Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is especially fun if you like movies and books. Read on for hints and today’s Connections answers.

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Let’s come at this another way.

Green group hint: Beloved books.

Blue group hint: Types of films.

Purple group hint: I don’t want to be here.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Take a different approach.

Green group: Classic children’s books.

Blue group: Movie subgenres.

Purple group: Things people try to get out of.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The completed NYT Connections puzzle for Aug. 9, 2026.NYT/Screenshot by CNET

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is take a different approach.

The four answers are change tack, course-correct, recalibrate and shift gears.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is classic children’s books.

The four answers are Caps for Sale, Corduroy, Goodnight Moon and Madeline.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is movie subgenres.

The four answers are buddy cop, neo-noir, space opera and spaghetti western.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is things people try to get out of.

The four answers are bad dream, escape room, jury duty and labyrinth.

Toughest Connections puzzles

We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles​ so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.

#5: Included “things you can set,” such as mood, record, table and volleyball.

#4: Included “one in a dozen,” such as egg, juror, month and rose.

#3: Included “streets on screen,” such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.

#2: Included “power ___” such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.

#1: Included “things that can run,” such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line. See full bio