Play Connections #1166
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 #1166 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
These are choices you'd see on the menu at an Italian takeout joint.
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Green group hintGentle hint
Each one is a string of digits used to label or identify something.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
These are tiny curved marks used in writing and printing.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Each word opens with a hidden creature from an ancient calendar cycle.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
A word naming a Pacific island people suggests a food, yet a related letter from their language belongs with the punctuation-like marks.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- KINDS OF PIZZA
- KINDS OF NUMBERS
- SIMILARLY SHAPED TYPOGRAPHICAL MARKS
- STARTING WITH CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS
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Difficulty: Hard. The mark-shaped group is obscure and the hidden-animal group requires looking inside the words, while the other two groups are familiar everyday categories.
Connections #1166 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for August 20, 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
DIAVOLA is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is KINDS OF PIZZA.
Show all four words
DIAVOLA, HAWAIIAN, MEAT LOVERS, WHITE
Show one word
ATOMIC is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is KINDS OF NUMBERS.
Show all four words
ATOMIC, SERIAL, SOCIAL SECURITY, TELEPHONE
Show one word
APOSTROPHE is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is SIMILARLY SHAPED TYPOGRAPHICAL MARKS.
Show all four words
APOSTROPHE, CEDILLA, COMMA, OKINA
Show one word
DRAGONFLY is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is STARTING WITH CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS.
Show all four words
DRAGONFLY, OXFORD, PIGMENT, RATCHET
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- DIAVOLA: Spicy Italian pizza topped with hot salami and chili.
- HAWAIIAN: Pizza topped with ham and pineapple.
- MEAT LOVERS: Pizza loaded with several meats like sausage and pepperoni.
- WHITE: Pizza with a creamy garlic or cheese base instead of red sauce.
- ATOMIC: An element's atomic number counts the protons in its nucleus.
- SERIAL: A serial number identifies one specific manufactured product.
- SOCIAL SECURITY: A nine-digit number identifying a person for government records.
- TELEPHONE: A telephone number is dialed to reach a particular line.
- APOSTROPHE: A raised, comma-shaped mark for contractions and possessives.
- CEDILLA: A little hook-like tail written under the letter c.
- COMMA: A curved mark that sets off parts of a sentence.
- OKINA: A Hawaiian letter that looks like a single opening quote mark.
Purple group explained
- DRAGONFLY: Starts with DRAGON, a Chinese zodiac animal.
- OXFORD: Starts with OX, a Chinese zodiac animal.
- PIGMENT: Starts with PIG, a Chinese zodiac animal.
- RATCHET: Starts with RAT, a Chinese zodiac animal.
What does OKINA mean?
A letter in Hawaiian and some other Polynesian writing, shaped like a single opening quotation mark, that marks a glottal stop, the brief catch of breath in a word. It fits the group of look-alike marks.
What does DIAVOLA mean?
An Italian pizza topped with spicy salami or hot chili sausage, and often chili peppers. The name means 'devil-style' in Italian, a nod to the heat. It belongs to the pizza group.
What does CEDILLA mean?
A small hook-like mark written under a letter, as in the c of French 'façade', showing the letter is pronounced softly, like an s. It fits the group of similarly shaped marks.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 19 | #1165 | HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS |
| Aug 18 | #1164 | THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY |
| Aug 17 | #1163 | STARTING WITH PETS |
| 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 |
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 20
Connections #1166 questions
What were the Connections answers on August 20, 2026?
KINDS OF PIZZA: DIAVOLA, HAWAIIAN, MEAT LOVERS, WHITE. KINDS OF NUMBERS: ATOMIC, SERIAL, SOCIAL SECURITY, TELEPHONE. SIMILARLY SHAPED TYPOGRAPHICAL MARKS: APOSTROPHE, CEDILLA, COMMA, OKINA. STARTING WITH CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS: DRAGONFLY, OXFORD, PIGMENT, RATCHET.
What was the purple group in Connections #1166?
STARTING WITH CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS: DRAGONFLY, OXFORD, PIGMENT, RATCHET.
What made Connections #1166 tricky?
A word naming a Pacific island people suggests a food, yet a related letter from their language belongs with the punctuation-like marks.