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Verified archive for August 28, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1174

NYT Connections #1174 Hints & Answers (August 28, 2026)

Connections #1174 for August 28, 2026 has bedtime farewells, palindromes, modern combining forms and phrases that follow TOP OF THE. The family-like words are a tempting false start; use exact tests instead.

Guide editorSofia RamirezEditor

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4 groups
Group 1Category hidden
Group 2Category hidden
Group 3Category hidden
Group 4Category hidden

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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.

August 28, 2026 puzzle explained

Why the August 28 family-looking words mislead

A complete-looking family set is weaker than the exact palindrome rule. Check MOM and SIS backward before committing them alongside BRO and POPS.

Overall difficultyA familiar word pattern hides a newer language groupBiggest trapBRO, MOM, SIS and POPS can look like a complete family-vocabulary set, but each belongs elsewhere.Best first moveStart with MOM, NOON, SIS and TOP SPOT because each reads the same backward.

Why the board is deceptive

BRO, MOM, SIS and POPS form a plausible family set, but it is a decoy. MOM and SIS pass a more exact spelling test with NOON and TOP SPOT: their letters read the same in reverse when the space is ignored.

The remaining groups shift to common phrases and contemporary word-building. BEDTIME PARTING WORDS are things a person might say at night, while BRO, CODED, ERA and MAXXING attach to other words in current informal usage.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Remove MOM, NOON, SIS and TOP SPOT by testing each backward. Put NIGHT, REST EASY, SLEEP TIGHT and SWEET DREAMS together as bedtime partings. Read BRO, CODED, ERA and MAXXING as contemporary add-ons or combining forms. HOUR, LINE, MORNING and POPS complete TOP OF THE ___ phrases.

Spoilers below

August 28, 2026 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.

Bedtime farewellsReveal this group

What connects NIGHT, REST EASY, SLEEP TIGHT and SWEET DREAMS?

NIGHT · REST EASY · SLEEP TIGHT · SWEET DREAMS

BEDTIME PARTING WORDS. NIGHT, REST EASY, SLEEP TIGHT and SWEET DREAMS are all parting words or wishes associated with going to bed. Each can end a nighttime conversation.

Best anchor: SLEEP TIGHT is a strong anchor because it has a particularly clear bedtime use and little relationship to the wordplay groups.

PalindromesReveal this group

What connects MOM, NOON, SIS and TOP SPOT?

MOM · NOON · SIS · TOP SPOT

PALINDROMES. MOM, NOON and SIS are single-word palindromes. TOP SPOT becomes TOPSPOT when the space is removed and also reads the same backward.

Best anchor: TOP SPOT is the revealing anchor because its two-word form shows that spaces do not change the reverse-letter test.

Modern word add-onsReveal this group

What connects BRO, CODED, ERA and MAXXING?

BRO · CODED · ERA · MAXXING

MODERN ADD-ONS/COMBINING FORMS. BRO, CODED, ERA and MAXXING are used as add-ons or combining forms with other words in modern informal expressions. Their shared role is structural, not familial.

Best anchor: MAXXING is the clearest anchor because it regularly attaches to a preceding topic to describe maximizing that quality.

After TOP OF THEReveal this group

What connects HOUR, LINE, MORNING and POPS?

HOUR · LINE · MORNING · POPS

TOP OF THE ___. TOP OF THE HOUR, TOP OF THE LINE, TOP OF THE MORNING and TOP OF THE POPS are established phrases or titles. HOUR, LINE, MORNING and POPS share that exact lead-in.

Best anchor: MORNING is useful because TOP OF THE MORNING is a familiar expression that exposes the shared phrase pattern.

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use this puzzle’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    BEDTIME PARTING WORDS

    SLEEP TIGHT is a strong anchor because it has a particularly clear bedtime use and little relationship to the wordplay groups.

  2. 2
    PALINDROMES

    TOP SPOT is the revealing anchor because its two-word form shows that spaces do not change the reverse-letter test.

  3. 3
    MODERN ADD-ONS/COMBINING FORMS

    MAXXING is the clearest anchor because it regularly attaches to a preceding topic to describe maximizing that quality.

  4. 4
    TOP OF THE ___

    MORNING is useful because TOP OF THE MORNING is a familiar expression that exposes the shared phrase pattern.

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.

This puzzle’s best first move: Start with MOM, NOON, SIS and TOP SPOT because each reads the same backward..

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.

Gentle groupBedtime farewells
BEDTIME PARTING WORDS: SLEEP TIGHT is a strong anchor because it has a particularly clear bedtime use and little relationship to the wordplay groups.
Moderate groupPalindromes
PALINDROMES: TOP SPOT is the revealing anchor because its two-word form shows that spaces do not change the reverse-letter test.
Tricky groupModern word add-ons
MODERN ADD-ONS/COMBINING FORMS: MAXXING is the clearest anchor because it regularly attaches to a preceding topic to describe maximizing that quality.
Most difficult groupAfter TOP OF THE
TOP OF THE ___: MORNING is useful because TOP OF THE MORNING is a familiar expression that exposes the shared phrase pattern.

Questions players ask

Questions about this puzzle

What makes Connections #1174 tricky?

BRO, MOM, SIS and POPS can look like a complete family-vocabulary set, but each belongs elsewhere.

Where should I start with the August 28, 2026 puzzle?

Start with MOM, NOON, SIS and TOP SPOT because each reads the same backward.

About the guide editor

Sofia Ramirez

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