A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #7
hints & answers for June 18, 2023

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

June 18, 2023 #7

This reference always shows June 18, 2023. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4

Gentle relationship clue

Consider one region of human anatomy.

Stronger relationship clue

These belong to a lower limb, running from a joint near the foot to the upper portion.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, K, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ANKLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

LEG PARTS

Reveal all four words

ANKLE
KNEE
SHIN
THIGH

Each term identifies a part of a leg rather than a whole limb. The ankle is the joint connecting the foot and lower leg. The knee is the joint between the thigh and lower leg. The shin is the front part of the lower leg. The thigh is the part of a leg above the knee.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Dictionary-derived explanations identified below are original paraphrases adapted under the stated licence. Original board arrangements and mechanical checks are identified separately; the sources do not endorse this exercise.

Wiktionary contributors, knee
The knee is the joint between the thigh and lower leg.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, thigh
The thigh is the part of a leg above the knee.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, shin
The shin is the front part of the lower leg.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, ankle
The ankle is the joint connecting the foot and lower leg.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Green group

A little trickier

2/4

Gentle relationship clue

Think of animals at an early stage of life.

Stronger relationship clue

These are names for young animals; one also commonly means a human child.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, C, J and K. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CALF belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BABY ANIMALS

Reveal all four words

CALF
CUB
JOEY
KID

The youthful-animal meanings are the shared ones. The muscle and human-child senses can point elsewhere. A calf is a young cow or certain other large mammals. A cub is the young of animals such as bears, lions and foxes. A joey is a young kangaroo or other marsupial. A kid can mean a young goat.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, kid
A kid can mean a young goat.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, cub
A cub is the young of animals such as bears, lions and foxes.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, calf
A calf is a young cow or certain other large mammals.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, joey
A joey is a young kangaroo or other marsupial.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Blue group

More challenging

3/4

Gentle relationship clue

Four informal names for a bathroom fixture.

Stronger relationship clue

Use colloquial meanings, including a nautical one.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, H, J and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CAN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SLANG FOR TOILET

Reveal all four words

CAN
HEAD
JOHN
THRONE

All four have toilet senses. Their container, anatomy, personal-name and royal-seat meanings are separate. CAN has a slang sense meaning a toilet. HEAD has a nautical sense meaning a toilet or lavatory. JOHN has an informal sense meaning a toilet. THRONE can be a humorous name for a toilet.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, throne
THRONE can be a humorous name for a toilet.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, head
HEAD has a nautical sense meaning a toilet or lavatory.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, john
JOHN has an informal sense meaning a toilet.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, can
CAN has a slang sense meaning a toilet.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4

Gentle relationship clue

Complete all four entries with the same aquatic-looking ending.

Stronger relationship clue

The completed names are misleading if taken as biological classifications.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, J, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CRAY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

___FISH THAT AREN’T FISH

Reveal all four words

CRAY
JELLY
SILVER
STAR

Add FISH to every entry. The resulting common names do not make the organisms true fish. CRAY + FISH gives crayfish, a freshwater crustacean. JELLY + FISH gives jellyfish, a gelatinous cnidarian. SILVER + FISH gives silverfish, a wingless insect. STAR + FISH gives starfish, an echinoderm also called a sea star.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, crayfish
CRAY + FISH gives crayfish, a freshwater crustacean.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, silverfish
SILVER + FISH gives silverfish, a wingless insect.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, starfish
STAR + FISH gives starfish, an echinoderm also called a sea star.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wiktionary contributors, jellyfish
JELLY + FISH gives jellyfish, a gelatinous cnidarian.
Source revision checked. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Original paraphrase of contributor-written definitions or factual article text; no third-party quotations or media are adapted. Adapted text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

By FiveLetterWords. Updated 2026-10-04.

Show categories only

Yellow: LEG PARTS
Green: BABY ANIMALS
Blue: SLANG FOR TOILET
Purple: ___FISH THAT AREN’T FISH

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

LEG PARTS

ANKLE · KNEE · SHIN · THIGH

Green

BABY ANIMALS

CALF · CUB · JOEY · KID

Blue

SLANG FOR TOILET

CAN · HEAD · JOHN · THRONE

Purple

___FISH THAT AREN’T FISH

CRAY · JELLY · SILVER · STAR

The words on your board

Check you have the same puzzle. Reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game.

See the 16 puzzle words

JOHN
CUB
STAR
SILVER
KNEE
THRONE
JOEY
JELLY
CALF
ANKLE
CRAY
HEAD
SHIN
CAN
KID
THIGH

Look up an unfamiliar word or phrase

General dictionary meanings may differ from the puzzle’s intended sense. These links do not identify a group. Longer entries and names open a Wiktionary search; an entry may be missing or have several senses.

By FiveLetterWords · Guide updated October 4, 2026

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

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About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.

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This game

Connections #7
hints & answers for June 18, 2023

Which group has you stuck?

Yellow group

Green group

Blue group

Purple group

Ready for the full solution?

LEG PARTS

BABY ANIMALS

SLANG FOR TOILET

___FISH THAT AREN’T FISH

This puzzle’s recorded solution

Continue from this date