NYT Connections Game #1157 Answers: All Four Categories for August 11

A new NYT Connections puzzle is live for people in your time zone, bringing game number #1157 and a fresh set of word tiles to group into four categories. If you want a clean run, read on for the full category answers—spoilers for today’s puzzle are included.

NYT Connections #1157: today’s tile list

Today’s set of words for game #1157 includes:

  • TOAST
  • AYE
  • BRAVO
  • SOLD
  • BET
  • DONE
  • HISTORY
  • KNOWS
  • HARE
  • GOING
  • THROUGH
  • TWICE
  • ONCE
  • SUNK
  • TUNG
  • USA

Categories and solutions (spoilers)

Here are the four themes and their answers for Connections game #1157:

  • Yellow: DOOMED — DONE, SUNK, THROUGH, TOAST
  • Green: BASIC CABLE CHANNELS — BET, BRAVO, HISTORY, USA
  • Blue: WORDS IN AN AUCTIONEER’S CHANT — GOING, ONCE, SOLD, TWICE
  • Purple: HOMOPHONES OF FACIAL FEATURES — AYE, HARE, KNOWS, TUNG

Difficulty, pacing, and a quick “why it clicks” moment

Today’s puzzle was rated Easy, and the solver reported a Perfect score. The write-up also notes that, after a run of single-word tiles, it still didn’t immediately make the final grouping feel obvious—until a sudden realization connected several items to TV stations on cable, unlocking the BASIC CABLE CHANNELS category.

Where to start if you missed yesterday

If you were actually looking for the previous day’s puzzle, Monday, August 10, 2026 corresponds to game #1156. Yesterday’s four solutions were:

  • Yellow: HAPHAZARDLY — ANY OLD HOW, AT RANDOM, HELTER-SKELTER, WILLY-NILLY
  • Green: WAYS TO RECEIVE EVENT TICKETS — MAIL DELIVERY, MOBILE TICKET, PRINT-AT-HOME, WILL CALL
  • Blue: SECTIONS ON AN INVOICE — BALANCE DUE, BILL TO, ORDER NUMBER, UNIT PRICE
  • Purple: FAMOUS GOATEES — BILLY GOAT, COLONEL SANDERS, DOCTOR STRANGE, THE DEVIL

Marcus Chen is a gaming journalist and industry reporter with more than 10 years of experience. He covers releases, announcements, and trends across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, and keeps a close eye on the indie scene and esports. Previously an editor at several gaming publications, he now writes news, reviews, and breakdowns of major industry moments—from big showcases to updates on popular titles. His work is aimed at players who want a clear, fast read on what happened and why it matters.