It happens to everyone. You open the New York Times Games app, feeling confident, and then you see sixteen words that seemingly have absolutely nothing to do with each other. That is the beauty—and the absolute frustration—of Wyna Liu’s daily creation. If you are searching for the connections hint August 28 provides, you likely found yourself staring at a screen of nouns and verbs that refuse to cooperate.
Don't panic.
Today's puzzle is a classic example of how the NYT likes to mess with your head using "overlap." That is when a word could easily fit into three different categories, lure you into a trap, and steal your precious mistakes. Honestly, the August 28 board is a bit of a trickster. It relies heavily on your ability to see words not just for what they are, but for how they sound or how they function in specific, sometimes niche, contexts.
Why the Connections Hint August 28 Board is Tricky
Usually, the yellow category is a layup. You see four types of fruit or four colors, and you're off to the races. Not today. The "easy" group is actually masked by some clever word choices that might make you think of something entirely different.
The biggest hurdle for most players on August 28 is the presence of words that describe movement. You might see a word like "Lunge" or "Dash" and immediately think you've found a category about physical exercise or speed. But that’s exactly where the editors want you. They want you to burn those four chances before you've even cleared the green level.
To solve this, you have to look for the "hidden" definitions. Some words on this board aren't acting as nouns; they are acting as parts of a larger phrase. If you've been playing this game since it launched in beta back in 2023, you know that the "blank " or " blank" categories are the most common source of "Aha!" moments and "I hate this game" outbursts.
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Breaking Down the August 28 Categories
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. If you want to solve this without losing your streak, you need to understand the thematic groupings.
The Yellow Category: Straightforward (Mostly)
The yellow group today focuses on things that are Small or Minute. Think about words that describe a tiny amount of something.
- Bit
- Drop
- Trace
- Whit
Notice how "Bit" could easily refer to a drill bit or a horse's harness? That’s the distraction. But when you group it with "Whit" (as in "not a whit of evidence"), the connection becomes clear. These are all synonyms for a "shred" or a "smidge."
The Green Category: It’s All About the Move
The green category is often where the "overlap" lives. Today, it’s looking for Fencing Moves. This is niche. If you aren't a fan of the Olympics or didn't spend your youth in a salle, these might feel like generic action words.
- Lunge
- Parry
- Thrust
- Feint
"Feint" is the giveaway here. It's a very specific spelling. If it were "faint," it would belong in a category about losing consciousness. But "feint" is a deceptive move, a hallmark of swordplay.
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The Blue Category: Getting a Little Punny
Blue categories are usually "Words that share a..." or "Parts of a...". For the connections hint August 28 players need, look at words that precede another common word. In this case, it’s Words that precede "Board."
- Dart
- Key
- Sound
- Spring
This is why people get stuck. "Key" and "Sound" feel like they could be part of a music category. "Spring" and "Dart" feel like they could be about movement. But put them together: Dartboard, Keyboard, Soundboard, Springboard. It clicks. It’s satisfying. It’s also incredibly annoying if you didn't see it coming.
The Purple Category: The "Wait, What?" Group
Purple is the most difficult because it often involves wordplay, homophones, or very abstract connections. Today’s purple category is Palindromes.
- Kayak
- Level
- Mom
- Stats
Palindromes are words that read the same backward and forward. "Stats" is a clever inclusion here because many people forget that it's a palindrome when they are busy looking for "math" or "data" connections.
Strategies for Not Ruining Your Streak
If you're still staring at the board, stop clicking. Seriously.
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The best way to handle a tough day like August 28 is to use the "Shuffle" button. Our brains are wired to find patterns based on proximity. If "Lunge" is sitting next to "Spring," your brain will insist they are related. Shuffling breaks those false neural links.
Another tip: look for the "loneliest" word. On this board, "Kayak" is a weird one. It doesn't fit with fencing. It's not a tiny amount of something. It's not a type of board (though a "kayak board" isn't a thing). When you find a word that doesn't fit anywhere, ask yourself if it has a unique structural property. Is it an anagram? Is it a palindrome? Does it contain a hidden color? That's usually your ticket into the purple category.
Actionable Steps for Today's Puzzle
- Identify the Palindromes first. If you see "Kayak" and "Level," check for other words that read the same backward. This often clears the hardest category (Purple) immediately.
- Separate the Fencing terms. If you have "Feint" and "Parry," you know you're looking for swordplay. Don't let "Lunge" trick you into a "Gym" category.
- Test the "Board" suffix. Before you commit to "Key" and "Sound" being about audio, see if they work with the word "Board."
- Save the synonyms for last. The yellow category is usually the easiest to spot, but it's also the easiest to confuse with others. If you have four words left that all mean "a little bit," you've won.
The New York Times Connections puzzle is as much a test of vocabulary as it is a test of mental flexibility. Don't get married to your first instinct. The August 28 puzzle wants you to be impulsive. Stay calm, shuffle the tiles, and remember that sometimes a "key" isn't for a lock—it’s just half of a keyboard.
If you find yourself stuck on future puzzles, always look for those words that function as different parts of speech. A word that looks like a verb might actually be a noun in the context of the category. That's the secret sauce to becoming a Connections pro.
Go finish that grid. You've got this.