Play Connections #1157
These are the 16 words in the order NYT shows them. Tap four words you think belong together and press Submit. You get four mistakes, and we'll tell you when you are one word away. Nothing is saved, so you can practise without touching your real streak.
Connections #1157 hints
Yellow is usually the easiest group and purple the trickiest. Start with one colour and see if the rest falls into place.
Hints used: 0
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Yellow group hintGentle hint
All of these describe having no hope left and no way out of a bad situation.
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Green group hintGentle hint
You might flip past these while hunting for something to watch on TV.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
A fast-talking pro rattles these off while taking bids and waiting for the gavel.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Say these out loud and you'll hear parts of a face, even though the spellings look odd.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
Several words could mean finished or over, so SOLD, GOING, DONE and THROUGH may tempt you to lump them together.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- DOOMED
- BASIC CABLE CHANNELS
- WORDS IN AN AUCTIONEER'S CHANT
- HOMOPHONES OF FACIAL FEATURES
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Difficulty: Medium. The sound-alike group takes some careful reading aloud, but the other three groups are common and easy to spot.
Connections #1157 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for August 11, 2026, with why each word fits.
Reveal one group at a time
Each colour opens in three steps: one word from the group, then the group name, then all four words. Stop as soon as you can finish it yourself.
Show one word
DONE is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is DOOMED.
Show all four words
DONE, SUNK, THROUGH, TOAST
Show one word
BET is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is BASIC CABLE CHANNELS.
Show all four words
BET, BRAVO, HISTORY, USA
Show one word
GOING is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is WORDS IN AN AUCTIONEER'S CHANT.
Show all four words
GOING, ONCE, SOLD, TWICE
Show one word
AYE is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is HOMOPHONES OF FACIAL FEATURES.
Show all four words
AYE, HARE, KNOWS, TUNG
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- DONE: 'I'm done for' means you're finished or out of luck.
- SUNK: A sunk ship, or a sunk plan, is beyond saving.
- THROUGH: 'We're through' means it's over with no hope left.
- TOAST: 'You're toast' means you're in big trouble.
- BET: Black Entertainment Television, a cable network.
- BRAVO: A cable network known for reality shows.
- HISTORY: A cable network with documentaries and history shows.
- USA: A cable network with dramas and wrestling.
- GOING: First part of the chant: going once, going twice.
- ONCE: Said in the chant: going once.
- SOLD: Final word when the gavel falls.
- TWICE: Said in the chant: going twice.
Purple group explained
- AYE: Sounds like 'eye'.
- HARE: Sounds like 'hair', as in eyebrows or a mustache.
- KNOWS: Sounds like 'nose'.
- TUNG: Sounds like 'tongue'.
What does TUNG mean?
Not a standalone English word most people know; it sounds like 'tongue' (the mouth part). Tung also names a tree whose seeds yield a quick-drying oil used in wood finishing, as in tung oil. Here it is the homophone for the facial feature.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 10 | #1156 | FAMOUS GOATEES |
| Aug 9 | #1155 | THINGS PEOPLE TRY TO GET OUT OF |
| Aug 8 | #1154 | SAFETY ___ |
| Aug 7 | #1153 | STARTING WITH MALE ANIMALS |
| Aug 6 | #1152 | PLACES WITH NETS |
| Aug 5 | #1151 | WHAT "STOCK" MIGHT REFER TO |
| Aug 4 | #1150 | V-SHAPED THINGS |
About Connections
Connections is a daily New York Times puzzle where you sort 16 words into four groups of four. Groups are colour-coded from yellow, the most direct, to purple, which usually relies on wordplay. You can make four mistakes. Looking back at past puzzles is one of the best ways to learn the kinds of tricks the editors like to use.
Other puzzles on Aug 11
Connections #1157 questions
What were the Connections answers on August 11, 2026?
DOOMED: DONE, SUNK, THROUGH, TOAST. BASIC CABLE CHANNELS: BET, BRAVO, HISTORY, USA. WORDS IN AN AUCTIONEER'S CHANT: GOING, ONCE, SOLD, TWICE. HOMOPHONES OF FACIAL FEATURES: AYE, HARE, KNOWS, TUNG.
What was the purple group in Connections #1157?
HOMOPHONES OF FACIAL FEATURES: AYE, HARE, KNOWS, TUNG.
What made Connections #1157 tricky?
Several words could mean finished or over, so SOLD, GOING, DONE and THROUGH may tempt you to lump them together.