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NYT Connections is a challenging daily puzzle game that offers players a group of 16 words that should be arranged into four themed sets.
The theme brings four distinct themes every day without any connection between each other.
It tests vocabulary skills by requiring players to discover hidden links without the themes initially stated.
Good evening and happy Saturday, puzzle pros! Today’s NYT Connections puzzle for August 2 is one of the most mind-bending ones in recent memory. If you thought yesterday was tricky, wait until you get to today’s purple group. It’s the kind of category that makes you do a double-take, then question everything you know about the English language.
If you're already stuck and don't want to lose your streak, you’re in the right place. Below, we’ve got full breakdowns, handy clues, and some insights into how to approach this wickedly clever puzzle.
For anyone new to the game, NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times. You’re given 16 words and tasked with organizing them into four groups of four connected by a common theme. Some are straightforward categories; others involve phrases, puns, or wordplay.
Yellow: easiest
Green and Blue: medium
Purple: typically the hardest and often trickiest
You only get four mistakes, so strategic thinking is essential, and some days, like today, can get pretty sneaky.
Yellow group: Words are associated with and bound together tightly
Green group: This group contains words that are related to hot and heavy
Blue group: This group of words is associated with bowling alleys
Purple group: Today’s purple group of words contains their opposites.
One-Word Hints
GLUE
INTIMACY
STRIKE
CLEAVE
Yellow group (Attach with Adhesive): ADHERE, AFFIX, GLUE, STICK
Green group (Polite Terms for Sex): COMMERCE, CONGRESS, INTIMACY, RELATIONS
Blue group (Bowling Results): FOUL, SPARE, SPLIT, STRIKE
Purple group: Contronyms (words that mean opposite things): CLEAVE, GARNISH, OVERSIGHT, SANCTION
Let’s start with the yellow group. These were the easiest of the bunch. GLUE and STICK jump out right away, and AFFIX and ADHERE lock the category into a clear theme: adhesive connections. Straightforward and satisfying.
Then comes green. This one made a few of us blush. If you notice RELATIONS and INTIMACY, you may catch the idea. Adding in CONGRESS and COMMERCE completes the set. All four are formal or euphemistic ways of referring to sex. It’s a clever twist on language.
The blue group is pure fun if you're into bowling. STRIKE, SPARE, and SPLIT are obvious picks. FOUL might not be as obvious at first, but in the context of bowling, it fits perfectly. Once you get this group, it’s a strike.
Now, the infamous purple group. CLEAVE means both to split apart and to stick closely. GARNISH can be a delightful addition to your plate or a deduction from your paycheck. OVERSIGHT could mean supervision, or something you missed entirely. SANCTION? It can be a penalty or approval. These words are called contronyms, and spotting that category without knowing the term is tough.
The NYT Connections puzzle today walks the perfect line between clever and cruel. The yellow and blue groups offer some handholds, while the green and purple ones demand a different kind of thinking.
But that’s the beauty of NYT Connections, it stretches your brain in ways you don’t expect. If you cracked the purple set today without help, hats off to you! And if not, don’t worry. Even word nerds need a hint now and then.
Stay sharp, stay curious, and come back tomorrow for more NYT Connections hints and answers. Happy solving!
