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NYT Connections Hints and Answers — Saturday, August 1, 2026 (Puzzle #1147)

Written by Ranjit Kumar — Lead Editor & Puzzle Architect

Ranjit is a lifelong puzzle enthusiast and the creator of ConnectionsSports.com. He has analyzed 1,000+ Connections puzzles and helps thousands of daily players master the game.

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🧩 NYT Connections Answers Today — August 1, 2026 (Puzzle #1147)

Here are the complete answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle, Saturday, August 1, 2026:

  • 🟨 Yellow – Bedding: COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET, THROW
  • 🟩 Green – Oscar-Winning Actors Since 2010: BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX, WALTZ
  • 🟦 Blue – Perform Some Hole Machining Operations: BORE, COUNTERSINK, DRILL, REAM
  • 🟪 Purple – Starting With Bread Shapes: BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER, ROLLS-ROYCE

Want to try solving it yourself first? Scroll down for progressive spoiler-free hints before seeing the full breakdown.

Welcome to today's NYT Connections hints and answers guide for Saturday, August 1, 2026. If you're stuck on Puzzle #1147, you're in the right place. We'll start with spoiler-free progressive hints so you can try to figure it out on your own, then reveal the full Connections answers for today with a detailed explanation of each group.

📌 Key Takeaways — Puzzle #1147

  • Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026
  • Puzzle Number: #1147
  • Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ (Medium)
  • Trickiest Category: Purple — Starting With Bread Shapes
  • Easiest Category: Yellow — Bedding
  • Red Herring Warning: Watch out for multi-meaning words that try to pull you off track! 'BORE' might tempt you into a category about dullness or tedious talkers, but here it pairs with DRILL, REAM, and COUNTERSINK as a precision metalworking technique. 'LOAFER' could seem like an idle person or a shoe, but its prefix 'LOAF' ties into the bread shape wordplay. Similarly, 'THROW' is commonly an action verb, but in this context, it refers strictly to a lightweight accent blanket.

🔮 Connections Hint for Each Word Today — August 1, 2026

Tap any word to see its Connections hint — what it means in today's puzzle, no spoilers. Uncover all 16 to fill the progress bar.

BALE

BALE Connections Hint Today

Hint: Christian ______, acclaimed actor who won Best Supporting Actor for The Fighter.

Definition: Meaning: Christian Bale, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2011 for The Fighter.

SHEET

SHEET Connections Hint Today

Hint: A large rectangular piece of fabric (fitted or flat) placed directly over a mattress.

Definition: Meaning: Lightweight bed linen used to cover a mattress or lie directly underneath blankets.

DRILL

DRILL Connections Hint Today

Hint: Cut a circular hole into solid material using a rotating cutting bit.

Definition: Meaning: The primary machining process of originating a round hole in a workpiece.

BORE

BORE Connections Hint Today

Hint: Enlarge an existing hole to precise internal dimensions using a single-point cutting tool.

Definition: Meaning: A machining operation that enlarges a previously drilled hole to achieve high accuracy.

SHAM

SHAM Connections Hint Today

Hint: A decorative pillow cover designed to match a duvet or bed cover set.

Definition: Meaning: Decorative fabric covering placed over a pillow, typically used for bed styling.

BUNDLE

BUNDLE Connections Hint Today

Hint: A collection of items bound together; begins with a small round bread roll ("Bun").

Definition: Meaning: Combines "Bun" (a small soft bread roll) with "dle" to form BUNDLE.

LOAFER

LOAFER Connections Hint Today

Hint: A casual slip-on shoe; starts with a shaped mass of baked bread ("Loaf").

Definition: Meaning: Combines "Loaf" (a unit of baked bread) with "er" to form LOAFER.

JORDAN

JORDAN Connections Hint Today

Hint: Michael B. ______, star who earned Best Actor honors for Sinners.

Definition: Meaning: Michael B. Jordan, Academy Award recipient for his leading performance in Sinners.

COUNTERSINK

COUNTERSINK Connections Hint Today

Hint: Create a conical enlargement at the top of a hole so screw heads sit flush with the surface.

Definition: Meaning: A metalworking or woodworking process that bevels the entrance of a hole for flush fasteners.

WALTZ

WALTZ Connections Hint Today

Hint: Christoph ______, who won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars for Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained.

Definition: Meaning: Christoph Waltz, two-time Oscar-winning actor recognized for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films.

BOULEVARD

BOULEVARD Connections Hint Today

Hint: A wide city street lined with trees; starts with a round French bread shape ("Boule").

Definition: Meaning: Combines "Boule" (a traditional ball-shaped French bread) with "vard" to form BOULEVARD.

REAM

REAM Connections Hint Today

Hint: Smooth and size the interior walls of a pre-drilled hole to precise tolerances.

Definition: Meaning: A precision finishing operation that accurately sizes and smooths a drilled hole.

PHOENIX

PHOENIX Connections Hint Today

Hint: Joaquin ______, who won Best Actor for his captivating performance in Joker.

Definition: Meaning: Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2020 for Joker.

COMFORTER

COMFORTER Connections Hint Today

Hint: A thick, quilted blanket filled with synthetic fiber or down for bedroom warmth.

Definition: Meaning: Refers to a padded bed cover that provides insulation and comfort during sleep.

ROLLS-ROYCE

ROLLS-ROYCE Connections Hint Today

Hint: A luxury British automobile brand; begins with an individual baked bread unit ("Roll").

Definition: Meaning: Combines "Roll" (a small individual bread unit) with "s-Royce" to form ROLLS-ROYCE.

THROW

THROW Connections Hint Today

Hint: A smaller, lightweight blanket loosely draped over a bed or sofa for warmth and accent.

Definition: Meaning: A small decorative blanket used for warmth while lounging on a bed or couch.

BALE CONNECTIONS HINT

Hint: Christian ______, acclaimed actor who won Best Supporting Actor for The Fighter.

⚠️ Red Herring Alert: Watch out for multi-meaning words that try to pull you off track! 'BORE' might tempt you into a category about dullness or tedious talkers, but here it pairs with DRILL, REAM, and COUNTERSINK as a precision metalworking technique. 'LOAFER' could seem like an idle person or a shoe, but its prefix 'LOAF' ties into the bread shape wordplay. Similarly, 'THROW' is commonly an action verb, but in this context, it refers strictly to a lightweight accent blanket.

💡 Spoiler-Free Hints — NYT Connections August 1, 2026

Not ready for the full answer? Try these progressive hints for today's Connections puzzle. We start vague and get more specific.

🟨 Yellow Group Hint

Theme Hint: Items you would use to dress a bed or keep warm under the covers.

🟩 Green Group Hint

Theme Hint: Acclaimed Hollywood stars who have won Academy Awards for acting during or after 2010.

🟦 Blue Group Hint

Theme Hint: Machining and woodworking processes used to create, enlarge, or finish circular holes.

🟪 Purple Group Hint

Theme Hint: Pay close attention to the first few letters of each word—each begins with a form or unit of bread.

🔓 Reveal Answers Progressively

Reveal each group step-by-step. Click "See Hint", then "See Group Name", then individual words.

  1. Yellow Connections Hint Today

    Items you would use to dress a bed or keep warm under the covers.

  2. Green Connections Hint Today

    Acclaimed Hollywood stars who have won Academy Awards for acting during or after 2010.

  3. Blue Connections Hint Today

    Machining and woodworking processes used to create, enlarge, or finish circular holes.

  4. Purple Connections Hint Today

    Pay close attention to the first few letters of each word—each begins with a form or unit of bread.

⚠️ Traps & Misdirects in Today's Connections

Today's puzzle includes words intentionally placed to misdirect you. These trap hints reveal which words are designed to mislead, so you don't burn your 4 allowed mistakes on deliberate decoys.

🎯 Editor's Red Herring Warning

Watch out for multi-meaning words that try to pull you off track! 'BORE' might tempt you into a category about dullness or tedious talkers, but here it pairs with DRILL, REAM, and COUNTERSINK as a precision metalworking technique. 'LOAFER' could seem like an idle person or a shoe, but its prefix 'LOAF' ties into the bread shape wordplay. Similarly, 'THROW' is commonly an action verb, but in this context, it refers strictly to a lightweight accent blanket.

🪤 Traps & Misdirects Breakdown

• BORE vs. Personality / Emotion: BORE can mean a dull person or to tire someone, but here it functions as a machining operation alongside DRILL, REAM, and COUNTERSINK.
• LOAFER & BUNDLE vs. Footwear or Packaging: LOAFER (shoe) and BUNDLE (wrapped package) look like physical item categories, but their opening syllables (LOAF, BUN) represent bread shapes alongside BOULEvard and ROLLs-Royce.
• WALTZ vs. Dance Steps: WALTZ looks like a traditional ballroom dance step, but in this puzzle, it refers to two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz alongside Bale, Jordan, and Phoenix.

🔑 One-Word Hints for Each Group

Still need a nudge? Here's one word that describes each group's theme:

🟨 Yellow

BEDDING

🟩 Green

OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS SINCE 2010

🟦 Blue

PERFORM SOME HOLE MACHINING OPERATIONS

🟪 Purple

STARTING WITH BREAD SHAPES

🔥 Two-Away Hints — Almost the Full Answer

Last chance before the full reveal. Here are two members of each group:

Group Two Revealed Words Can You Find the Other Two?
🟨 Yellow COMFORTER, SHAM What other words fit the "Bedding" theme?
🟩 Green BALE, JORDAN What other words fit the "Oscar-Winning Actors Since 2010" theme?
🟦 Blue BORE, COUNTERSINK What other words fit the "Perform Some Hole Machining Operations" theme?
🟪 Purple BOULEVARD, BUNDLE What other words fit the "Starting With Bread Shapes" theme?

✅ Full Answers — NYT Connections Today, August 1, 2026 (Puzzle #1147)

Here are the complete NYT Connections answers for today, Saturday, August 1, 2026. Puzzle #1147 is fully solved below.

🟨 Yellow — Bedding

COMFORTERSHAMSHEETTHROW

🟩 Green — Oscar-Winning Actors Since 2010

BALEJORDANPHOENIXWALTZ

🟦 Blue — Perform Some Hole Machining Operations

BORECOUNTERSINKDRILLREAM

🟪 Purple — Starting With Bread Shapes

BOULEVARDBUNDLELOAFERROLLS-ROYCE

🔍 Per-Word Explanations — Every Answer Defined

Let's dive deep into every word in today's Connections Puzzle #1147 — what each word means, why it belongs to its group, and how the puzzle uses it.

🟨 Yellow (Easiest) — Bedding

The easiest category is "Bedding". Here's what each word means and why it belongs:

COMFORTER

Meaning: Refers to a padded bed cover that provides insulation and comfort during sleep.

SHAM

Meaning: Decorative fabric covering placed over a pillow, typically used for bed styling.

SHEET

Meaning: Lightweight bed linen used to cover a mattress or lie directly underneath blankets.

THROW

Meaning: A small decorative blanket used for warmth while lounging on a bed or couch.

🟩 Green (Medium) — Oscar-Winning Actors Since 2010

The medium category is "Oscar-Winning Actors Since 2010". Here's what each word means and why it belongs:

BALE

Meaning: Christian Bale, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2011 for The Fighter.

JORDAN

Meaning: Michael B. Jordan, Academy Award recipient for his leading performance in Sinners.

PHOENIX

Meaning: Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2020 for Joker.

WALTZ

Meaning: Christoph Waltz, two-time Oscar-winning actor recognized for his roles in Quentin Tarantino films.

🟦 Blue (Hard) — Perform Some Hole Machining Operations

The hard category is "Perform Some Hole Machining Operations". Here's what each word means and why it belongs:

BORE

Meaning: A machining operation that enlarges a previously drilled hole to achieve high accuracy.

COUNTERSINK

Meaning: A metalworking or woodworking process that bevels the entrance of a hole for flush fasteners.

DRILL

Meaning: The primary machining process of originating a round hole in a workpiece.

REAM

Meaning: A precision finishing operation that accurately sizes and smooths a drilled hole.

🟪 Purple (Hardest) — Starting With Bread Shapes

The hardest category is "Starting With Bread Shapes". Here's what each word means and why it belongs:

BOULEVARD

Meaning: Combines "Boule" (a traditional ball-shaped French bread) with "vard" to form BOULEVARD.

BUNDLE

Meaning: Combines "Bun" (a small soft bread roll) with "dle" to form BUNDLE.

LOAFER

Meaning: Combines "Loaf" (a unit of baked bread) with "er" to form LOAFER.

ROLLS-ROYCE

Meaning: Combines "Roll" (a small individual bread unit) with "s-Royce" to form ROLLS-ROYCE.

📊 Difficulty Analysis & Strategy Tips

Group Difficulty Solve Order
🟨 Yellow — Bedding ⭐ Easy Solve FIRST — the easiest category
🟩 Green — Oscar-Winning Actors Since 2010 ⭐⭐ Medium Solve SECOND
🟦 Blue — Perform Some Hole Machining Operations ⭐⭐⭐ Hard Solve THIRD
🟪 Purple — Starting With Bread Shapes ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Hard Solve LAST or by elimination

🎯 Pro Strategy for Puzzle #1147

To solve today's puzzle efficiently:
1. Lock in Yellow (Bedding) first—COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET, and THROW belong cleanly together.
2. Identify the Oscar-winning actors for Green (BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX, WALTZ) by isolating the proper surnames.
3. Group the metalworking and hole-making verbs together for Blue (BORE, COUNTERSINK, DRILL, REAM).
4. Examine the remaining 4 words (BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER, ROLLS-ROYCE) to spot the hidden bread shape prefixes (Boule, Bun, Loaf, Roll) for Purple!

🎮 How to Play NYT Connections

New to the game? Here's a quick guide:

1️⃣

Study the 16 Words

Find four groups of four related words in the 4×4 grid.

2️⃣

Select & Submit

Tap four words you think belong together and hit "Submit."

3️⃣

4 Mistakes Max

Wrong guesses cost a life. After 4 mistakes, the game ends.

4️⃣

Solve All Four

Yellow = easiest, Purple = hardest. Solve all four to win!

🗞️ What Is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle game created by Wyna Liu and published by The New York Times. Launched in mid-2023, it has become one of the most popular word games online alongside Wordle. Each puzzle presents 16 words that must be organized into four groups of four sharing a common theme.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions — Connections August 1, 2026

The answers for NYT Connections Puzzle #1147 (August 1, 2026) are: 🟨 Yellow (Bedding): COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET, THROW | 🟩 Green (Oscar-Winning Actors Since 2010): BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX, WALTZ | 🟦 Blue (Perform Some Hole Machining Operations): BORE, COUNTERSINK, DRILL, REAM | 🟪 Purple (Starting With Bread Shapes): BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER, ROLLS-ROYCE.

The yellow category in today's Connections (August 1, 2026) is "Bedding" and the four answers are COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET, THROW.

The purple category in today's Connections (August 1, 2026) is "Starting With Bread Shapes" and the answers are BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER, ROLLS-ROYCE.

A new NYT Connections puzzle is released every day at midnight Eastern Time (ET). That's 9:00 PM Pacific, 5:00 AM BST, or 2:00 PM AEST. Bookmark this page for daily hints!

You are allowed up to 4 mistakes. After 4 incorrect guesses, the game ends and all remaining answers are revealed. Start with Yellow (easiest) to minimize errors.

The colors indicate difficulty: 🟨 Yellow is the easiest, 🟩 Green is moderate, 🟦 Blue is tricky, and 🟪 Purple is the hardest (often involving wordplay or abstract connections).

Yes! NYT Connections is free to play daily on The New York Times website and app. No subscription is required. You can also play unlimited sports-themed puzzles for free at ConnectionsSports.com.

As of August 1, 2026, there have been 1,147 NYT Connections puzzles since the game launched on June 12, 2023.

🏆 That's Today's NYT Connections Solved — Puzzle #1147

Come back tomorrow for Puzzle #1148 — we'll have fresh hints and answers waiting for you right here!

Questions or feedback? Contact Ranjit Kumar — puzzle architect and creator of ConnectionsSports.com.

Ranjit Kumar

Ranjit Kumar

Lead Editor & Puzzle Architect. Ranjit is a lifelong puzzle enthusiast who has analyzed 1,000+ Connections puzzles and helps thousands of daily players master the game.