Connections archive · Puzzle #1167

NYT Connections Hints & Answers — August 21, 2026 (#1167)

Group hints and answers for the NYT Connections puzzle on . Get a spoiler-free nudge for each group, or reveal the full solution — your call.

Difficulty: Hard

Spoiler control

Choose how much to reveal

Reveal one step at a time — nudges first, full answers only if you ask.

1. Group nudges spoiler-free
  • Yellow: Basic requirements for staying alive.
  • Green: What directors and stage managers shout when it’s time to start.
  • Blue: Fill-in titles and nicknames that end with “Kid(s).”
  • Purple: Complete the idiom for something that rarely happens.
2. One word from each group a foothold
  • Yellow: NUTRITION
  • Green: ACTION
  • Blue: COMEBACK
  • Purple: BLUE MOON
3. The four category names no words yet
  • Yellow: THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED
  • Green: CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE
  • Blue: ___ KIDS
  • Purple: ONCE IN A ___
4. Reveal groups one by one
Yellow group

THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED

  • NUTRITION
  • OXYGEN
  • SLEEP
  • WATER
Green group

CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE

  • ACTION
  • CURTAIN UP
  • PLACES
  • SHOWTIME
Blue group

___ KIDS

  • COMEBACK
  • KARATE
  • SUNDANCE
  • WIMPY
Purple group

ONCE IN A ___

  • BLUE MOON
  • GENERATION
  • LIFETIME
  • WHILE
5. Reveal everything full spoilers

Yellow — THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED

  • NUTRITION
  • OXYGEN
  • SLEEP
  • WATER

Green — CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE

  • ACTION
  • CURTAIN UP
  • PLACES
  • SHOWTIME

Blue — ___ KIDS

  • COMEBACK
  • KARATE
  • SUNDANCE
  • WIMPY

Purple — ONCE IN A ___

  • BLUE MOON
  • GENERATION
  • LIFETIME
  • WHILE

Today's puzzle, in a nutshell

Yellow survival basics are clean. Cable-channel red herrings (Showtime, Sundance, Lifetime) make purple and blue trickier.

NYT Connections #1167 — quick answers

What are today's Connections categories?

THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED; CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE; ___ KIDS; ONCE IN A ___.

What are all the answers?
  • THINGS MOST ANIMALS NEED: NUTRITION, OXYGEN, SLEEP, WATER
  • CALLS TO BEGIN A PERFORMANCE: ACTION, CURTAIN UP, PLACES, SHOWTIME
  • ___ KIDS: COMEBACK, KARATE, SUNDANCE, WIMPY
  • ONCE IN A ___: BLUE MOON, GENERATION, LIFETIME, WHILE

Also for: Connections hints 8/21/26, 8-21-26, 8 21 26, 8/21/2026, and puzzle #1167.

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