NYT Connections #1,090 Guide: All the hints, clues, and answers today (June 5, 2026)

Struggling with today’s Connections puzzle? We’ve got you covered. We’ll start you off with some general, spoiler-free hints. Then, we’ll reveal one word from each category followed by the list of themes. Finally, you can have the answers. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections puzzle (#1,090, June 5, 2026).

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What is Connections?

After Wordle, Connections is the New York Times’ most popular word game. The rules are simple. You need to find words with a common theme and group them into 4 groups of 4. The 16-word grid is designed with an increasing level of difficulty. The Yellow group is the easiest to spot, followed by Green, Blue, and Purple. The misdirects and red herrings can trip you up, but they also make the puzzle more fun. You can play the puzzle in the NYT Games app or on the NYT website.

Some tips to solve Connections

Look for the obvious patterns: Not every category in the puzzle is confusing. The Yellow and Green category words are relatively easy to spot. However, if something seems too obvious, it could be a red herring. Typically, the first two categories comprise verbs and adjectives. The misdirects are often nouns.

Double-check your submissions: ‘Do not overthink’ is usually a good tip for solving most puzzles, but it doesn’t really apply to Connections. Before submitting a set of words, you should always check whether they fit somewhere else too.

Hit a dead end? Use the shuffle button: The shuffle button at the bottom of the grid exists for a reason. Placing the words in different positions can spark new connections. Think of it as a mental refresh. New patterns will emerge, and you may be able to find a breakthrough.

Tackle the Purple category with extra caution: The Connections team is known to serve up the toughest and most unexpected words for the Purple category. Here are some of the common tropes that you should look out for:

• Homophones (For example: ‘Where’, ‘Wear’, ‘Ware’, and ‘Weir’)
• Words within words (For example: ‘Slip’, ‘Hear’, ‘Keyes’, and ‘Undiagnosed’ could be ‘Words containing parts of the face’)
• Words minus a letter (For example: ‘Anther’, ‘Easel’, ‘Hark’, and ‘Lama’ could be ‘Animals minus starting letter’)
• Words preceded or followed by another word (For example: ‘Face’, ‘Sports’, ‘Note’, and ‘Year’ could be ‘____ Book’)

Here’s your grid for today

• FLAKE
• OSCAR
• WITCH
• GHOST
• INCUBUS
• BREADCRUMB
• CLUSTER
• SITUATIONSHIP
• STRIPTEASE
• PUFF
• QUATRAIN
• FOREST
• OVEN
• DISCLOSURE
• LOOP
• THE SUBSTANCE

Hints for NYT Connections (#1,090) June 5, 2026

Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Associated with a Grimm’s fairy tale from Germany.
• 🟢Green Group: Popular breakfast item.
• 🔵Blue Group: Movie titles.
• 🟣Purple Group: Focus on the ending of the words. Related to getting around.

One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)

Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Breadcrumb.
• 🟢Green Group: Cluster.
• 🔵Blue Group: Disclosure.
• 🟣Purple Group: Incubus.

List of Themes (Major Spoilers)

Maybe getting to know the common themes among the words will help you spot them faster. Here are all the categories for today.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Associated with Hansel and Gretel.
• 🟢Green Group: Bit of Cereal.
• 🔵Blue Group: Demi Moore Movies.
• 🟣Purple Group: Ending in Methods of Transportation.

Answers to NYT Connections (#1,090) Today (June 5, 2026)

Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.

• 🟡Yellow Group: Breadcrumb, Forest, Oven, Witch. (Associated with Hansel and Gretel)

This was a bit out of left field. We did not expect a fairy tale to be a Yellow category theme. The words in the group don’t exactly scream an obvious connection either. 

• 🟢Green Group: Cluster, Flake, Loop, Puff. (Bit of Cereal)

Kellogg’s Crunch Nut (Clusters), Kellogg’s Corn (Flakes), Kellogg’s Fruit (Loops), Reese’s (Puffs).

• 🔵Blue Group: Disclosure, Ghost, Striptease, The Substance. (Demi Moore Movies)

Disclosure (1994), Ghost (1990), Striptease (1996), The Substance (2024). Ghost was a part of a red herring along with Puff and Flake.

• 🟣Purple Group: Incubus, Oscar, Quatrain, Situationship. (Ending in Methods of Transportation)

Incu(bus), Os(car), Qua(train), Situation(ship).

Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,089, June 4, 2026)

• 🟡Yellow Group: Acrylic, Gouache, Oil, Tempera. (Painting Media)
• 🟢Green Group: Gusto, Panache, Verve, Vinegar. (Esprit)
• 🔵Blue Group: Beastie, Public, Run, Salt. (Starts Of Classic Hip-Hop Groups)
• 🟣Purple Group: Kitchen, Pepper, Town, Writer. (Ghost ___)

Answers to NYT Connections #1,088 (June 3, 2026)

• 🟡Yellow Group: Brown, Jasmine, Sticky, Sushi. (Kinds Of Rice)
• 🟢Green Group: Colorful, Gummy, Sugary, Ursine. (Gummy Bear Descriptors)
• 🔵Blue Group: Empanada, Fatayer, Pasty, Samosa. (Savory Stuffed Pastries)
• 🟣Purple Group: Arie, Bell, Moan, Ray. (Disney Princesses Minus Last Letter)

Answers to NYT Connections #1,087 (June 2, 2026)

• 🟡Yellow Group: Cloak-and-Dagger, Covert, Hush-Hush, Top Secret. (Clandestine)
• 🟢Green Group: Bubble and Squeak, Chips, Jacket Potato, Mash. (British Potato Dishes)
• 🔵Blue Group: Coat of Arms, Crest, Helmet, Shield. (Heraldic Achievements)
• 🟣Purple Group: Cape May, Free Will, Grape Must, Tin Can. (Ending In Modal Auxiliary Verbs)

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How did other solvers do today?

NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 1.8 out of 5. This puts it in the easy difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!