A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #9
hints & answers for June 20, 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 20, 2023 #9

This reference always shows June 20, 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

Think of activities with competitors and rules.

Stronger relationship clue

These can all name sports, even when another meaning suggests an animal, a barrier or a vegetable.

Gentle hint

Different ways to compete through physical activity.

Show one word

CRICKET belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SPORTS

Reveal all four words

CRICKET
FENCING
POLO
SQUASH

Use the sporting senses throughout. Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams. Fencing is a sport of armed combat with sporting swords. Polo is a team sport traditionally played on horseback with mallets and a ball. Squash is a racket sport played by striking a ball against a wall.

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, cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams.
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, squash
Squash is a racket sport played by striking a ball against a wall.
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, fencing
Fencing is a sport of armed combat with sporting swords.
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, polo
Polo is a team sport traditionally played on horseback with mallets and a ball.
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

Look for something worn on the upper body.

Stronger relationship clue

Abbreviated names for clothing with different sleeve or strap arrangements.

First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CAMI belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TOPS

Reveal all four words

CAMI
HALTER
TANK
TEE

These entries name forms of tops rather than containers or quantities. Cami is a shortened name for a camisole. A halter top is supported by a strap or straps around the neck. A tank top is a sleeveless upper-body garment. A tee can mean a T-shirt.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, halter top
A halter top is supported by a strap or straps around the neck.
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, cami
Cami is a shortened name for a camisole.
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, tank top
A tank top is a sleeveless upper-body garment.
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, tee
A tee can mean a T-shirt.
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

Picture ingredients in the produce section.

Stronger relationship clue

Use the culinary grouping rather than insisting that every item is the same botanical structure.

First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BEET belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

VEGETABLES

Reveal all four words

BEET
CARROT
CORN
ONION

The category uses the culinary grouping of vegetables, rather than a strict botanical grouping. A beet is a plant cultivated for its edible root and leaves. A carrot is a plant with a commonly eaten orange root. Corn is another name for maize, a cereal crop. An onion is an edible bulb used as a vegetable and flavouring.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, corn
Corn is another name for maize, a cereal crop.
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, beet
A beet is a plant cultivated for its edible root and leaves.
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, carrot
A carrot is a plant with a commonly eaten orange root.
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, onion
An onion is an edible bulb used as a vegetable and flavouring.
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

Look for members of the six-legged animal class.

Stronger relationship clue

These are insects, including a social colony builder and a predatory kind.

First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ANT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

INSECTS

Reveal all four words

ANT
BEETLE
MANTIS
TERMITE

The animal meanings connect the entries; a verb or an automobile name would use a different sense. An ant is a social insect. A beetle is an insect with hardened front wings. A mantis is a predatory insect with grasping front legs. A termite is a social insect, many species of which feed on wood.

Sources, attribution and reuse

Wiktionary contributors, beetle
A beetle is an insect with hardened front wings.
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, mantis
A mantis is a predatory insect with grasping front legs.
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, termite
A termite is a social insect, many species of which feed on wood.
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, ant
An ant is a social 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.

By FiveLetterWords. Updated 2026-10-04.

Show categories only

Yellow: SPORTS
Green: TOPS
Blue: VEGETABLES
Purple: INSECTS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

SPORTS

CRICKET · FENCING · POLO · SQUASH

Green

TOPS

CAMI · HALTER · TANK · TEE

Blue

VEGETABLES

BEET · CARROT · CORN · ONION

Purple

INSECTS

ANT · BEETLE · MANTIS · TERMITE

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

SQUASH
TEE
CARROT
ANT
TANK
CORN
CRICKET
MANTIS
POLO
ONION
BEETLE
BEET
CAMI
TERMITE
HALTER
FENCING

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 #9
hints & answers for June 20, 2023

Which group has you stuck?

Yellow group

Green group

Blue group

Purple group

Ready for the full solution?

SPORTS

TOPS

VEGETABLES

INSECTS

This puzzle’s recorded solution

Continue from this date