Need a nudge for NYT Connections #1096, dated June 11, 2026? Start with the spoiler-light clues below, then open the answer section only if you want the full groups. The puzzle is dated June 11, 2026; Connections releases at midnight in each player’s local timezone, so the puzzle labeled “today” can differ by location.
Hints for Connections #1096
Each clue points toward a group without giving away its full set of words. Stop at any point if you want to keep solving.
- Yellow: Think about components of a fitness session.
- Green: Look for four things associated with horns.
- Blue: Say the words aloud; they sound like SUV model names.
- Purple: Add a missing letter to each name of a payment app.
Answers for June 11, 2026
Spoilers below: The category names and all 16 answers are revealed in the table.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
How the trickier groups work
Blue: SUV names said aloud
The blue words are sound-alikes for vehicle model names: BRONCHO sounds like Bronco, FORERUNNER like 4Runner, TROUPER like Trooper, and UCONN like Yukon.
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Purple: payment apps with one letter removed
Restore one letter in each word to get Zelle from ELLE, PayPal from PAPAL, Stripe from STRIP, and Venmo from VENO.
How Connections works
Connections presents 16 words and asks you to sort them into four groups of four. Some words can appear to fit more than one category, so the challenge is finding the intended connection rather than merely spotting a plausible association. The New York Times says the yellow group is generally the easiest and purple the trickiest; that describes the game’s usual color order, not a measured difficulty rating for this specific puzzle.
Rank #2
Where to play and find past puzzles
The New York Times Help Center says Connections is available in the NYT Games app, at nytimes.com/games/connections, on nytimes.com/theathletic, and in the NYT News app. The daily puzzle releases at midnight local time. The Help Center also says All Access and Games subscribers can access the archive, which goes back to June 12, 2023. Availability and subscription terms may change.
Quick Recap
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