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Verified archive for August 21, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1167

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 21, 2026

Connections puzzle 1167 for August 21, 2026 combines animal needs, performance-opening calls, titles ending in KIDS, and expressions beginning ONCE IN A.

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

August 21 Connections group overview

The verified puzzle credits Wyna Liu as editor. Group descriptions follow the official category wording without assigning intent to possible overlaps.

Overall difficultyThe verified order moves from yellow through green and blue to purple, with phrase completion reserved for the final group.Biggest trapSeveral entries can be read as ordinary nouns or titles. Check whether a proposed relationship covers all four words in exactly the same way.Best first moveBegin with NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP, and WATER. They satisfy the broad yellow category THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED without narrowing that relationship into a claim about how each thing is obtained or used.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow group asks for four things covered by the broad relationship THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED.

The remaining groups shift to performance language and two forms of phrase or title completion.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Secure the four animal needs first, then test ACTION, CURTAIN UP, PLACES, and SHOWTIME as calls to begin a performance. Resolve the last eight by placing KIDS after four words and ONCE IN A before the other four.

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.

Animal needsReveal this group

What connects NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP and WATER?

NUTRITION · OXYGEN · SLEEP · WATER

THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED. NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP, and WATER are the four entries in the official category THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED.

Best anchor: Keep the relationship at the official broad level: things most animals need.

Performance startersReveal this group

What connects ACTION, CURTAIN UP, PLACES and SHOWTIME?

ACTION · CURTAIN UP · PLACES · SHOWTIME

CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE. ACTION, CURTAIN UP, PLACES, and SHOWTIME complete the official set of CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE.

Best anchor: Read each entry as a call associated with the beginning of a performance.

Words before KIDSReveal this group

What connects COMEBACK, KARATE, SUNDANCE and WIMPY?

COMEBACK · KARATE · SUNDANCE · WIMPY

___ KIDS. Each official word completes the pattern when KIDS follows it: COMEBACK KIDS, KARATE KIDS, SUNDANCE KIDS, and WIMPY KIDS.

Best anchor: The literal relationship is word completion with KIDS placed after every entry.

Once in a phrasesReveal this group

What connects BLUE MOON, GENERATION, LIFETIME and WHILE?

BLUE MOON · GENERATION · LIFETIME · WHILE

ONCE IN A ___. BLUE MOON, GENERATION, LIFETIME, and WHILE each complete an expression that begins with the exact words ONCE IN A.

Best anchor: Place ONCE IN A before each entry and read the resulting expression.

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 Words Are Things Most Animals NeedExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow the Four Performance-Opening Calls ConnectExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy These Four Words Go Before KIDSExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow the ONCE IN A Phrases WorkExplain 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
    THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED

    Keep the relationship at the official broad level: things most animals need.

  2. 2
    CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE

    Read each entry as a call associated with the beginning of a performance.

  3. 3
    ___ KIDS

    The literal relationship is word completion with KIDS placed after every entry.

  4. 4
    ONCE IN A ___

    Place ONCE IN A before each entry and read the resulting expression.

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 NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP, and WATER. They satisfy the broad yellow category THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED without narrowing that relationship into a claim about how each thing is obtained or used..

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 level in the verified color order. groupAnimal needs
THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED: Keep the relationship at the official broad level: things most animals need.
Green, the second level in the verified color order. groupPerformance starters
CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE: Read each entry as a call associated with the beginning of a performance.
Blue, the third level in the verified color order. groupWords before KIDS
___ KIDS: The literal relationship is word completion with KIDS placed after every entry.
Purple, the final level in the verified color order. groupOnce in a phrases
ONCE IN A ___: Place ONCE IN A before each entry and read the resulting expression.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideWimpy Meaning: The Title Word in the Connections Group

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

Read the language guide Language guideBlue Moon Meaning: The Phrase in “Once in a Blue Moon”

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

Read the language guide Language guideWhile Meaning: A Period of Time in “Once in a While”

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 →