NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, June 16 (game #1101)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Monday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, June 15 (game #1100).

Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you’ve finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I’ve also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc’s Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1101) – today’s words

NYT Connections hints for game 1101 on a purple background — (Image credit: New York Times)

Today’s NYT Connections words are…

BLACK SWAN
EARRINGS
BASKETBALL
COURT
GREEN
GODDESS
SUITE
UNICORN
RANCH
BLUE MOON
BLUE CHEESE
RED TAPE
PERFECT STORM
RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS
GEAR
ENTOURAGE
CAESAR
RETINUE

NYT Connections today (game #1101) – hint #1 – group hints

What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: Makes your lettuce and toms nice
GREEN: Your squad
BLUE: Used to describe strange occurences
PURPLE: A word that rhymes with “loops” in common

Need more clues?

We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1101) – hint #2 – group answers

What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: CREAMY SALAD DRESSINGS
GREEN: ATTENDANTS
BLUE: RARE THINGS, IDIOMATICALLY
PURPLE: WHAT “HOOPS” MIGHT REFER TO

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1101) – the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 1101 on a purple background — (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today’s Connections, game #1101, are…

YELLOW: CREAMY SALAD DRESSINGS BLUE CHEESE, CAESAR, GREEN GODDESS, RANCH
GREEN: ATTENDANTS COURT, ENTOURAGE, RETINUE, SUITE
BLUE: RARE THINGS, IDIOMATICALLY BLACK SWAN, BLUE MOON, PERFECT STORM, UNICORN
PURPLE: WHAT “HOOPS” MIGHT REFER TO BASKETBALL, EARRINGS, RED TAPE, RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS GEAR

My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect

I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help but feel tempted to create a group containing RED TAPE, BLUE CHEESE, BLACK SWAN. Fortunately, I resisted.

Kudos if you spotted WHAT “HOOPS” MIGHT REFER TO — for me to have done that would have taken sizable restraint as I roared through the more obvious links.

My only hesitation was the collection of CREAMY SALAD DRESSINGS, as I thought GREEN GODDESS was the name of a smoothie — but then that’s kind of what salad dressings are really.

Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Monday, June 15, game #1100)

YELLOW: STAYING POWER LEGS, MOMENTUM, STAMINA, TRACTION
GREEN: GET READY FOR A NIGHT OUT ACCESSORIZE, CHANGE, PRIMP, SHOWER
BLUE: CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS DOG, DRAGON, HORSE, SNAKE
PURPLE: FLOWERS ANEMONE, LARKSPUR, MONKSHOOD, PHLOX

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don’t technically need to solve the final one, as you’ll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What’s more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It’s a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.