBSCURE Mean CONCEALExplain this connection Supporting clue guideBASE, BASKET, FOOT and PICKLE Before BALLExplain this connection Supporting clue guideThe Animated Film Homophones Behind ANTS, COCOA, RHEO and SEOULExplain 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
    PIECE OF CAKE

    CINCH and SNAP provide a direct starting pair for the easy-task sense.

  2. 2
    CONCEAL

    HIDE is the clearest anchor because its supported definition directly includes concealment.

  3. 3
    WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES

    BASE and BASKET quickly demonstrate the shared "BALL" completion.

  4. 4
    HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS

    COCOA points to Coco, while SEOUL points to Soul in the sound-based set.

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 BASE, BASKET, FOOT and PICKLE: each appears before "BALL" in a sport name, giving a four-word set that follows the official category exactly..

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. groupExpressions for something easy
PIECE OF CAKE: CINCH and SNAP provide a direct starting pair for the easy-task sense.
Green, second in the verified color order. groupWords meaning conceal
CONCEAL: HIDE is the clearest anchor because its supported definition directly includes concealment.
Blue, third in the verified color order. groupSport names ending in ball
WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES: BASE and BASKET quickly demonstrate the shared "BALL" completion.
Purple, fourth in the verified color order. groupFilm-title sound-alikes
HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS: COCOA points to Coco, while SEOUL points to Soul in the sound-based set.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideCinch Meaning: Easy Task, Strap and Verb Uses

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

Read the language guide Language guideSnap Meaning: Simple, Sudden, Breaking and Fastener Uses

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

Read the language guide Language guideHide Meaning: Concealment, Secrecy and Observation Shelter

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

Sofia Ramirez

Sofia verifies puzzle dates, public numbers, source facts and the archive details that keep daily guides reliable.

Read Sofia’s profile →