Today’s word-game hints, updated daily
HintCorner

Daily word-game guide

Verified archive for August 25, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1171

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 25, 2026

Connections puzzle #1171 for August 25, 2026 combines a surface-level relationship, science-fiction phenomena, film adaptations and a final-word pattern involving ice cream orders.

Guide editorNora BennettSenior 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

Connections #1171 board overview

Keep the category wording broad: the yellow entries are SURFACE-LEVEL, and the purple entries end in ice cream orders. The displayed blue entries fit only after adding “THE.”

Overall difficultyThe verified sequence runs from yellow SURFACE-LEVEL through green SCI-FI PHENOMENA and blue STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS, WITH "THE" to purple ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS.Biggest trapSeveral entries work as ordinary phrases or titles, so a player may focus on their full meanings before checking the exact final word in each purple entry.Best first moveStart with COSMETIC, ONE-DIMENSIONAL, SKIN-DEEP and SUPERFICIAL. All four satisfy the broad SURFACE-LEVEL relationship without requiring a title addition or an ending-word extraction.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow and green groups can be tested through direct category relationships, while the blue set requires adding the same article to four displayed titles.

The purple relationship depends on reading the last word of each complete board entry: SHAKE, SCOOP, SPLIT and CONE are the relevant ice cream orders.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Resolve the four SURFACE-LEVEL entries first, then collect the four SCI-FI PHENOMENA. Test GREEN MILE, LONG WALK, RUNNING MAN and SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION by adding “THE,” leaving four phrases whose endings form the ice cream-order set.

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.

Surface descriptionsReveal this group

What connects COSMETIC, ONE-DIMENSIONAL, SKIN-DEEP and SUPERFICIAL?

COSMETIC · ONE-DIMENSIONAL · SKIN-DEEP · SUPERFICIAL

SURFACE-LEVEL. Each official word fits the source category SURFACE-LEVEL, whether read in a surface-related or limited-depth sense.

Best anchor: Think broadly about surface and depth.

Science-fiction conceptsReveal this group

What connects HYPERSPACE, PARALLEL UNIVERSE, TELEPORTATION and TIME WARP?

HYPERSPACE · PARALLEL UNIVERSE · TELEPORTATION · TIME WARP

SCI-FI PHENOMENA. The four entries preserve the official relationship exactly: each belongs under SCI-FI PHENOMENA.

Best anchor: Test the entries as speculative phenomena.

Adaptation titles completed with an articleReveal this group

What connects GREEN MILE, LONG WALK, RUNNING MAN and SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION?

GREEN MILE · LONG WALK · RUNNING MAN · SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS, WITH "THE". Adding “THE” produces the four entries identified by the official category as Stephen King film adaptations.

Best anchor: Place THE before each displayed entry.

Phrases with order words at the endReveal this group

What connects HARLEM SHAKE, INSIDE SCOOP, LICKETY-SPLIT and TRAFFIC CONE?

HARLEM SHAKE · INSIDE SCOOP · LICKETY-SPLIT · TRAFFIC CONE

ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS. The complete entries end in SHAKE, SCOOP, SPLIT and CONE, preserving the official ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS relationship.

Best anchor: Read only the final word of each phrase.

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 guideConnections #1171 Answers for August 25, 2026: SURFACE-LEVEL GroupExplain this connection Supporting clue guideConnections #1171 Green Group: SCI-FI PHENOMENA — August 25, 2026Explain this connection Supporting clue guideConnections #1171 Blue Group: Stephen King Film Adaptations With THE — August 25, 2026Explain this connection Supporting clue guideConnections #1171 Purple Group: ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS — August 25, 2026Explain 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
    SURFACE-LEVEL

    Think broadly about surface and depth.

  2. 2
    SCI-FI PHENOMENA

    Test the entries as speculative phenomena.

  3. 3
    STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS, WITH "THE"

    Place THE before each displayed entry.

  4. 4
    ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS

    Read only the final word of each phrase.

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 COSMETIC, ONE-DIMENSIONAL, SKIN-DEEP and SUPERFICIAL. All four satisfy the broad SURFACE-LEVEL relationship without requiring a title addition or an ending-word extraction..

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 tier in the verified color order. groupSurface descriptions
SURFACE-LEVEL: Think broadly about surface and depth.
Green, the second tier in the verified color order. groupScience-fiction concepts
SCI-FI PHENOMENA: Test the entries as speculative phenomena.
Blue, the third tier in the verified color order. groupAdaptation titles completed with an article
STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS, WITH "THE": Place THE before each displayed entry.
Purple, the fourth tier in the verified color order. groupPhrases with order words at the end
ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS: Read only the final word of each phrase.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideOne-Dimensional Meaning

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

Read the language guide Language guideTeleportation Meaning

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

Read the language guide Language guideGreen Mile Meaning

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

Nora Bennett

An editor focused on spoiler-conscious daily puzzle guides and plain-English solving explanations.

Read Nora’s profile →