NYT Connections Answer — June 12, 2026
Puzzle #1097 · 16 words, 4 groups
Here is the full solution to the NYT Connections puzzle for Friday, June 12, 2026 (#1097). The 16-word board is below, followed by all four groups — in difficulty order from yellow (easiest) to purple (trickiest). Answers stay hidden until you tap Reveal, so you can peek at the board first.
Today's board
SCHOOL DAYS
BED HEAD
QUOTE UNQUOTE
CURSE WORD
COPY EDITOR
SPELL CHECKER
BANK TELLER
PACK RAT
CHARM BRACELET
MURDER MYSTERY
MIRROR SELFIE
MOUTH GUARD
PRIDE ROCK
ECHO PARK
DELTA AIRLINES
HEX KEY
The four groups
Yellow · StraightforwardSTARTING WITH INCANTATIONS
CHARM BRACELET, CURSE WORD, HEX KEY, SPELL CHECKER
Green · ModerateSTARTING WITH ANIMAL GROUP NAMES
MURDER MYSTERY, PACK RAT, PRIDE ROCK, SCHOOL DAYS
Blue · TrickySTARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "REPEAT"
COPY EDITOR, ECHO PARK, MIRROR SELFIE, QUOTE UNQUOTE
Purple · TrickiestSTARTING WITH PARTS OF A RIVER
BANK TELLER, BED HEAD, DELTA AIRLINES, MOUTH GUARD
No spoilers — tap to show the answers
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How Connections works
NYT Connections gives you a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to sort them into four groups of four, where each group shares a hidden connection. The groups are colour-coded by difficulty: yellow is the most straightforward, then green and blue, and purple is usually the trickiest — often a wordplay or category twist. You get four mistakes before the game ends, and words that could fit more than one group are the classic traps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are today's Connections answers?
Tap Reveal the 4 groups above to see all four categories and their words for #1097, in difficulty order from yellow to purple.
What do the colours mean?
Yellow is the easiest group, followed by green and blue, and purple is the hardest — usually the one with a twist or wordplay.
When does the next Connections come out?
A new NYT Connections puzzle is released every day. We publish the verified answers each morning.
Where do I play Connections?
Play free at nytimes.com/games/connections or in the NYT Games app. This is an independent reference site, not affiliated with The New York Times.