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Verified archive for August 30, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1176

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for August 30, 2026

This board combines facilities, wine-related items, mascot-bearing brands, and wanted-poster language in four official sets.

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

Connections puzzle overview

The explanations preserve the official category relationships literally and use the verified yellow-through-purple color order without assigning unsupported comparative judgments.

Overall difficultyThe verified color order runs yellow, green, blue, then purple.Biggest trapA player-facing overlap is the cluster of AERATOR, CORKSCREW, DECANTER, and STOPPER: all four belong to WINE ACCESSORIES, so that set should be kept intact rather than split.Best first moveStart with the concrete facility set: GYMNASIUM, HEALTH CLUB, REC CENTER, and YMCA all match EXERCISE FACILITIES.

Why the board is deceptive

The yellow group is EXERCISE FACILITIES: GYMNASIUM, HEALTH CLUB, REC CENTER, and YMCA.

The remaining groups cover WINE ACCESSORIES, BRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTS, and WORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTER.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Begin with the exercise-facility words, then collect the four wine accessories. Next identify the brand names connected by bunny rabbit mascots, leaving the wanted-poster vocabulary for the purple group.

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.

EXERCISE FACILITIESReveal this group

What connects GYMNASIUM, HEALTH CLUB, REC CENTER and YMCA?

GYMNASIUM · HEALTH CLUB · REC CENTER · YMCA

EXERCISE FACILITIES. These four official words are the puzzle's EXERCISE FACILITIES group, covering a gymnasium, health club, recreation center, and YMCA.

Best anchor: The facility vocabulary anchors the yellow group.

WINE ACCESSORIESReveal this group

What connects AERATOR, CORKSCREW, DECANTER and STOPPER?

AERATOR · CORKSCREW · DECANTER · STOPPER

WINE ACCESSORIES. AERATOR, CORKSCREW, DECANTER, and STOPPER are the four words assigned to the official WINE ACCESSORIES category.

Best anchor: The four wine-related items form the green set.

BRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTSReveal this group

What connects CADBURY, ENERGIZER, PLAYBOY and TRIX?

CADBURY · ENERGIZER · PLAYBOY · TRIX

BRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTS. The official blue category is BRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTS, containing CADBURY, ENERGIZER, PLAYBOY, and TRIX.

Best anchor: Mascot-bearing brand names identify the blue group.

WORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTERReveal this group

What connects ALIAS, OUTLAW, REWARD and WANTED?

ALIAS · OUTLAW · REWARD · WANTED

WORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTER. ALIAS, OUTLAW, REWARD, and WANTED are the four words in the official WORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTER category.

Best anchor: Poster vocabulary supplies the purple group.

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
    EXERCISE FACILITIES

    The facility vocabulary anchors the yellow group.

  2. 2
    WINE ACCESSORIES

    The four wine-related items form the green set.

  3. 3
    BRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTS

    Mascot-bearing brand names identify the blue group.

  4. 4
    WORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTER

    Poster vocabulary supplies the purple group.

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 the concrete facility set: GYMNASIUM, HEALTH CLUB, REC CENTER, and YMCA all match EXERCISE FACILITIES..

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 groupEXERCISE FACILITIES
EXERCISE FACILITIES: The facility vocabulary anchors the yellow group.
green-tier groupWINE ACCESSORIES
WINE ACCESSORIES: The four wine-related items form the green set.
blue-tier groupBRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTS
BRANDS WITH BUNNY RABBIT MASCOTS: Mascot-bearing brand names identify the blue group.
purple-tier groupWORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTER
WORDS ON AN OLD WEST WANTED POSTER: Poster vocabulary supplies the purple group.

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 →