Here are the hints and answers for today’s NYT Connections puzzle for Aug. 26, 2026. Puzzle #1,172 brings together expressions, words describing natural ability, meanings of the letter P and phrases that can follow the word “key.”
If you are stuck on today’s puzzle, the hints below can help you find the four groups before revealing the full NYT Connections answers.
Hints for Today’s NYT Connections Groups
Here are four clues for today’s groups, starting with the easiest yellow category and moving towards the trickier purple group:
- Yellow group hint: Aha!
- Green group hint: Mad skillz.
- Blue group hint: Letter between O and Q.
- Purple group hint: Not a lock, but…
The clues point towards four very different connections, so look carefully at how the words can be used together.
Answers for Today’s Connections Groups
Here are today’s four NYT Connections answers:
- Yellow group: “There you have it!”
- Green group: Knack
- Blue group: What “P” might stand for
- Purple group: Key ___
What Are Today’s NYT Connections Answers?
Today’s 16 words are divided into four groups of four. Some categories are relatively straightforward, while others depend on recognising less obvious meanings and word combinations.
The Yellow Words in Today’s Connections
The theme is “There you have it!”
The four answers are BEHOLD, PRESTO, SHAZAM and VOILÀ.
These words can be used to announce a revelation, result or sudden appearance. They are often associated with dramatic presentations or the moment when something is produced or revealed.
If you spotted words that could express a triumphant “there it is,” this was the yellow group to consider.
The Green Words in Today’s Connections
The theme is knack.
The four answers are FORTE, GIFT, STRENGTH and TALENT.
Each word can describe a particular ability or area in which someone naturally performs well. For example, a person might have a gift for music or consider writing their forte.
This category is fairly direct once you recognise that all four words can refer to a special ability or skill.
The Blue Words in Today’s Connections
The theme is what “P” might stand for.
The four answers are PAGE, PARK, PHOSPHORUS and PIANO.
The letter P can represent each of these words in different contexts. “P” can refer to a page, a park, the chemical element phosphorus or the musical instrument piano.
This category is more dependent on abbreviations and symbols, making it easier to overlook while solving the grid.
The Purple Words in Today’s Connections
The theme is Key ___.
The four answers are CHAIN, LARGO, LIME and SIGNATURE.
Each word can follow “key” to create a familiar phrase or name: key chain, Key Largo, key lime and key signature.
This is the trickiest group because the four resulting phrases come from different contexts. Key chain is an everyday object, Key Largo is a place, key lime refers to the citrus fruit and key signature is a musical term.
Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Explained
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle relies on several different types of word relationships. The yellow group uses expressions, the green group focuses on ability, the blue group explores possible meanings of a single letter, and the purple group uses words that follow “key.”
A useful approach is to look for the most obvious four-word connection first. Once one category has been removed, the remaining words can make the harder groups easier to identify. Also watch for words that appear to fit multiple categories, as these are often used as red herrings.
Conclusion
The August 26 NYT Connections puzzle offers a combination of familiar expressions, skills, abbreviations and wordplay. The yellow and green groups may be easier to spot, while the blue and purple categories require closer attention to how individual words are used.
If you were stuck today, these NYT Connections hints and answers should help explain the logic behind all four groups while making the puzzle easier to understand.
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