No. 1087 · Hints & Analysis

Connections Hint — June 2, 2026

Start with the spoiler-free clues. Reveal the answers only when you've truly given up.

I.

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • These words prefer to operate in the shadows, away from prying eyes.
  • Served in a cozy pub, these comfort foods might warm a rainy afternoon.
  • Steeped in medieval tradition, these terms define symbolic family emblems.
  • Something peculiar is hidden at the tail end of these phrases — say them out loud.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • These terms are all about intelligence work and staying under the radar.
  • You'd encounter these in a British restaurant, all featuring a certain starchy tuber.
  • These items appear in medieval visual identity, often seen on a knight's attire.
  • Pay attention to the very last word of each phrase — a certain part of speech gives it away.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • All four are ways to describe something concealed from view, often in espionage.
  • Each dish is a potato-based comfort food popular in the United Kingdom.
  • Each term is a piece of armor or insignia from a knight's formal symbolic emblem.
  • The trick is at the end: each colloquial phrase finishes with a word that's a type of helping verb indicating possibility or obligation.
II.

Today's Traps

The words engineered to mislead

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

CREST

The name of a popular toothpaste brand, not just an heraldic term.

MASH

Commonly associated with the long-running TV series, not a potato side dish.

CAPE MAY

A coastal town in New Jersey, which could mislead solvers into looking for geographic connections.

III.

The Answers

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
CLANDESTINE
CLOAK-AND-DAGGER · TOP SECRET · HUSH-HUSH · COVERT
Tap to reveal
BRITISH POTATO DISHES
JACKET POTATO · MASH · CHIPS · BUBBLE AND SQUEAK
Tap to reveal
HERALDIC ACHIEVEMENTS
COAT OF ARMS · CREST · HELMET · SHIELD
Tap to reveal
ENDING IN MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS
TIN CAN · CAPE MAY · FREE WILL · GRAPE MUST
Tap to reveal
IV.

Category Breakdown

Why each group works — not just what it is
CLANDESTINE

These words all describe activities or operations done in secret, from covert missions to hush-hush affairs.

BRITISH POTATO DISHES

A comforting quartet from across the pond — these terms are all potato-based dishes commonly found on British pub menus.

HERALDIC ACHIEVEMENTS

A coat of arms is made up of several parts: the shield, crest, helmet, and mantling, collectively known as achievements of the bearer.

ENDING IN MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS

Each multi-word phrase cleverly ends with a modal auxiliary verb: MAY, WILL, MUST, and CAN, turning ordinary names into a grammatical puzzle.

V.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today's board really plays
Overall
7.2/10
Most deceptive
GRAPE MUST

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
Ends in Modal Verbs

requires lateral thinking