NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 22, 2026

The NYT Connections puzzle for August 22, 2026 is a challenging yet engaging word game that requires players to identify common connections between 16 words. The game is popular due to its ability to showcase the relationships between various categories of words. Connections resets each midnight, presenting new groups of words that become increasingly difficult to solve. The NYT has partnered with associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu to create and develop the game for its Games section.

The game can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices, with players tasked to group four words that share a common theme. Each puzzle consists of 16 words, divided into four categories of four words each. These categories can include book titles, software, country names, etc., with only one correct answer for each set of words.

Incorrect guesses count as a mistake, and players are given up to four attempts before the game is over. Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board for better visibility of connections.

Connections features color-coded categories, with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. A hint for today's categories is provided, which reads as follows: Yellow - Needed for woodwork, Green - Melons, Blue - Using the hose, and Purple - Famous girl groups in pop/tv. Additional tech and digital culture news can be found in Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or push alerts.

Here are today's Connections categories: Carpentry Tools, Kinds of Melon, Garden Hose Settings, and Girls of Pop Culture. For those seeking extra assistance, the categories for today's Connections puzzle are: Carpentry Tools - CHISEL, HAMMER, PLANE, SAW; Kinds of Melon - BITTER, MUSK, WATER, WINTER; Garden Hose Settings - CONE, JET, MIST, SHOWER; and Girls of Pop Culture - GILMORE, GOLDEN, MEAN, SPICE.