NYT Connections Hints & Answers — Friday, June 12, 2026 (#1097)

Puzzle #1097. Start with a gentle nudge and work down — the full answers are at the bottom, hidden until you ask for them.

Just tell me the answer

The NYT Connections answer for Friday, June 12, 2026 (puzzle #1097) is: 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.

Today's 16 words

The grid exactly as NYT laid it out for Friday, June 12, 2026. Nothing below this point is spoiled until you open it.

SCHOOL DAYS
BED HEAD
QUOTE UNQUOTE
CURSE WORD
COPY EDITOR
SPELL CHECKER
BANK TELLER
PACK RAT
CHARM BRACELET
MURDER MYSTERY
MIRROR SELFIE
MOUTH GUARD
PRIDE ROCK
ECHO PARK
DELTA AIRLINES
HEX KEY

How hard is Connections #1097?

Easy35/100
  • At least one entry is a phrase rather than a single word.

Where to start: Every category here is meaning-based, so group by topic first and use the four-per-group constraint to settle any word that could go two ways.

Connections hints for Friday, June 12, 2026

Four levels, each giving away a little more. Open only as many as you need.

NYT Connections answers for Friday, June 12, 2026

Keep playing

PuzzlePage is an independent fan site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. Connections and Wordle are trademarks of The New York Times Company.

Common questions

What is the NYT Connections answer for Friday, June 12, 2026?

The NYT Connections answer for Friday, June 12, 2026 (puzzle #1097) is: 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.

What is the purple group in Connections #1097?

The purple (hardest) group is "STARTING WITH PARTS OF A RIVER": BANK TELLER, BED HEAD, DELTA AIRLINES, MOUTH GUARD.

What is the easiest group in today's Connections puzzle?

The yellow group is the most straightforward: "STARTING WITH INCANTATIONS" — CHARM BRACELET, CURSE WORD, HEX KEY, SPELL CHECKER. Solving it first removes four words from the grid.

What number is today's Connections puzzle?

Friday, June 12, 2026 is NYT Connections puzzle #1097. Connections launched on 12 June 2023 with puzzle #1, and a new puzzle is published every day.

What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle come out?

A new Connections puzzle unlocks at midnight in your own local time zone, so the changeover happens at a different moment around the world. The puzzle itself is the same for everyone on a given date.