Connections Hint
Puzzle #1108 · June 23, 2026

NYT Connections Hints for June 23, 2026

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

Tuesday, June 23, 2026
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Today’s 16 Puzzle Words
Tap any word to see how it’s used in this puzzle
EARTHTRENDINGMONEYPOPULARFOXTROTDEEDTAPEMPERORSWINGFIREPLACEHOTELYANKEESMODERNTOKENFEATUREDRECENT

Spoiler-Free Hints

Three levels — warmer as you read down
i Ultra safe

A direction for each group — no names given.

  • They’re ways to move with rhythm and flair.
  • They’re pieces of an economy run by a roll of the dice.
  • They help you sort through the latest and greatest.
  • These words share an invisible bond — ignore what they mean.
ii Warmer

What kind of thinking each group asks for.

  • These are all styles of dance, ranging from lively to elegant.
  • You'll find these inside a classic board game about property and rent.
  • These are typical filters for sorting posts or videos on a digital platform.
  • The link involves a word that sounds the same but means two different things.
iii Mild spoilers

Pointed nudges on the words built to fool you.

  • They are all types of dance — each one has its own distinct rhythm and character.
  • These are all components of a classic board game that involves trading properties and building houses.
  • These are common sorting options on video platforms and social feeds — choose between newest, most liked, and curated.
  • Each word follows mantle (or mantel) — as in a planet's layer, a royal cloak, a shelf above a hearth, and a baseball legend’s last name.

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.

MODERN

As an adjective meaning 'current,' you might be tempted to group it with RECENT, TRENDING, and POPULAR — but that's a red herring.

SWING

In a batting context, SWING belongs with YANKEES, making a potential false baseball group. But it's actually a dance step.

TAP

Often associated with plumbing or light contact, TAP might pull your eye away from the dance floor.

Connections Answers — June 23, 2026

Tap any group to reveal it
Answers are hidden — tap a group to peek, or reveal all at once.
DANCE STYLES
FOXTROT · MODERN · TAP · SWING
Tap to reveal
IN A MONOPOLY BOX
MONEY · HOTEL · DEED · TOKEN
Tap to reveal
CONTENT SORTING OPTIONS ONLINE
POPULAR · FEATURED · RECENT · TRENDING
Tap to reveal
THINGS WITH MANTLES/MANTELS
YANKEES · FIREPLACE · EMPEROR · EARTH
Tap to reveal
SEE ALSO:
NYT Wordle hints for June 23, 2026 NYT Pips hints for June 23, 2026 NYT Strands hints for June 23, 2026

Category Breakdown — Puzzle #1108

Why each group works — not just what it is

DANCE STYLES

FOXTROT, MODERN, SWING, and TAP are all ballroom or rhythmic dance forms. It's a straightforward group, but MODERN can be misleading because it's also an everyday adjective.

IN A MONOPOLY BOX

DEED, HOTEL, MONEY, and TOKEN are classic components of the board game Monopoly. The group is clever because each item is integral to the game's property-trading theme.

CONTENT SORTING OPTIONS ONLINE

FEATURED, POPULAR, RECENT, and TRENDING are standard filters on websites and social media. They help users navigate content by what's new, hot, or curated.

THINGS WITH MANTLES/MANTELS

EARTH, EMPEROR, FIREPLACE, and YANKEES can all be preceded by 'mantle' or 'mantel' — the Earth's mantle, an emperor's mantle (cloak), a fireplace mantel (shelf), and Mickey Mantle of the Yankees. It's a brilliant homophone twist with a baseball legend cameo.

Word Guide — All 16 Puzzle Words

What each word means in this puzzle
EARTH
Our planet; in geology, it has a dense inner layer called the mantle.
TRENDING
Subjects that are currently attracting widespread attention or conversation.
MONEY
Currency used to buy things; it's the foundation of most economic games.
POPULAR
Content that has gained a lot of likes, views, or positive attention.
FOXTROT
A smooth ballroom dance with long, flowing movements, named after a comedian from the early 1900s.
DEED
A legal document that proves ownership of property, often exchanged during a transaction.
TAP
A percussive dance where the feet strike the floor to create rhythmic sounds.
EMPEROR
A sovereign ruler of an empire, historically wearing a ceremonial cloak or mantle.
SWING
A lively form of dance that evolved with jazz music, known for its spins and flips.
FIREPLACE
A structure for containing a fire, often with a decorative shelf above it called a mantel.
HOTEL
A large building where travelers stay; in business, it can also represent a property investment.
YANKEES
A professional baseball team from New York; one of its legendary players was Mickey Mantle.
MODERN
A style of dance that broke away from classical ballet, emphasizing free, expressive movement.
TOKEN
A small object representing a player's presence or a unit of value in a game.
FEATURED
Prominently displayed content, often chosen by an editor to highlight quality.
RECENT
The newest posts or articles, arranged by the time they were published.

Puzzle Design Analysis

Why the editor constructed it this way

Wyna Liu plants a clever decoy with MODERN, which reads as an adjective but belongs to dance. The Monopoly group is a comforting anchor, while the Blue sorting terms feel overtly digital — a nod to modern browsing habits. The Purple group’s homophone trick, bridging geology, royalty, and baseball, showcases Connections' signature cross-domain wit.

Difficulty & Analysis

How tough today’s board really plays
Overall
6.8/10
Most deceptive
MODERN

a textbook decoy

Hardest group
THINGS WITH MANTLES

requires lateral thinking

Connections Strategy Guides

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