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NYT Connections Hints and Solutions for August 20, 2026

Categories and answers for today's Connections puzzle.

Mashable2 min

1Basics of the Connections Game

The New York Times' popular word game Connections requires finding common links between 16 words. Players try to correctly match words divided into four groups. Each group represents a different category and is color-coded (yellow, green, blue, purple) to indicate difficulty levels. The game resets daily and can be shared on social media, making it a viral hit among puzzle enthusiasts.

2Game Mechanics and Strategies

In Connections, each correct guess removes words from the board. You have four wrong attempts. You can rearrange or shuffle the board to spot connections more easily. Categories can be anything from book titles to software terms or country names. Developing your strategy requires thinking from different perspectives about how words might relate beyond surface-level connections.

3Hints for August 20 Categories

Today's yellow category relates to types of pizza. The green category contains important number types. The blue group consists of similarly-shaped punctuation marks. The purple category features words starting with Chinese zodiac animals. These hints will help you identify the correct groupings more efficiently as you navigate through the puzzle's challenges.

4Yellow Category: Pizza Varieties

Today's easiest category (yellow) includes four distinct pizza types: Diavola (spicy), Hawaiian (with pineapple), Meat Lovers (loaded with meats), and White (white sauce). These globally popular varieties cater to different taste preferences. Commonly found on restaurant menus, these pizza styles should be familiar to most players, making this the most accessible grouping.

5Green Category: Important Number Types

The green category features Atomic (atomic number), Serial (serial number), Social Security (SSN), and Telephone (phone number). These numbers play critical roles in daily life for authentication, communication, and scientific classification. Each represents unique numbering systems used in different contexts, from personal identification to scientific organization.

6Blue Category: Punctuation Marks

The blue group contains four similarly-shaped punctuation marks: Apostrophe, Cedilla, Comma, and Okina (Hawaiian glottal stop). These symbols represent different sounds or pauses in written language. Their visual similarities help players recognize the common thread, though their specific uses vary across languages and writing systems worldwide.

7Purple Category: Chinese Zodiac-Themed Words

The hardest category (purple) comprises words starting with Chinese zodiac animals: Dragonfly (dragon), Oxford (ox), Pigment (pig), and Ratchet (rat). These animals represent years in the Chinese calendar. The words' initial letters match the English names of zodiac animals, creating a clever linguistic connection that challenges players' lateral thinking.

8Popularity and Benefits of Connections

This NYT game gained massive popularity following Wordle's success. Developed with contributions from associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, Connections expands vocabulary while enhancing analytical thinking. Ideal for daily mental exercise, the game is accessible on mobile devices and web browsers, contributing to its widespread appeal among word game enthusiasts of all ages.

Original article: Mashable — NYT Connections Oyunu İpuçları ve Çözümleri