NYT Connections Hints for 2026-08-19 — Puzzle #1165
Sixteen words, four hidden categories. Hints reveal structure, then the grouping.
1. The shape of the puzzle
There are 4 categories of 4 words each (16 words total).
2. The four themes, masked
Each theme below keeps its word shapes and the first letter of every word:
P _ _ _ _ O _ C _ _ _C _ _ _ _ _ _W _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ I _ S _ _ _ _ N _ _ _ _H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ O _ C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F _ _ _ _
3. Reveal a theme, one at a time
Show theme 1
PIECE OF CAKE
Show theme 2
CONCEAL
Show theme 3
WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES
Show theme 4
HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS
NYT Connections answer for 2026-08-19
PIECE OF CAKE
PICNIC, BREEZE, SNAP, CINCH
CONCEAL
BLANKET, MASK, OBSCURE, HIDE
WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMES
BASKET, PICKLE, FOOT, BASE
HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS
ANTS, COCOA, SEOUL, RHEO
Frequently asked questions
The shape of the puzzle
There are 4 categories of 4 words each (16 words total).
The four themes, masked
Each theme below keeps its word shapes and the first letter of every word:P _ _ _ _ O _ C _ _ _C _ _ _ _ _ _W _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ I _ S _ _ _ _ N _ _ _ _H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ O _ C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F _ _ _ _
Reveal a theme, one at a time
Show theme 1PIECE OF CAKEShow theme 2CONCEALShow theme 3WORDS BEFORE "BALL" IN SPORT NAMESShow theme 4HOMOPHONES OF CGI-ANIMATED FILMS
Recent NYT Connections puzzles
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