A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #10
hints & answers for June 21, 2023

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

This reference always shows June 21, 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

Look for edible produce, allowing for words with unrelated meanings.

Stronger relationship clue

These can name fruits, including both citrus and non-citrus examples.

First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, K, L and O. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DATE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FRUIT

Reveal all four words
  • DATE
  • KIWI
  • LEMON
  • ORANGE

The fruit senses connect the entries. A calendar appointment, nationality or colour can distract from those senses. A date is the fruit of the date palm. Kiwi can mean kiwifruit. A lemon is a citrus fruit. An orange is a citrus fruit.

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.

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
Gentle relationship clue

Look at a political map.

Stronger relationship clue

Treat the entries as country names rather than personal names or a US state.

First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CHAD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

COUNTRIES

Reveal all four words
  • CHAD
  • GEORGIA
  • JORDAN
  • TOGO

Each entry names a sovereign country. Shared spellings do not identify the intended sense on their own. Chad is a country in north-central Africa. Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region. Jordan is a country in West Asia. Togo is a country in West Africa.

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.

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
Gentle relationship clue

Try feathered-animal meanings.

Stronger relationship clue

All four can name birds, including entries with familiar non-animal uses.

Gentle hint

Think feathers, rather than fur.

Show one word

CRANE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BIRDS

Reveal all four words
  • CRANE
  • JAY
  • SWALLOW
  • TURKEY

Use the bird sense of each spelling rather than a machine, action or country. A crane is a large, long-legged and long-necked bird. A jay is a bird of the crow family. A swallow is a small bird often associated with catching insects in flight. A turkey is a large bird, including domesticated varieties.

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.

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Gentle relationship clue

Think of the pictures associated with an astrological set.

Stronger relationship clue

Translate these images into the names of four signs.

Gentle hint

Look at the pictures on a horoscope chart.

Show one word

FISH belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ZODIAC SYMBOLS

Reveal all four words
  • FISH
  • GOAT
  • SCALES
  • TWINS

These are zodiac symbols rather than the sign names themselves: Pisces, Capricorn, Libra and Gemini. Pisces is represented by fish. Capricorn is represented by a goat or sea-goat. Libra is represented by scales. Gemini is represented by twins.

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.

By FiveLetterWords. Updated .

Show categories only
  • Yellow: FRUIT
  • Green: COUNTRIES
  • Blue: BIRDS
  • Purple: ZODIAC SYMBOLS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

FRUIT

DATE · KIWI · LEMON · ORANGE

Green

COUNTRIES

CHAD · GEORGIA · JORDAN · TOGO

Blue

BIRDS

CRANE · JAY · SWALLOW · TURKEY

Purple

ZODIAC SYMBOLS

FISH · GOAT · SCALES · TWINS

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.

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.