Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a fun one, mixing everyday phrases with a sneaky idiom twist. If you’re stuck on puzzle #1159, here are the hints and full answers for August 13, broken down by category so you can solve it your way.
What Is NYT Connections?
Connections is The New York Times’ daily word puzzle, created by crossword editor Wyna Liu. Players get a grid of 16 words and have to sort them into four groups of four, with each group sharing a hidden theme.
The trick is that some words look like they belong in one group when they actually fit somewhere else. That overlap is what makes Connections tricky, and today’s puzzle leans into it hard.
You can play the daily puzzle for free on the NYT Games site.
Today’s Connections Words (August 13)
Here are all 16 words in today’s grid, listed alphabetically so the order doesn’t give anything away:
- Carry On
- Checked Bags
- Comfort
- Continue
- Creep
- Ease
- Edge
- Feet
- Inch
- Lounge
- Make It
- Miles
- Persist
- Shoulder
- Turkey
- Upgrade
NYT Connections Hints for August 13
If you want a nudge before seeing the full answers, use these hints. They’re ordered from easiest to hardest, matching the game’s own yellow, green, blue, and purple difficulty scale.
- Yellow: Ways to say you’re not giving up.
- Green: These words all describe moving forward very gradually.
- Blue: Perks that come with elite airline status.
- Purple: Each word follows the same season-related word to form a common phrase.
That purple category is where most players trip up today, since a few of its words look like they’d fit perfectly into the yellow or blue groups instead.
NYT Connections Answers for August 13
Here’s the full solution for today’s puzzle, broken down by group.
Yellow: Persevere
- Carry On
- Continue
- Make It
- Persist
These four words all mean sticking with something instead of quitting.
Green: Move Slowly (Up To)
- Creep
- Ease
- Edge
- Inch
Each of these pairs naturally with “up to,” describing a gradual approach rather than a sudden one.
Blue: Airline Status Perks
- Checked Bags
- Lounge
- Miles
- Upgrade
These are all benefits frequent flyers get once they hit elite status with an airline.
Purple: “Cold” ___ (In Idioms)
- Comfort
- Feet
- Shoulder
- Turkey
Add “cold” in front of each word and you get a familiar phrase: cold comfort, cold feet, cold shoulder, and cold turkey.
Why Today’s Puzzle Trips Up Solvers
The overlap between categories is what makes today’s grid tough. Comfort feels like it could describe an airline perk, and Shoulder sounds like it belongs with the “persevere” group if you’re thinking of phrases like “shouldering on.”
Continue also seems like a natural fit for the “move slowly” category before you realize it actually belongs with the persistence words. That’s the classic Connections trap: the puzzle wants you to guess wrong before you see the real pattern.
Tips for Solving Connections Faster
- Start with the group you’re most confident about, usually yellow or green.
- Watch for words that could fit two categories. Those are usually the trap.
- If you get a “one away” message, swap out the word you’re least sure about first.
- Save purple for last, since it usually relies on wordplay rather than a simple category.
Final Thoughts
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle rewards players who look past the obvious meaning of each word. Once you spot the “cold” idiom pattern, the rest of the grid falls into place fast.
Check back with GamerUrge every day for fresh NYT Connections hints and answers, along with the latest gaming news and guides.
