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Verified archive for August 29, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1175

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 29, 2026

The August 29, 2026 board combines automotive terms, salad labels, keyboard keys, and a wordplay group tied to figures from Greek myth.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

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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 29, 2026 Connections overview

The official source lists Wyna Liu as editor and supplies the four categories and their exact words. Explanations preserve those category relationships literally.

Overall difficultyThe verified color order runs from yellow through purple; the group descriptions provide a neutral tier-by-tier progression.Biggest trapSeveral board words can suggest broad everyday themes, so test whether a proposed set leaves the exact official four-word category incomplete.Best first moveStart with ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ENGINE, and RADIATOR: the four words form the official car-related category and give the board a firm first anchor.

Why the board is deceptive

The board’s verified groups range from parts under a car’s hood to kinds of salad, keyboard keys, and words beginning with figures from Greek myth.

A productive solve begins with the concrete automotive cluster, then checks the keyboard and salad categories before testing the wordplay group.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Use the most concrete semantic cluster first: the four words under a car’s hood are ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ENGINE, and RADIATOR. Then recognize CHOPPED, GREEK, HOUSE, and WEDGE as kinds of salad, and CONTROL, ESCAPE, SHIFT, and SPACE as keyboard keys. The remaining AT LAST, HERALD, HYDRANT, and TRITONE complete the Greek-myth-figure wordplay category.

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.

UNDER THE HOOD OF A CARReveal this group

What connects ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ENGINE and RADIATOR?

ALTERNATOR · BATTERY · ENGINE · RADIATOR

UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR. ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ENGINE, and RADIATOR are the four words assigned by the source to UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR.

Best anchor: The concrete car-related cluster is a useful opening anchor.

KINDS OF SALADReveal this group

What connects CHOPPED, GREEK, HOUSE and WEDGE?

CHOPPED · GREEK · HOUSE · WEDGE

KINDS OF SALAD. CHOPPED, GREEK, HOUSE, and WEDGE are the official four-word set for KINDS OF SALAD.

Best anchor: The menu-style labels form the second semantic anchor.

KEYBOARD KEYSReveal this group

What connects CONTROL, ESCAPE, SHIFT and SPACE?

CONTROL · ESCAPE · SHIFT · SPACE

KEYBOARD KEYS. CONTROL, ESCAPE, SHIFT, and SPACE are the four source words in the category KEYBOARD KEYS.

Best anchor: The exact key names resolve several broad everyday meanings.

STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTHReveal this group

What connects AT LAST, HERALD, HYDRANT and TRITONE?

AT LAST · HERALD · HYDRANT · TRITONE

STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH. The source assigns AT LAST, HERALD, HYDRANT, and TRITONE to STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH.

Best anchor: The remaining words are resolved by the category’s exact starting-word relationship.

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 ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ENGINE and RADIATOR Go TogetherExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy CHOPPED, GREEK, HOUSE and WEDGE Go TogetherExplain this connection Supporting clue guideWhy CONTROL, ESCAPE, SHIFT and SPACE Go TogetherExplain this connection Supporting clue guideHow AT LAST, HERALD, HYDRANT and TRITONE Hide Greek Myth FiguresExplain 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
    UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR

    The concrete car-related cluster is a useful opening anchor.

  2. 2
    KINDS OF SALAD

    The menu-style labels form the second semantic anchor.

  3. 3
    KEYBOARD KEYS

    The exact key names resolve several broad everyday meanings.

  4. 4
    STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH

    The remaining words are resolved by the category’s exact starting-word relationship.

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 ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, ENGINE, and RADIATOR: the four words form the official car-related category and give the board a firm first anchor..

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-tier groupUNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR
UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR: The concrete car-related cluster is a useful opening anchor.
green-tier groupKINDS OF SALAD
KINDS OF SALAD: The menu-style labels form the second semantic anchor.
blue-tier groupKEYBOARD KEYS
KEYBOARD KEYS: The exact key names resolve several broad everyday meanings.
purple-tier groupSTARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH
STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH: The remaining words are resolved by the category’s exact starting-word relationship.

Language background

Useful guides for today’s wordplay

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

Language guideAlternator Meaning

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

Read the language guide Language guideChopped Meaning

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

Read the language guide Language guideTritone 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

Jordan Ellis

Jordan connects editorial explanations with practice tools, custom puzzles and the site’s future original games.

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