NYT Connections Hints, Answers & Clues - Thu, August 13, 2026

CARRY ON, CONTINUE, MAKE IT, and PERSIST all mean to keep going in the face of difficulty — the category is about perseverance, and CARRY ON is the deliberate trap because its airline meaning is so much louder than its motivational one.

CARRY ON

To carry on means to continue despite hardship — the phrase is used this way constantly in British English especially, but the airline bag meaning drowns it out for most players.

CONTINUE

The most neutral word in the group — to continue is simply to keep doing what you were already doing, without stopping.

MAKE IT

To make it means to survive or succeed against the odds — there is an implication of difficulty overcome, which is why it fits perseverance rather than just arrival.

PERSIST

To persist is to keep going in the face of resistance or repeated failure — the most explicitly on-theme word in this category.

CREEP, EASE, EDGE, and INCH all describe moving toward something in very small, careful increments — each word implies deliberate slowness rather than speed.

CREEP

To creep up to something is to approach so slowly and quietly that the movement is almost undetectable — think of a cat stalking prey.

EASE

To ease into a space is to move gently and gradually — you ease a car into a tight parking spot, or ease yourself into cold water.

EDGE

To edge toward something is to move sideways in tiny steps — the way you'd shuffle along a narrow ledge or inch past someone in a crowded row.

INCH

To inch forward is to advance in the smallest possible increments — the word borrows from the unit of measurement to convey just how little ground is being covered.

CHECKED BAGS, LOUNGE, MILES, and UPGRADE are all benefits associated with elite frequent flyer status — the rewards airlines give their most loyal customers.

CHECKED BAGS

Elite status holders typically check luggage for free — a perk that saves money and hassle compared to what regular passengers pay.

LOUNGE

Access to the airline's private lounge before a flight — a quieter, more comfortable space with food and seating, reserved for status holders and business class passengers.

MILES

Frequent flyer miles are points earned on flights that can be redeemed for future travel — accumulating them is the core mechanic of airline loyalty programmes.

UPGRADE

A complimentary move to a higher cabin class — elite members are prioritised for upgrades when better seats are available at departure.

COMFORT, FEET, SHOULDER, and TURKEY all complete a familiar English idiom when the word COLD is placed in front — cold comfort, cold feet, cold shoulder, and cold turkey.

COMFORT

Cold comfort means something that is technically reassuring but offers very little real consolation — as in 'knowing others have it worse is cold comfort.'

FEET

Cold feet means a sudden loss of nerve or confidence before doing something important — getting cold feet before a wedding is the classic example.

SHOULDER

A cold shoulder is deliberate social snubbing — ignoring someone as a way of showing disapproval or hostility.

TURKEY

Cold turkey means quitting something addictive abruptly and completely, with no gradual reduction — going cold turkey on cigarettes, for example.