Connections Hints

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — August 12, 2026

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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
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Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

BENES
BING
BULL
FINE PRINT
FOSTER
GOODBYE
GREAT WHITE
GREEN
HARBOR
LEMON
MAINTAIN
NURSE
OKAYAMA
POISON DART
SCOTT
TREE
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Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

HOLD ONTO, AS A FEELINGStraightforward
KINDS OF FROGSModerate
NBC SITCOM SURNAMESTricky
STARTING WITH AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSESDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

HOLD ONTO, AS A FEELINGStraightforward
VERBS FOR KEEPING AN EMOTION ALIVE INSIDE YOU+ 3 more…
KINDS OF FROGSModerate
VARIETIES OF THE AMPHIBIAN YOU MIGHT FIND NEAR A POND+ 3 more…
NBC SITCOM SURNAMESTricky
LAST NAMES OF BELOVED NBC SITCOM CHARACTERS+ 3 more…
STARTING WITH AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSESDevious
PHRASES THAT SECRETLY BEGIN WITH A WORD MEANING 'YES'+ 3 more…
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Full solution
HOLD ONTO, AS A FEELINGStraightforward
FOSTER,HARBOR,MAINTAIN,NURSE

FOSTER, HARBOR, MAINTAIN, and NURSE all mean to hold onto or keep alive a feeling or emotion, like harboring a grudge or nursing a resentment.

KINDS OF FROGSModerate
BULL,GREEN,POISON DART,TREE

BULL, GREEN, POISON DART, and TREE are all types of frogs, ranging from the common bullfrog to the colorful and deadly poison dart frog.

NBC SITCOM SURNAMESTricky
BENES,BING,LEMON,SCOTT

BENES (Elaine, Seinfeld), BING (Chandler, Friends), LEMON (Liz, 30 Rock), and SCOTT (Michael, The Office) are all surnames of iconic NBC sitcom characters.

STARTING WITH AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSESDevious
FINE PRINT,GOODBYE,GREAT WHITE,OKAYAMA

FINE PRINT (FINE), GOODBYE (GOO... no — actually GOOD), GREAT WHITE (GREAT), and OKAYAMA (OKAY) each begin with an affirmative response: FINE, GOOD, GREAT, and OKAY.

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