Play Connections #1171
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 #1171 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
Nothing in this group goes any deeper than what you can see on the outside.
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Green group hintGentle hint
These are staples of futuristic stories where the normal rules of physics get bent.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Hollywood turned this horror writer's stories into movies like these.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Pay attention to how each phrase finishes, because a treat counter might serve it.
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Where's the trap?Strong hint
One of the movie titles is itself a dystopian sci-fi tale, and a couple of phrases double as dance crazes, which can pull them toward the wrong groups.
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The four group namesStrong hint
- SURFACE-LEVEL
- SCI-FI PHENOMENA
- STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS, WITH "THE"
- ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS
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Difficulty: Medium. Three groups are fairly clear once you spot them, but the last one only reveals itself when you look at how each phrase ends.
Connections #1171 answers
Spoiler zone. Below are all four groups for August 25, 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
COSMETIC is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is SURFACE-LEVEL.
Show all four words
COSMETIC, ONE-DIMENSIONAL, SKIN-DEEP, SUPERFICIAL
Show one word
HYPERSPACE is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is SCI-FI PHENOMENA.
Show all four words
HYPERSPACE, PARALLEL UNIVERSE, TELEPORTATION, TIME WARP
Show one word
GREEN MILE is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS, WITH "THE".
Show all four words
GREEN MILE, LONG WALK, RUNNING MAN, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Show one word
HARLEM SHAKE is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS.
Show all four words
HARLEM SHAKE, INSIDE SCOOP, LICKETY-SPLIT, TRAFFIC CONE
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- COSMETIC: Affects only outward appearance, not substance.
- ONE-DIMENSIONAL: Flat, lacking depth, like a shallow character.
- SKIN-DEEP: Goes no further than the surface.
- SUPERFICIAL: Shallow and lacking real depth.
- HYPERSPACE: Faster-than-light travel zone in space operas.
- PARALLEL UNIVERSE: An alternate reality existing alongside ours.
- TELEPORTATION: Instant transport from one place to another.
- TIME WARP: A distortion that bends or skips time.
- GREEN MILE: Death row drama based on a King serial novel.
- LONG WALK: Title of a King story, with The in front.
- RUNNING MAN: Dystopian King tale, filmed with Schwarzenegger.
- SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION: Prison drama from a King novella.
Purple group explained
- HARLEM SHAKE: Ends in shake, a blended ice cream drink.
- INSIDE SCOOP: Ends in scoop, a serving of ice cream.
- LICKETY-SPLIT: Ends in split, as in a banana split.
- TRAFFIC CONE: Ends in cone, the crunchy ice cream holder.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | #1170 | LETTER HOMOPHONE PLUS TENNIS TERM |
| 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 |
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 25
Connections #1171 questions
What were the Connections answers on August 25, 2026?
SURFACE-LEVEL: COSMETIC, ONE-DIMENSIONAL, SKIN-DEEP, SUPERFICIAL. SCI-FI PHENOMENA: HYPERSPACE, PARALLEL UNIVERSE, TELEPORTATION, TIME WARP. STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS, WITH "THE": GREEN MILE, LONG WALK, RUNNING MAN, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS: HARLEM SHAKE, INSIDE SCOOP, LICKETY-SPLIT, TRAFFIC CONE.
What was the purple group in Connections #1171?
ENDING IN ICE CREAM ORDERS: HARLEM SHAKE, INSIDE SCOOP, LICKETY-SPLIT, TRAFFIC CONE.
What made Connections #1171 tricky?
One of the movie titles is itself a dystopian sci-fi tale, and a couple of phrases double as dance crazes, which can pull them toward the wrong groups.