All the Hints, Clues and Full Answers for Sunday’s August 9, 2026, Word Puzzle

Sunday’s edition of the New York Times’ Connections puzzle, game #1155, is testing players with a mix of physical actions, playful rearrangements and nostalgic references, according to multiple outlets covering today’s game — a combination several solvers described as satisfying but occasionally deceptive.

How Connections works

Connections challenges players to sort 16 seemingly unrelated words or phrases into four hidden groups of four, with each group linked by a shared theme, wordplay pattern or category. The puzzle is color-coded by difficulty, running from yellow (easiest) through green and blue, up to purple, which is typically the most challenging and often relies on the least obvious connection. Players are allowed up to four mistakes before losing the round.

According to TechRadar, players don’t strictly need to solve the purple category outright, since it can often be deduced by process of elimination once the other three groups have been correctly identified.

Today’s 16 words

Sunday’s puzzle presented players with the following 16 words and phrases: SHIFT GEARS, JURY DUTY, SPACE OPERA, LABYRINTH, CAPS FOR SALE, ESCAPE ROOM, NEO-NOIR, COURSE-CORRECT, BAD DREAM, BUDDY COP, CORDUROY, CHANGE TACK, MADELINE, RECALIBRATE, SPAGHETTI WESTERN and GOODNIGHT MOON.

Hints for each category

For solvers looking for a nudge before the full reveal, TechRadar offered the following category hints:

Yellow: Take a new path
Green: Bedtime stories
Blue: Types of films
Purple: In need of an exit strategy

Parade offered similar guidance in its own coverage, describing the categories as covering situations that are hard to get out of and classic stories read to children, along with hints like “strategize,” “like Ride Along or Blade Runner” and “like a maze.”

Today’s full answers

Spoiler warning: the complete solution to Connections #1155 is below.

Yellow — Take a Different Approach: CHANGE TACK, COURSE-CORRECT, RECALIBRATE, SHIFT GEARS

Green — Classic Children’s Books: CAPS FOR SALE, CORDUROY, GOODNIGHT MOON, MADELINE

Blue — Movie Subgenres: BUDDY COP, NEO-NOIR, SPACE OPERA, SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Purple — Things People Try to Get Out Of: BAD DREAM, ESCAPE ROOM, JURY DUTY, LABYRINTH

TechRadar’s Johnny Dee, who solved today’s puzzle with a perfect score, described his solving process, noting he initially locked in the children’s book category around GOODNIGHT MOON and MADELINE before setting it aside to explore other groupings first — what he called deciding to “take a different approach” to match the yellow category’s own theme.

Bonus: Connections Sports Edition

For sports fans looking for an additional challenge, the Times also offers a sports-themed spinoff called Connections Sports Edition, currently in beta through a collaboration between the New York Times and The Athletic. According to Word.Tips, Sunday’s Sports Edition puzzle, game #691, included categories covering equipment that comes in pairs (ski pole, shin guard, soccer cleat, ice skate), common sports injuries (tennis elbow, hip pointer, shin splints, turf toe), notable sights at Fenway Park (Green Monster, Citgo sign, Pesky Pole, Lansdowne Street) and Premier League stadium venues (City Ground, Old Trafford, Stadium of Light, Stamford Bridge).

Where to play

Both Connections and Connections Sports Edition are available for free through the New York Times Games website and mobile app, alongside the publisher’s other daily offerings, including Wordle, Strands and the Mini Crossword. A new Connections puzzle refreshes at midnight local time each day, meaning solvers in different time zones may be working through different puzzles at any given moment.