.png){kind=logo}
Today's puzzle combined synonyms for feeling tired, parts of a journey, words ending in units of length, and words ending in terms for following someone secretly.
The yellow and green groups were fairly easy to identify, while the blue and purple categories relied on spotting word endings rather than obvious meanings.
The purple category was the trickiest, since it needed players to look past each word's surface meaning entirely.
The New York Times Connections puzzle returns with another set of 16 words, asking players to sort them into four hidden groups based on a common connection. Today's puzzle mixes everyday synonyms, travel-related vocabulary, and two clever wordplay categories built around word endings. While some groups stand out quickly, others need players to look beyond the obvious meaning of each word.
If you're stuck, the spoiler-free hints below will help before revealing the complete answers.
Here is one representative word from each category:
Yellow Category: FRIED
Green Category: STAGE
Blue Category: LANYARD
Purple Category: HIGHTAIL
Additional clues for today's groups include:
Yellow Category: Ways to describe feeling worn out or drained.
Green Category: A single part of a longer journey or process.
Blue Category: Look closely at how each word ends, not what it means.
Purple Category: Think about words hidden inside longer words, tied to sneaking around.
Still need another hint? Here are today's category titles:
Yellow Category: Exhausted
Green Category: Segment
Blue Category: Ending In Units Of Length
Purple Category: Ending In Synonyms For Follow Secretly
The yellow group gathers different ways of saying someone feels completely tired. The green category holds words that describe one part of a longer journey or sequence. The blue section is trickier, since each word ends with a unit of length hidden inside it. The purple category works the same way, with each word ending in a term that means to follow someone secretly.
The complete solutions for the August 15, 2026 puzzle are:
Yellow List: Exhausted
BEAT
FRIED
SPENT
WORN OUT
Green List: Segment
LEG
PHASE
STAGE
STRETCH
Blue List: Ending In Units Of Length
CHAMOMILE
GRINCH
HOTFOOT
LANYARD
Purple List: Ending In Synonyms For Follow Secretly
BEANSTALK
EYESHADOW
HIGHTAIL
SOUNDTRACK
Today's NYT Connections puzzle was a fun mix of common synonyms and layered wordplay. The tired-related synonyms and the journey segments felt fairly straightforward to spot. Still, the two word-ending categories made the puzzle more challenging, since players had to look past each word's obvious meaning to catch the hidden pattern.
