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NYT Connections · #1109

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#1109) — June 24, 2026

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“Start with the group where every word is a proper name — those are the easiest to lock in and will clear the board fast.GENESIS has had a busy history. It was grouped with words meaning "origin" in Connections #854 (Sep 3, 2025), but it also appeared as a classic rock band in Connections #71 (Aug 21, 2023), which is closer to its role today.”

NYT Connections hints for June 24, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 CHICK FLICKA rom-com or romance film — flick rhymes with chick.
2 CHINAFine porcelain dishware — a traditional wedding registry staple, not the nation.
3 CLIFFORDThe Big Red Dog — Emily Elizabeth's oversized crimson companion.
4 DEADPOOLMarvel's red-suited, fourth-wall-breaking mercenary.
5 GENESISEnglish prog rock band fronted by Peter Gabriel, then Phil Collins — not the Bible.
6 HELTER SKELTERChaotic disorder — skelter rhymes with helter, and it's also a spiral fairground slide.
7 HUMPTY DUMPTYThe egg who had a great fall — Dumpty rhymes with Humpty.
8 KING CRIMSONRobert Fripp's long-running prog outfit, famous for '21st Century Schizoid Man'.
9 KOOL-AID MANThe giant red pitcher mascot famous for bursting through walls shouting 'Oh yeah!'
10 LUGGAGEA practical gift for the honeymoon trip ahead.
11 MONEYCash in an envelope — the most universally appreciated wedding gift.
12 MR. KRABSSpongeBob's money-obsessed red crustacean boss at the Krusty Krab.
13 MUMBO JUMBOMeaningless or confusing talk — jumbo rhymes with mumbo.
14 PINK FLOYDThe 'Dark Side of the Moon' band — the colour in the name might tempt you away from this group, but it belongs here.
15 RUSHCanadian prog trio — Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart — not a feeling of urgency.
16 TOASTERThe archetypal practical wedding gift, so common it became a cliché.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint These four acts helped make long, complex albums respectable.
See Group PROG BANDS
See WordGENESIS
See WordKING CRIMSON
See WordPINK FLOYD
See WordRUSH
See Hint Things guests bring to the reception or put on the registry.
See Group CLASSIC WEDDING GIFTS
See WordCHINA
See WordLUGGAGE
See WordMONEY
See WordTOASTER
See Hint Fictional faces you would recognise by colour alone.
See Group RED CHARACTERS
See WordCLIFFORD
See WordDEADPOOL
See WordKOOL-AID MAN
See WordMR. KRABS
See Hint The second word in each phrase echoes the first.
See Group RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS
See WordCHICK FLICK
See WordHELTER SKELTER
See WordHUMPTY DUMPTY
See WordMUMBO JUMBO
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 CHINA Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing the country — that's the bait. Here the puzzle is using it as a type of dishware, not a place on a map.
2 RUSH Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as a feeling of urgency or excitement — but here it's a proper noun, a band name, not a sensation.
3 GENESIS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of the Bible's opening book or the word for a beginning — but here it's a band name, not a concept.

NYT Connections answers for June 24, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y PROG BANDS · Yellow · easiest
  • GENESIS
  • KING CRIMSON
  • PINK FLOYD
  • RUSH

GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD and RUSH are all classic progressive rock bands. RUSH is the sneakiest — it reads so naturally as a verb or noun that many solvers hesitate before placing it here.

G CLASSIC WEDDING GIFTS · Green · easy
  • CHINA
  • LUGGAGE
  • MONEY
  • TOASTER

CHINA, LUGGAGE, MONEY and TOASTER are all classic wedding gifts. CHINA is the trickiest — most solvers see the country before they see the dinnerware.

B RED CHARACTERS · Blue · medium
  • CLIFFORD
  • DEADPOOL
  • KOOL-AID MAN
  • MR. KRABS

CLIFFORD, DEADPOOL, KOOL-AID MAN and MR. KRABS are all famous fictional characters defined by being red. KOOL-AID MAN is the most visually unmistakable — a giant red pitcher who crashes through walls.

P RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS · Purple · hardest
  • CHICK FLICK
  • HELTER SKELTER
  • HUMPTY DUMPTY
  • MUMBO JUMBO

CHICK FLICK, HELTER SKELTER, HUMPTY DUMPTY and MUMBO JUMBO are all rhyming compound words or reduplicative phrases. The pattern is simple once you hear it — say any of them aloud and the internal rhyme is impossible to miss.

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