A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1096
hints & answers for June 11, 2026

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 11, 2026. 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
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BALANCE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PARTS OF A WORKOUT ROUTINE

Reveal all four words
  • BALANCE
  • CARDIO
  • STRETCHING
  • WEIGHTS

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, D, R and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BRASS BAND belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS WITH HORNS

Reveal all four words
  • BRASS BAND
  • DEVIL
  • RHINO
  • VIKING HELMET

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BRONCHO belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOMOPHONES OF SUVS

Reveal all four words
  • BRONCHO
  • FORERUNNER
  • TROUPER
  • UCONN

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with E, P, S and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ELLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PAYMENT APPS MINUS A LETTER

Reveal all four words
  • ELLE
  • PAPAL
  • STRIP
  • VENO
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PARTS OF A WORKOUT ROUTINE
  • Green: THINGS WITH HORNS
  • Blue: HOMOPHONES OF SUVS
  • Purple: PAYMENT APPS MINUS A LETTER

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PARTS OF A WORKOUT ROUTINE

BALANCE · CARDIO · STRETCHING · WEIGHTS

Green

THINGS WITH HORNS

BRASS BAND · DEVIL · RHINO · VIKING HELMET

Blue

HOMOPHONES OF SUVS

BRONCHO · FORERUNNER · TROUPER · UCONN

Purple

PAYMENT APPS MINUS A LETTER

ELLE · PAPAL · STRIP · VENO

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.