NYT Connections puzzle #1097 on Friday, June 12, stood out for a simple reason: the answers were built around phrases that all began with hidden patterns. The challenge was not just to group words by meaning, but to notice what each phrase started with.
That structure made the puzzle feel misleading at first glance. Several entries appeared to belong together by theme, yet the real solution depended on spotting openings that pointed to incantations, animal group names, synonyms for repeat, and parts of a river.
Why this puzzle was tricky
Connections is the daily word game from The New York Times that asks players to sort 16 words or phrases into four groups of four. The rules are straightforward, but the execution often is not, especially when the links rely on language patterns rather than direct meaning.
In this edition, a number of phrases were designed to misdirect. MURDER MYSTERY looked like a genre, while DELTA AIRLINES seemed to point directly to a company name, even though both were included because of the words that come first.
The 16 entries in puzzle #1097
The full set of items was CHARM BRACELET, CURSE WORD, HEX KEY, SPELL CHECKER, MURDER MYSTERY, PACK RAT, PRIDE ROCK, SCHOOL DAYS, COPY EDITOR, ECHO PARK, MIRROR SELFIE, QUOTE UNQUOTE, BANK TELLER, BED HEAD, DELTA AIRLINES, and MOUTH GUARD.
Looking only at the full phrases can send players in the wrong direction. The key was to separate the opening word from the rest of each phrase and treat that first word as the real clue.
Hints for each category
The Yellow group pointed to phrases beginning with incantations. That meant the correct answers all opened with words tied to magic, curses, or spells.
The Green group involved phrases that start with animal collective nouns. The Blue group focused on words that mean “repeat,” while the Purple group centered on words that name parts of a river.
Answer breakdown
| Category | Theme | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Starting With Incantations | CHARM BRACELET, CURSE WORD, HEX KEY, SPELL CHECKER |
| Green | Starting With Animal Group Names | MURDER MYSTERY, PACK RAT, PRIDE ROCK, SCHOOL DAYS |
| Blue | Starting With Synonyms for “Repeat” | COPY EDITOR, ECHO PARK, MIRROR SELFIE, QUOTE UNQUOTE |
| Purple | Starting With Parts of a River | BANK TELLER, BED HEAD, DELTA AIRLINES, MOUTH GUARD |
The puzzle showed how much Connections can depend on splitting phrases into parts instead of reading them as complete expressions. Once the first word becomes the focus, the hidden categories become much easier to identify.
How players could approach this edition
A careful strategy mattered more than speed. The safest first move was to look for the clearest opening pattern, which in this case was the Yellow set built around incantation language.
From there, the remaining groups required a sharper eye for wordplay. Reading the phrases aloud, checking the first word only, and avoiding the urge to lock in a meaning too quickly could all help reduce mistakes.
That method is especially useful in a game like Connections, where a phrase may appear obvious while still belonging to a very different category. Solving one group at a time usually makes the rest of the board easier to read.
The New York Times refreshes Connections every day at midnight local time, and the game is available through NYT Games, although some features may require a subscription.
For comparison, puzzle #1096 from June 11 used a very different set of themes, including a workout routine element and homophones for an SUV name. That contrast underlined the range of clues the game can use from one day to the next.