Done with your morning coffee but can’t seem to find a breakthrough in today’s Connections puzzle? We’re here to help. As you scroll down this page, you will see some general hints to nudge you in the direction of the answers. Then, we’ll give you one word from each category, followed by all the themes. Finally, you can have the answers along with the explanations. So, without further ado, here are the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1,102, June 17, 2026).
In This Article
What is Connections?
Connections is one of the most popular online word games from The New York Times, closely trailing behind Wordle. The puzzle presents you with a 16-word 4×4 grid. To solve the puzzle, you have to sort the words into 4 groups, with each group containing 4 words connected by a common theme. The Yellow group is the easiest to find, followed by the Green, Blue, and Purple groups. The misdirects and red herrings keep the puzzle fresh. You can play Connections 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
- MOUTH
- CAVITY
- CLASSIC
- CALLIOPE
- IRIS
- KINDLE
- CHEEK
- ECHO
- NOOK
- LIP
- NEMESIS
- TYPEFACE
- SORTIE
- RECESS
- NERVE
- NICHE
Hints for NYT Connections (#1,102) June 17, 2026
Let’s get you started with some general, spoiler-free hints.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Small, comfy area. Typically a sunken section in a wall.
- 🟢Green Group: Audacity or gall.
- 🔵Blue Group: Occurring in Greek mythology.
- 🟣Purple Group: These words are associated with synonyms for a common word.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Can’t seem to find an in? We’ll give you one word from each category.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Cavity.
- 🟢Green Group: Cheek.
- 🔵Blue Group: Calliope.
- 🟣Purple Group: Classic.
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: Alcove.
- 🟢Green Group: Bodily Words For Attitude.
- 🔵Blue Group: Figures In Greek Myth.
- 🟣Purple Group: Starting With Synonyms For “Ilk”.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,102) Today (June 17, 2026)
Close to waving the white flag? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- 🟡Yellow Group: Cavity, Niche, Nook, Recess. (Alcove)
All of these words refer to a small seating area carved into a wall.
- 🟢Green Group: Cheek, Lip, Mouth, Nerve. (Bodily Words For Attitude)
These bodily words are used to call out someone’s audacity, boldness, or temerity.
- 🔵Blue Group: Calliope, Echo, Iris, Nemesis. (Figures In Greek Myth)
Calliope: Muse of poetry and eloquence. Echo: Oread who resided on Mount Cithaeron. Iris: Goddess of the rainbow. Nemesis: Goddess of divine retribution and revenge.
- 🟣Purple Group: Classic, Kindle, Sortie, Typeface. (Starting With Synonyms For “Ilk”)
Class-ic, Kin-dle, Sort-ie, and Type-face.
Answers to yesterday’s puzzle (#1,101, June 16, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Blue Cheese, Caesar, Green Goddess, Ranch. (Creamy Salad Dressings)
- 🟢Green Group: Court, Entourage, Retinue, Suite. (Attendants)
- 🔵Blue Group: Black Swan, Blue Moon, Perfect Storm, Unicorn. (Rare Things, Idiomatically)
- 🟣Purple Group: Basketball, Earrings, Red Tape, Rhythmic Gymnastics Gear. (What “Hoops” Might Refer To)
Answers to NYT Connections #1,100 (June 15, 2026)
- 🟡Yellow Group: Legs, Momentum, Stamina, Traction. (Staying Power)
- 🟢Green Group: Accessorize, Change, Primp, Shower. (Get Ready For A Night Out)
- 🔵Blue Group: Dog, Dragon, Horse, Snake. (Chinese Zodiac Animals)
- 🟣Purple Group: Anemone, Larkspur, Monkshood, Phlox. (Flowers)
Answers to NYT Connections (#1,099) June 14, 2026
- 🟡Yellow Group: Banana Peel, Cream Pie, Rubber Chicken, Seltzer Bottle. (Classic Slapstick Props)
- 🟢Green Group: Globe, Grindstone, Gyroscope, Roulette Wheel. (Things That Spin)
- 🔵Blue Group: Caterpillar, Pocket Watch, Rabbit Hole, Tea Party. (Featured In “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland”)
- 🟣Purple Group: Massachusetts, Master Of Arts, Milliampere, Mother. (What “MA” Might Refer To)
Read Also: realme P4R 5G First Sale Begins 17th June
How did other solvers do today?
NYT’s early testers rated today’s Connection puzzle 3.3 out of 5. This puts it in the hard difficulty level. Let us know how you fared in the comments!
.){kind=link}