NYT Connections Hints for August 22, 2026 — Puzzle #1168

Sixteen words, four hidden categories. Hints reveal structure, then the grouping.

Hints and answers for NYT Connections #1168 on August 22, 2026: how many groups there are, a masked theme for each group, then the four categories one at a time, then all sixteen words and the full grouping.

Puzzle date: August 22, 2026 (2026-08-22) · #1168 · Source: the game's public daily data (https://www.nytimes.com/svc/connections/v2/2026-08-22.json). Hints are derived from that day's verified answer data — no invented clues, difficulty scores or word claims.

1. The shape of the puzzle

There are 4 categories of 4 words each (16 words total).

2. The four themes, masked

Each theme below keeps its word shapes and the first letter of every word:

C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T _ _ _ _
K _ _ _ _ O _ M _ _ _ _
G _ _ _ _ _ H _ _ _ S _ _ _ _ _ _ _
G _ _ _ _ O _ P _ _ C _ _ _ _ _ _

3. Reveal a theme, one at a time

Show theme 1

CARPENTRY TOOLS

Show theme 2

KINDS OF MELON

Show theme 3

GARDEN HOSE SETTINGS

Show theme 4

___ GIRLS OF POP CULTURE

NYT Connections answer for August 22, 2026 — puzzle #1168

CARPENTRY TOOLS

HAMMER, PLANE, SAW, CHISEL

KINDS OF MELON

BITTER, WINTER, MUSK, WATER

GARDEN HOSE SETTINGS

CONE, JET, MIST, SHOWER

___ GIRLS OF POP CULTURE

SPICE, MEAN, GOLDEN, GILMORE

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