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Verified archive for June 26, 2026 Spoiler-safePuzzle #1111

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for June 26, 2026

The June 26, 2026 Connections puzzle mixes familiar snack foods and terrain vocabulary with flexible words that support several misleading interpretations. Its final category depends on seeing colors hidden inside longer words.

Guide editorJordan EllisEditor

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 #1111 Overview

The board is driven more by lexical ambiguity than by obscure knowledge. CHIP, NUT, BOARD, LOG, HOLLOW, and REDO all support plausible false starts, while the purple category requires exact letter segmentation rather than a broad thematic association.

Overall difficultyModerate, with a deceptive final wordplay groupBiggest trapSeveral short words invite unrelated readings: CHIP suggests computing, NUT suggests hardware, BOARD suggests a committee, and HOLLOW can be an adjective.Best first moveStart with the four unmistakable snack foods, then identify the landscape terms before resolving the spelling pattern.

Why the board is deceptive

The most accessible set consists of four crunchy foods commonly served or eaten as snacks.

The strongest late-game insight is that four words contain complete color names followed by one extra letter.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Group CHIP, CRACKER, NUT, and PRETZEL first. Next, collect DALE, DELL, GORGE, and HOLLOW as low-ground terms; the wood set then leaves four words that split into a color plus one letter.

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.

Snack-Aisle StaplesReveal this group

What connects CHIP, CRACKER, NUT and PRETZEL?

CHIP · CRACKER · NUT · PRETZEL

CRUNCHY SNACK ITEM. Each word names an item commonly eaten as a crunchy snack, despite several words having prominent nonfood meanings.

Best anchor: Don't think hardware and computing think texture and casual eating.

Wood, From Piece to PlantReveal this group

What connects BOARD, LOG, SPLINTER and TREE?

BOARD · LOG · SPLINTER · TREE

VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF WOOD. The answers represent wood at different scales or in different forms, from a SPLINTER or BOARD to a LOG or complete TREE.

Best anchor: Read each noun physically rather than as an organization, record, or action.

Low-Lying LandformsReveal this group

What connects DALE, DELL, GORGE and HOLLOW?

DALE · DELL · GORGE · HOLLOW

AREAS OF LOW GROUND. Each word can denote a low area or depression in the landscape, although their shapes and typical scales are not identical.

Best anchor: Imagine land that sits lower than the land around it.

Hidden Hues With One More CharacterReveal this group

What connects BRONZER, PINKY, REDO and TANG?

BRONZER · PINKY · REDO · TANG

COLORS PLUS A LETTER. Each answer consists of a complete color name followed by exactly one additional letter: BRONZE, PINK, RED, or TAN.

Best anchor: The connection involves orthography: just chop off the last letter of each.

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
    CRUNCHY SNACK ITEM

    Don't think hardware and computing think texture and casual eating.

  2. 2
    VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF WOOD

    Read each noun physically rather than as an organization, record, or action.

  3. 3
    AREAS OF LOW GROUND

    Imagine land that sits lower than the land around it.

  4. 4
    COLORS PLUS A LETTER

    The connection involves orthography: just chop off the last letter of each.

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 unmistakable snack foods, then identify the landscape terms before resolving the spelling pattern..

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 groupSnack-Aisle Staples
CRUNCHY SNACK ITEM: Don't think hardware and computing think texture and casual eating.
Medium groupWood, From Piece to Plant
VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF WOOD: Read each noun physically rather than as an organization, record, or action.
Medium groupLow-Lying Landforms
AREAS OF LOW GROUND: Imagine land that sits lower than the land around it.
Hard groupHidden Hues With One More Character
COLORS PLUS A LETTER: The connection involves orthography: just chop off the last letter of each.

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

Jordan Ellis

Jordan connects editorial explanations with practice tools, custom puzzles and the site’s future original games.

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