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NYT Games news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
NYT Connections puzzle #1178 for Sept. 1, 2026, has answers starting with words of intention.
The daily word game remains a social media hit, with hints widely shared.
Background
NYT Connections is a daily word game where players group 16 words into four categories. It has become one of the most popular New York Times games, second only to the main crossword, and has captured public attention on social media. The game resets daily, and each puzzle has a unique solution with difficulty tiers from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest).
How it unfolded
- Aug 28, 2026Forbes published hints and answers for the Saturday, August 29 puzzle, noting Connections is the second-most popular NYT Games puzzle.
- Aug 30, 2026NYT published the Connections Companion for puzzle #1177, and Mashable provided meanings for each word for Aug. 31.
- Aug 31, 2026CNET published hints and answers for Sept. 1 puzzle #1178, revealing the theme 'starting with words of intention' with answers like Aimee Mann (aim), Hope Diamond (hope), planetarium (plan), and wishy-washy (wish).
- Sep 1, 2026Mashable published hints for Connections #1178 and Strands for Sept. 1, noting the game's social media popularity.
Who’s saying what
- Public
- Connections is a fun, free offering that gets your brain moving every day, as described by Forbes.
- Public
- The Sept. 1 puzzle is a tough one, with the blue category liked by mystery readers, per CNET.