Play Connections #1163
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 #1163 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
Apps that let remote coworkers see each other's faces on a screen.
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Green group hintGentle hint
Tools for crunching numbers and automating tasks in rows and columns.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Honky-tonk and Grand Ole Opry icons from decades past.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Each one has a household animal hiding at the front.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
Several words feel work-related or tech-related, so it is easy to lump together words that really belong to different groups.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- VIDEO CALL PLATFORMS
- SPREADSHEET FEATURES
- FIRST NAMES OF COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS
- STARTING WITH PETS
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Difficulty: Medium. Three groups are fairly straightforward themes, but the wordplay group requires spotting hidden pieces at the start of less common words.
Connections #1163 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for August 17, 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
HUDDLE is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is VIDEO CALL PLATFORMS.
Show all four words
HUDDLE, MEET, TEAMS, ZOOM
Show one word
FORMULA is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is SPREADSHEET FEATURES.
Show all four words
FORMULA, FUNCTION, MACRO, SCRIPT
Show one word
DOLLY is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is FIRST NAMES OF COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS.
Show all four words
DOLLY, JOHNNY, PATSY, WILLIE
Show one word
BIRDIE is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is STARTING WITH PETS.
Show all four words
BIRDIE, CATTLE, DOGIE, FISHEYE
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- HUDDLE: Slack's quick audio and video chat feature
- MEET: Google's video conferencing service
- TEAMS: Microsoft's workplace chat and video app
- ZOOM: Hugely popular remote meeting software
- FORMULA: An expression that calculates values in cells
- FUNCTION: A built-in operation like SUM or AVERAGE
- MACRO: A recorded set of steps that automates tasks
- SCRIPT: Code that extends a sheet, like Apps Script
- DOLLY: Dolly Parton, beloved singer-songwriter
- JOHNNY: Johnny Cash, the Man in Black
- PATSY: Patsy Cline, famed for Crazy
- WILLIE: Willie Nelson, outlaw country star
Purple group explained
- BIRDIE: Starts with BIRD
- CATTLE: Starts with CAT
- DOGIE: Starts with DOG, a motherless calf
- FISHEYE: Starts with FISH, a wide-angle lens
What does DOGIE mean?
A motherless or stray calf in a cattle herd, especially in the American West. It is the word hidden in the puzzle's 'starting with pets' group, since DOGIE begins with DOG.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 16 | #1162 | DESCRIPTORS FOR OUR HUMAN ANCESTORS |
| Aug 15 | #1161 | ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR FOLLOW SECRETLY |
| Aug 14 | #1160 | TRIANGLE LOGOS |
| Aug 13 | #1159 | "COLD" THINGS, IN IDIOMS |
| Aug 12 | #1158 | STARTING WITH AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSES |
| Aug 11 | #1157 | HOMOPHONES OF FACIAL FEATURES |
| Aug 10 | #1156 | FAMOUS GOATEES |
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 17
Connections #1163 questions
What were the Connections answers on August 17, 2026?
VIDEO CALL PLATFORMS: HUDDLE, MEET, TEAMS, ZOOM. SPREADSHEET FEATURES: FORMULA, FUNCTION, MACRO, SCRIPT. FIRST NAMES OF COUNTRY MUSIC LEGENDS: DOLLY, JOHNNY, PATSY, WILLIE. STARTING WITH PETS: BIRDIE, CATTLE, DOGIE, FISHEYE.
What was the purple group in Connections #1163?
STARTING WITH PETS: BIRDIE, CATTLE, DOGIE, FISHEYE.
What made Connections #1163 tricky?
Several words feel work-related or tech-related, so it is easy to lump together words that really belong to different groups.