Play Connections #1170
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 #1170 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
-
Yellow group hintGentle hint
These swimmers could all end up on a dinner plate.
Was this hint -
Green group hintGentle hint
All of these describe something that ranks first in importance.
Was this hint -
Blue group hintHelpful hint
Insiders use these terms for the staged drama of a ring-based spectacle.
Was this hint -
Purple group hintHelpful hint
Say the start of each aloud as an alphabet sound, and a racket-sport call is hiding at the end.
Was this hint -
Where's the trap?Strong hint
Three words from different groups can all name parts of the human foot, which tempts you to group them together.
Was this hint -
The four group namesStrong hint
- FISH
- PRINCIPAL
- PRO-WRESTLING LINGO
- LETTER HOMOPHONE PLUS TENNIS TERM
Was this hint
Difficulty: Hard. The wordplay group is tough to decode, and a body-part overlap can lure you into a wrong grouping.
Connections #1170 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for August 24, 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
MULLET is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is FISH.
Show all four words
MULLET, PIKE, SOLE, TANG
Show one word
ARCH is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is PRINCIPAL.
Show all four words
ARCH, CHIEF, MAIN, PRIME
Show one word
FACE is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is PRO-WRESTLING LINGO.
Show all four words
FACE, HEEL, JOBBER, KAYFABE
Show one word
BESET is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is LETTER HOMOPHONE PLUS TENNIS TERM.
Show all four words
BESET, DESERVE, EX-LOVE, EYELET
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- MULLET: Common food fish found in coastal waters.
- PIKE: Freshwater predator with a long snout.
- SOLE: Flatfish popular in fine dining.
- TANG: Colorful reef fish, often a surgeonfish.
- ARCH: As in arch-enemy, meaning chief or leading.
- CHIEF: Leading, as in chief executive.
- MAIN: Principal, as in main office.
- PRIME: First in importance, as in prime suspect.
- FACE: The good-guy wrestler.
- HEEL: The villain wrestler.
- JOBBER: A wrestler who loses to make stars look strong.
- KAYFABE: Presenting staged events as if they were real.
Purple group explained
- BESET: B sound plus set.
- DESERVE: D sound plus serve.
- EX-LOVE: X sound plus love, a zero score.
- EYELET: I sound plus let, a replayed serve.
What does KAYFABE mean?
Pro wrestling's tradition of presenting scripted matches, feuds, and characters as real, and never openly admitting they are staged. Performers 'stay in kayfabe' by keeping up the act in public.
What does JOBBER mean?
A wrestler who regularly loses to more popular stars, making the winners look strong. In wrestling slang, losing a match is called 'doing the job'.
What does TANG mean?
A group of brightly colored saltwater fish, also called surgeonfish, found on coral reefs and popular in aquariums. Blue tang is the best-known kind.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 23 | #1169 | HOUSEHOLD STAIN REMOVERS |
| Aug 22 | #1168 | ___ GIRLS OF POP CULTURE |
| Aug 21 | #1167 | ONCE IN A ___ |
| Aug 20 | #1166 | STARTING WITH CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS |
| Aug 19 | #1165 | HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS |
| Aug 18 | #1164 | THINGS THAT ARE GRITTY |
| Aug 17 | #1163 | STARTING WITH PETS |
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 24
Connections #1170 questions
What were the Connections answers on August 24, 2026?
FISH: MULLET, PIKE, SOLE, TANG. PRINCIPAL: ARCH, CHIEF, MAIN, PRIME. PRO-WRESTLING LINGO: FACE, HEEL, JOBBER, KAYFABE. LETTER HOMOPHONE PLUS TENNIS TERM: BESET, DESERVE, EX-LOVE, EYELET.
What was the purple group in Connections #1170?
LETTER HOMOPHONE PLUS TENNIS TERM: BESET, DESERVE, EX-LOVE, EYELET.
What made Connections #1170 tricky?
Three words from different groups can all name parts of the human foot, which tempts you to group them together.