Today’s word-game hints, updated daily
HintCorner

Daily word-game guide

Verified archive for June 24, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1109

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for June 24, 2026

The June 24, 2026 Connections board mixes famous bands, familiar wedding presents, red characters, and playful compounds whose paired parts rhyme.

Guide editorEthan ParkEditor

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 #1109 overview

The colors and proper names invoke useful cross-pressure on the board. PINK implies a color without being part of the red-character set. Also, KING and GENESIS can be read outside of music. The strongest entry is the compound group because all four entries share an exact sound based construction.

Overall difficultyModerate, with a music-heavy opening and several vivid distractorsBiggest trapCHINA and PINK can suggest colors, while KING, CLIFFORD, HUMPTY DUMPTY, and MR. KRABS can pull attention toward fictional characters.Best first moveStart with CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY, and MUMBO JUMBO because their shared sound pattern is unusually specific.

Why the board is deceptive

The cleanest structural set is the group of rhyming compound words, which can reduce the board before the broader associations compete.

The remaining solve depends on separating four progressive-rock bands from four red characters and four traditional wedding gifts.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Remove the four rhyming compounds first, identify the music names next, then test the concrete gift items; the four remaining character names confirm the final group.

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.

Progressive-rock namesReveal this group

What connects GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD and RUSH?

GENESIS · KING CRIMSON · PINK FLOYD · RUSH

PROG BANDS. GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, and RUSH form the board's set of bands grouped under progressive rock.

Best anchor: progressive-rock band name connection

Wedding registry staplesReveal this group

What connects CHINA, LUGGAGE, MONEY and TOASTER?

CHINA · LUGGAGE · MONEY · TOASTER

CLASSIC WEDDING GIFTS. CHINA, LUGGAGE, MONEY, and TOASTER are all classic gifts associated with weddings and newly married couples.

Best anchor: traditional wedding gift group

Figures known for a red appearanceReveal this group

What connects CLIFFORD, DEADPOOL, KOOL-AID MAN and MR. KRABS?

CLIFFORD · DEADPOOL · KOOL-AID MAN · MR. KRABS

RED CHARACTERS. CLIFFORD, DEADPOOL, KOOL-AID MAN, and MR. KRABS are characters whose recognizable visual presentation prominently features red.

Best anchor: characters visually associated with red

Paired words with matching soundsReveal this group

What connects CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY and MUMBO JUMBO?

CHICK FLICK · HELTER SKELTER · HUMPTY DUMPTY · MUMBO JUMBO

RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS. Each answer is a compound expression whose two components rhyme: CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY, and MUMBO JUMBO.

Best anchor: compound expressions with rhyming parts

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
    PROG BANDS

    progressive-rock band name connection

  2. 2
    CLASSIC WEDDING GIFTS

    traditional wedding gift group

  3. 3
    RED CHARACTERS

    characters visually associated with red

  4. 4
    RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS

    compound expressions with rhyming parts

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 CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY, and MUMBO JUMBO because their shared sound pattern is unusually specific..

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.

Moderate for music fans and harder for solvers reading the names literally groupProgressive-rock names
PROG BANDS: progressive-rock band name connection
Easy once the concrete household and travel items are considered together groupWedding registry staples
CLASSIC WEDDING GIFTS: traditional wedding gift group
Moderate because several other entries contain or suggest colors groupFigures known for a red appearance
RED CHARACTERS: characters visually associated with red
Tricky if read by meaning, but direct once the entries are spoken aloud groupPaired words with matching sounds
RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS: compound expressions with rhyming parts

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

Ethan Park

Ethan turns word patterns and solving routes into concise, accessible guidance for daily players.

Read Ethan’s profile →