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Verified archive for June 23, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1108

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for June 23, 2026

Connections for June 23, 2026 brings together dance vocabulary, Monopoly box contents, online sorting labels, and a wordplay-heavy set built around mantles and mantels.

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 #1108 Overview

The puzzle progresses from two concrete categories to two categories that depend more heavily on context. MODERN may initially read as an ordinary adjective, while SWING and TAP have many nondance meanings. The online labels become clearer when imagined as tabs or sorting controls. The final group uses both spellings implied by MANTLES/MANTELS: Earth has a mantle, an emperor can wear a mantle, a fireplace has a mantel, and the Yankees are associated with Mickey Mantle.

Overall difficultyModerate, with a manageable opening set and a deceptive final categoryBiggest trapMANTLES/MANTELS changes meaning across the four purple answers, while FEATURED, POPULAR, RECENT, and TRENDING can all look like general descriptions rather than interface labels.Best first moveStart with FOXTROT, MODERN, SWING, and TAP. They form the clearest concrete set as dance styles and remove several flexible words from the board.

Why the board is deceptive

The board combines specific nouns with adaptable words that are often used as labels, descriptions, names, or cultural references.

The cleanest route begins with the dance styles, then identifies the four items found in a Monopoly box before resolving the abstract sets.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Group the unmistakable dance styles first. Next, collect the physical and financial items from a Monopoly box. Treat FEATURED, POPULAR, RECENT, and TRENDING as online content-sorting options, leaving the mantle/mantel wordplay set to finish.

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.

Dance stylesReveal this group

What connects FOXTROT, MODERN, SWING and TAP?

FOXTROT · MODERN · SWING · TAP

DANCE STYLES. Each answer names a dance style: foxtrot, modern dance, swing dance, and tap dance.

Best anchor: FOXTROT provides the strongest entry because it is specifically associated with ballroom dance.

Monopoly box contentsReveal this group

What connects DEED, HOTEL, MONEY and TOKEN?

DEED · HOTEL · MONEY · TOKEN

IN A MONOPOLY BOX. These are all components associated with playing Monopoly, including property deeds, hotels, money, and player tokens.

Best anchor: TOKEN is a useful anchor because Monopoly players move distinctive tokens around the board.

Online content-sorting optionsReveal this group

What connects FEATURED, POPULAR, RECENT and TRENDING?

FEATURED · POPULAR · RECENT · TRENDING

CONTENT SORTING OPTIONS ONLINE. Websites and apps commonly use these four labels to sort, filter, or prioritize posts and other content.

Best anchor: The strongest interface clue is RECENT, which commonly orders content by publication time.

Things with mantles or mantelsReveal this group

What connects EARTH, EMPEROR, FIREPLACE and YANKEES?

EARTH · EMPEROR · FIREPLACE · YANKEES

THINGS WITH MANTLES/MANTELS. Earth has a geological mantle, an emperor may wear a mantle, a fireplace has a mantel, and the Yankees connect to Mickey Mantle.

Best anchor: FIREPLACE signals the MANTEL spelling, while EARTH points toward the MANTLE spelling.

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
    DANCE STYLES

    FOXTROT provides the strongest entry because it is specifically associated with ballroom dance.

  2. 2
    IN A MONOPOLY BOX

    TOKEN is a useful anchor because Monopoly players move distinctive tokens around the board.

  3. 3
    CONTENT SORTING OPTIONS ONLINE

    The strongest interface clue is RECENT, which commonly orders content by publication time.

  4. 4
    THINGS WITH MANTLES/MANTELS

    FIREPLACE signals the MANTEL spelling, while EARTH points toward the MANTLE spelling.

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 FOXTROT, MODERN, SWING, and TAP. They form the clearest concrete set as dance styles and remove several flexible words from the board..

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.

Easy groupDance styles
DANCE STYLES: FOXTROT provides the strongest entry because it is specifically associated with ballroom dance.
Easy to moderate groupMonopoly box contents
IN A MONOPOLY BOX: TOKEN is a useful anchor because Monopoly players move distinctive tokens around the board.
Moderate groupOnline content-sorting options
CONTENT SORTING OPTIONS ONLINE: The strongest interface clue is RECENT, which commonly orders content by publication time.
Hard groupThings with mantles or mantels
THINGS WITH MANTLES/MANTELS: FIREPLACE signals the MANTEL spelling, while EARTH points toward the MANTLE spelling.

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 →