You’ve been there. It’s early morning, the coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet, and you’re staring at sixteen words that seem to have absolutely nothing in common. Or worse, they have too much in common. That was the vibe for many players tackling the NYT Connections hints August 15 puzzle. If you found yourself losing your mind over why "Foot" and "Breast" were on the same board, you are definitely not alone.
Honestly, the New York Times puzzle editor, Wyna Liu, has a specific kind of talent for making us feel like we’ve forgotten the English language. Today’s grid was a masterclass in the "overlap trap." It’s that annoying moment where you see five or six words that could easily fit into one category, but you only get to pick four. One wrong move and your streak is toast.
NYT Connections Hints August 15: Breaking Down the Grid
Before we just give away the farm, let's look at the logic. If you're currently staring at the screen and refusing to give up, think about what you’re seeing. There are some very obvious themes today, but there’s a massive distraction involving money.
The Yellow Group: Not What You Think
Most people saw "Breast" and "Thigh" and immediately thought of anatomy. But when you add "Wing" and "Tender" to the mix, you aren't looking at a doctor's office—you're looking at a KFC menu. This is the Yellow category, which is usually the most straightforward.
The Green Group: Handling the Bill
This is where the game got mean. You have words like "Pay," "Settle," and "Foot." If you've ever had to "foot the bill," you know exactly where this is going. The fourth word, "Take Care Of," feels a bit more conversational, which is why it might have slipped under your radar.
The Blue Group: Feeling Splendid
Blue is usually about synonyms or slightly more abstract connections. Today, it’s all about things being... well, great. "Brilliant," "Capital," "Fine," and "Grand" all fit here. The tricky part? "Capital" and "Grand" also sound like they belong with the money words in the Green or Purple categories.
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The Purple Group: The "Nutty" Connection
Purple is notoriously the "wordplay" category. If you were looking at "Mac," "Pec," "Cash," and "Haze" and thinking about computers or anatomy, you were miles off. These are the first few letters of culinary nuts: Macadamia, Pecan, Cashew, and Hazelnut.
Why Today Was Specifically Frustrating
The overlap today was brutal. Seriously. If you look at "Cash," "Grand," "Pay," and "Capital," you have a perfectly logical category for "Terms related to Money." But the game doesn't work that way. NYT Connections is designed to punish you for taking the first obvious group you see.
If you used "Cash" in a money category, you probably failed the Purple group. If you used "Grand" in a money category, you missed the Blue group. It’s a puzzle of elimination as much as it is a puzzle of definitions.
The Official August 15 Connections Answers
If you’ve run out of guesses or just want to see where you went wrong, here is the final breakdown of the 796th puzzle.
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- POULTRY CUTS (Yellow): BREAST, TENDER, THIGH, WING
- HANDLE, AS A BILL (Green): FOOT, PAY, SETTLE, TAKE CARE OF
- SPLENDID (Blue): BRILLIANT, CAPITAL, FINE, GRAND
- STARTS OF CULINARY NUTS (Purple): CASH, HAZE, MAC, PEC
Strategy for the Next Round
Don't let a bad day on the grid ruin your morning. One trick that actually works is to never submit your first group immediately. Once you find four words that work, look at the remaining twelve. If any of those words could also fit into your first group, you’re likely being set up for a "one away" error.
Also, pay attention to word length and prefixes. The Purple category today (the nut starts) is a classic example of how the NYT loves to use truncated words. If you see a bunch of three-letter words like "Mac" or "Pec," they are rarely standing on their own merit. They are almost always part of a larger word or phrase.
To stay ahead of the game tomorrow, try reading the words out loud. Sometimes hearing the word "Grand" helps you realize it's a synonym for "Splendid" rather than just a thousand dollars.
Next Steps for Players:
- Review the "One Away"s: If you got a "one away" message today, look at the "Money" vs "Splendid" overlap. It’s the most common place people tripped up.
- Vocabulary Check: Look up the British usage of "Capital" as a synonym for "Excellent"—it’s a favorite trick of the NYT editors.
- Practice Wordplay: Start looking for words that can be prefixes for common categories like foods, states, or brands.