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Verified archive for June 19, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1104

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for June 19, 2026

Connections puzzle #1104 mixes savory foods, familiar piano pieces, hidden magazine titles, and unusually well-concealed synonyms for an aggregate.

Guide editorMaya BrooksSenior Editor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Group 1Category hidden
Group 2Category hidden
Group 3Category hidden
Group 4Category hidden

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

Today’s puzzle explained

Connections #1104 overview

Wyna Liu's puzzle uses a strong CHOPSTICKS food-to-music trap and saves its most technical construction for the purple group. The blue entries begin with FORTUNE, PEOPLE, SPIN, and TIME, while the purple entries end with TALLY, SUM, TOTAL, and COUNT.

Overall difficultyModerate to hardBiggest trapThe food terms and CHOPSTICKS encourage a broad cuisine group, while several long entries conceal word fragments at their beginnings or endings.Best first moveStart with the four clearly umami-rich foods, then separate the familiar beginner piano pieces from the entries built around magazine titles.

Why the board is deceptive

The board combines recognizable cultural references with two groups based on word construction.

The most straightforward beginning set is culinary, but CHOPSTICKS intentionally connects to the piano one.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Clear the four umami-rich foods first. Next, identify the beginner piano standards, inspect the remaining word beginnings for magazine titles, and finish by reading the final letters as SUM, TOTAL, COUNT, and TALLY.

Spoilers below

Today’s groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

Savory flavor boostersReveal this group

What connects MISO PASTE, PARMESAN, SOY SAUCE and VEGEMITE?

MISO PASTE · PARMESAN · SOY SAUCE · VEGEMITE

UMAMI-RICH FOODS. MISO PASTE, PARMESAN, SOY SAUCE, and VEGEMITE are foods known for delivering a pronounced savory, umami-rich taste.

Best anchor: Look for concentrated savory ingredients rather than one shared cuisine.

Early piano repertoireReveal this group

What connects CHOPSTICKS, FÜR ELISE, HEART AND SOUL and THE ENTERTAINER?

CHOPSTICKS · FÜR ELISE · HEART AND SOUL · THE ENTERTAINER

THINGS A BEGINNER MIGHT LEARN ON THE PIANO. CHOPSTICKS, FÜR ELISE, HEART AND SOUL, and THE ENTERTAINER are familiar pieces that a beginning piano student might learn.

Best anchor: CHOPSTICKS belongs with music here, despite its tempting culinary meaning.

Magazine names at the frontReveal this group

What connects FORTUNE COOKIE, PEOPLE PERSON, SPINDERELLA and TIME MACHINE?

FORTUNE COOKIE · PEOPLE PERSON · SPINDERELLA · TIME MACHINE

STARTING WITH MAGAZINES. FORTUNE COOKIE, PEOPLE PERSON, SPINDERELLA, and TIME MACHINE begin with the magazine titles FORTUNE, PEOPLE, SPIN, and TIME.

Best anchor: Only the start of a longer word or phrase is to be read.

Totaling terms hidden at the endReveal this group

What connects COINCIDENTALLY, DIM SUM, TEETOTAL and VISCOUNT?

COINCIDENTALLY · DIM SUM · TEETOTAL · VISCOUNT

ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "AGGREGATE". COINCIDENTALLY, DIM SUM, TEETOTAL, and VISCOUNT end in TALLY, SUM, TOTAL, and COUNT, each a synonym for an aggregate.

Best anchor: Ignore the full meanings and isolate the amount-related ending in each entry.

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use today’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    UMAMI-RICH FOODS

    Look for concentrated savory ingredients rather than one shared cuisine.

  2. 2
    THINGS A BEGINNER MIGHT LEARN ON THE PIANO

    CHOPSTICKS belongs with music here, despite its tempting culinary meaning.

  3. 3
    STARTING WITH MAGAZINES

    Only the start of a longer word or phrase is to be read.

  4. 4
    ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "AGGREGATE"

    Ignore the full meanings and isolate the amount-related ending in each entry.

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

Today’s best first move: Start with the four clearly umami-rich foods, then separate the familiar beginner piano pieces from the entries built around magazine titles..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

Easiest groupSavory flavor boosters
UMAMI-RICH FOODS: Look for concentrated savory ingredients rather than one shared cuisine.
Moderate groupEarly piano repertoire
THINGS A BEGINNER MIGHT LEARN ON THE PIANO: CHOPSTICKS belongs with music here, despite its tempting culinary meaning.
Hard groupMagazine names at the front
STARTING WITH MAGAZINES: Only the start of a longer word or phrase is to be read.
Hardest groupTotaling terms hidden at the end
ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR "AGGREGATE": Ignore the full meanings and isolate the amount-related ending in each entry.

Questions players ask

Connections help without extra spoilers

I’m stuck. Which hint should I open first?

Start with the small hint for the group you feel closest to solving. Use the stronger hint only if the first nudge is not enough, then reveal the category or four words when you want confirmation.

What should I do when five words seem to belong together?

Assume one is a red herring. Look for the word with a strong second meaning, then test whether it forms a cleaner group elsewhere.

What does “Test a group” do?

Select four words and choose “Check these four” to see whether your grouping works. It stays on this page and never submits a guess to the official puzzle or affects a streak.

Do I need to solve the groups in difficulty order?

No. Start with the clearest exact set. Removing an obvious group often exposes the overlapping meanings and wordplay in the harder groups.

Can I check one answer without spoiling the whole puzzle?

Yes. Every group opens independently, so you can reveal one hint, category or set of four words while keeping the other groups hidden.

About the guide editor

Maya Brooks

Maya focuses on exact category logic, ambiguous overlaps and hints that help without giving the group away.

Read Maya’s profile →