Connections Hint
Puzzle #1103 · June 18, 2026

NYT Connections Hints for June 18, 2026

Start with the spoiler-free hints. Go deeper only when you need to. Reveal answers on your own terms.

Thursday, June 18, 2026
Get the hintsSpoiler-free · three levels ↓ Skip to answersJust give me the solution →
Today’s 16 Puzzle Words
Tap any word to see how it’s used in this puzzle
PILATESBEARINGATTITUDEPLIEGANDHIBOOTCAMPPRESENCEAEROBICSBARRECARRIAGEJIGSHAMMWRENKINGTUTUMANDELA

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • These words will get your heart pumping—think group exercise.
  • How you carry yourself can be described by these.
  • Inspirational figures who stood for nonviolence.
  • These words look incomplete—finish them in your mind.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • Group fitness sessions at a gym or studio.
  • Words describing the vibe or manner someone projects to the world.
  • Notable historical figures who championed equality through peaceful means.
  • Visualize objects in a workshop, then chop off the ending letters.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • All are names of group exercise regimens, some dance-based, one military-style, one focused on core strength.
  • Synonyms for one's comportment—the way a person holds and projects themselves in space.
  • Surnames of four globally recognized peace advocates who led nonviolent movements.
  • These letter strings are familiar tools that have been shortened by removing the last two characters.

Today’s Trap Words

The words engineered to mislead

Every Connections board plants a few decoys. Here are today’s, and why they pull you the wrong way.

PLIE

Looks exactly like the ballet knee-bend, but here it's a truncated tool name—losing 'ERS' turns pliers into a dance move.

TUTU

Immediately suggests a fluffy skirt, but the puzzle uses it as the surname of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a peace icon.

BARRE

A ballet studio staple, yet it's categorized as a fitness class type, not a dance term.

JIGS

Resembles a lively folk dance, but it's actually a shortened form of JIGSAW, the cutting tool.

Connections Answers — June 18, 2026

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
FITNESS CLASS TYPES
BARRE · BOOTCAMP · PILATES · AEROBICS
Tap to reveal
DEMEANOR
CARRIAGE · BEARING · ATTITUDE · PRESENCE
Tap to reveal
PEACE ACTIVISTS
KING · TUTU · MANDELA · GANDHI
Tap to reveal
TOOLS MINUS LAST TWO LETTERS
WREN · PLIE · HAMM · JIGS
Tap to reveal
SEE ALSO:
NYT Pips hints for June 18, 2026 NYT Strands hints for June 18, 2026

Category Breakdown — Puzzle #1103

Why each group works — not just what it is

FITNESS CLASS TYPES

AEROBICS, BARRE, BOOTCAMP, and PILATES are all popular group exercise formats. BARRE blurs the line with dance, fittingly.

DEMEANOR

ATTITUDE, BEARING, CARRIAGE, and PRESENCE all refer to the way a person holds themselves or the vibe they project. Slight nuance distinguishes them, but they share this core meaning.

PEACE ACTIVISTS

GANDHI, KING, MANDELA, and TUTU are surnames of iconic leaders of nonviolent movements. Tutu's double life as a ballet term makes this group especially misdirecting.

TOOLS MINUS LAST TWO LETTERS

HAMM, JIGS, PLIE, and WREN are truncated forms of HAMMER, JIGSAW, PLIERS, and WRENCH. The ballet look of PLIE adds a layer of deceit, fitting the purple category's abstract nature.

Word Guide — All 16 Puzzle Words

What each word means in this puzzle
PILATES
A low-impact exercise system emphasizing core strength, flexibility, and controlled movement.
BEARING
The way one stands or moves, often suggesting confidence, composure, or social standing.
ATTITUDE
A settled way of thinking or feeling, often outwardly reflected in posture and expression.
PLIE
A classic ballet knee-bend, but in this context it's a grip tool missing its 'ERS' ending.
GANDHI
Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian independence leader famed for his philosophy of nonviolent resistance.
BOOTCAMP
An intense, military-style group fitness program combining drills, strength, and endurance training.
PRESENCE
The impressive demeanor or aura someone commands when entering a space.
AEROBICS
A high-energy group fitness class involving rhythmic cardiovascular exercise and music.
BARRE
A ballet-inspired workout class that uses a horizontal handrail for balance and support during exercises.
CARRIAGE
The way a person holds and moves their body, especially regarding posture and grace.
JIGS
Appears like a dance, but here it's a shortened form of a power saw used for intricate cuts—add 'AW' to reveal the tool.
HAMM
Looks incomplete, but it's the root of a striking tool—the full name ends with 'ER'.
WREN
A small songbird, but also the clipped form of a tool for tightening nuts and bolts—add 'CH' to complete it.
KING
Surname of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a towering figure in the American civil rights movement.
TUTU
Both a ballet costume and the surname of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel-winning peace activist.
MANDELA
Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary who became South Africa's first Black president.

Puzzle Design Analysis

Why the editor constructed it this way

Wyna Liu crafted a ballet-themed red herring by scattering dance-associated words—BARRE, PLIE, TUTU—across three different categories. This forces solvers to abandon a tempting yet false grouping. The Purple category's truncation trick is particularly satisfying, turning PLIE from a plié into pliers. It's a textbook Connections construction: multiple plausible surface readings hiding cleaner logical links.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
6.0/10
Most deceptive
PLIE

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
Truncated Tools

requires lateral thinking

Connections Strategy Guides

Get better at the game

More NYT Connections Puzzles