It’s Saturday, which means it’s time to crack into another round of Connections, the increasingly popular daily puzzle from the New York Times. While not quite as massive as Wordle, it’s easily the second most addictive word game in the NYT universe. And today’s puzzle? A mix of easy wins and frustrating curveballs.
So whether you’re here for some helpful nudges or you’ve already burned through your four strikes and want the answers, I’ve got you covered.
How To Play NYT Connections
If you’re new to the game, Connections presents you with 16 seemingly unrelated words. Your job is to group them into four sets of four based on a common theme. The themes can be straightforward — like “types of fruit” — or more abstract and tricky, such as “words that can follow ‘high.’”
The difficulty increases by color, starting from Yellow (easiest), then Green and Blue, with Purple being the hardest group to nail down. You get four wrong guesses before it’s game over.
Let’s break down today’s clues.
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Today’s Puzzle Board
Here are the 16 words that appeared in today’s Connections:
MOM, QUEEN, RIBBON, BORDER, BLUE, BOSTON, HEART, LEGEND, TOTO, ARROW, ICON, HOOCH, RAT, BULL, ASTRO, DIVA
If you’re still playing and don’t want full answers yet, let’s start with a few category hints.
Today’s NYT Connections Hints June 14
- Yellow Group – Royal Praise
Words you’d use to describe someone with major star power, or perhaps your favorite pop diva. - Blue Group – Fictional Best Friends
These are not people, but rather well-known canine companions from film and television. - Green Group – A Permanent Tribute
Think ink — specifically, the classic “Mom” tattoo you’ve seen on every biker jacket in every movie ever. - Purple Group – A Blank Pup
Think of different types of terriers. This one’s not for the casual dog lover.
Check Yesterday Connections Answers:
Today’s NYT Connections Answers for June 14
And now, if you’re ready for the answers, scroll no further unless you want the full breakdown.
Yellow Group – Goddess
DIVA, ICON, LEGEND, QUEEN
This one came together easily. These are all honorifics tossed around on the internet for celebrities, especially in music. If you’ve ever been on Twitter after a new music video drops, you’ve seen all four of these used — sometimes earnestly, sometimes ironically. Taylor Swift? Beyoncé? Sabrina Carpenter? Debate away.
Blue Group – Dogs of the Screen
ASTRO, BLUE, HOOCH, TOTO
If you recognized Toto from The Wizard of Oz and Hooch from Turner & Hooch, that gave you a solid head start. Astro is from The Jetsons, and Blue is the beloved animated pup from Blue’s Clues. This group was adorable — and also one of the more accessible ones, unless you blanked on one of these shows.
Green Group – Classic “Mom” Tattoo Elements
MOM, HEART, ARROW, RIBBON
This one might have stumped some, especially if you haven’t spent much time analyzing old-school tattoos. These elements are usually combined in a single visual — a heart with “Mom” across a ribbon, maybe with an arrow through it. Very retro Americana.
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Purple Group – _____ Terrier
BORDER, BOSTON, BULL, RAT
This was arguably the toughest set today. All four are types of terriers — some better known than others. Boston Terrier is a common breed, and Bull Terrier might ring a bell because of the Target mascot. Rat Terrier and Border Terrier, though? That’s deeper dog knowledge. Kudos if you got it without a guess.
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Final Thoughts
Today’s Connections puzzle had a fairly smooth start, but things definitely got more challenging toward the end. The Yellow group — goddess terms — was a clean sweep for most. Blue was fun and nostalgic. Green required a bit of cultural recall. But Purple? That’s where many players met their match.
Personally, I stumbled on Green the most — trying to group “HEART” and “MOM” into something Valentine’s related before the tattoo theme clicked. As for Purple, I was totally unaware that “Rat Terrier” was even a breed, and that nearly cost me the game.
