Sunday’s edition of The New York Times’ popular word-grouping game offered a deceptively straightforward board that still managed to trip up plenty of solvers, according to multiple puzzle outlets tracking Sunday’s release. Here’s a complete breakdown of Connections #1113 for June 28, 2026, including hints for those still working through it and the full answers for anyone ready to check their results.

What is Connections?

Connections, launched by The New York Times in June 2023, challenges players to sort 16 words or short phrases into four groups of four, with each group sharing a hidden category. The game, edited by Wyna Liu, has quickly grown into one of the Times’ most popular puzzles, played by tens of millions of people each month. Categories are color-coded by difficulty, typically running from yellow and green on the more approachable end to blue and purple representing the trickiest, most misleading groupings. Players are permitted up to four incorrect guesses before the puzzle ends.

One outlet covering Sunday’s release described the board as a tidy set of deceptively obvious words that split cleanly into four neat categories once the connections became clear, while still noting that a couple of overlapping words made the grid feel slipperier than it first appeared.

Hints for each category

For players who want a nudge before seeing the full solution, here are hints for each of Sunday’s four groupings, presented from easiest to most difficult.

The first category gathers four words that all imply superior rank or quality — terms often used to describe something considered a cut above the standard option.

The second category collects four short, punchy words a person might shout to signal that something should begin immediately.

The third category focuses on small physical accessories that a guitarist might rely on while playing, whether acoustic or electric.

The fourth and trickiest category connects words that may not seem related at first glance, until you consider that each one can be paired with the same single word describing a flat surface or a governing panel.

The answers, category by category

The first group, centered on words implying high quality, consists of CHOICE, FINE, PRIME and SELECT. Several solvers noted that this set carries a particular real-world familiarity, since terms like prime, choice and select are commonly used as quality grades in supermarkets, often signaling a price premium for something marketed as slightly better than the standard option.

The second group, gathering words used to signal that something should start right away, includes BEGIN, GO, NOW and START. Puzzle commentators described this as the most accessible entry point on the board, noting that the four words are everyday verbs that practically announce their own category once a player spots even two of them together.

The third group, focused on items a guitarist might use while playing, consists of CAPO, PICK, SLIDE and STRAP. Solvers familiar with guitar equipment were able to recognize this set quickly, while others without that background reportedly needed a bit more time, since words like PICK and STRAP can easily be mistaken for belonging to unrelated everyday categories before the musical connection becomes clear.

The fourth and most difficult group, the purple category, links CHESS, CORPORATION, DARTS and SURFER under the theme “They Have Boards.” Each word pairs with “board” to form a distinct compound or phrase: a chessboard, a corporation’s board of directors, a dartboard, and a surfboard. Multiple outlets flagged this as the toughest group of the day, noting that CHESS and DARTS almost too obviously suggest a “board game” theme on their own, which made it harder for some solvers to see that CORPORATION and SURFER belonged in the same group rather than forming a separate, unfinished category.

Why this puzzle proved trickier than it looked

Several puzzle writers covering Sunday’s release pointed to specific words that functioned as red herrings, designed to send solvers down the wrong path before the real groupings became apparent. Words like PICK and STRAP, for instance, could plausibly belong to a general tools-or-clothing theme at first glance, while BEGIN and NOW might initially seem interchangeable with other simple action words elsewhere on the board, rather than locking into the “signals to commence” category specifically.

The purple group’s wordplay was singled out repeatedly as the board’s central challenge. One outlet advised that solvers stuck on a word like CORPORATION or SURFER should think about the noun that typically follows or defines its most recognizable feature, rather than relying on the word’s basic, surface-level meaning, since that approach is what ultimately unlocks the “boards” connection.

Strategy tips for tackling today’s puzzle and beyond

Puzzle guides accompanying Sunday’s release offered several general strategies for approaching Connections more effectively. Players are generally advised to scan the board first for any obvious word pairs or shared meanings before committing to a full group of four, eliminate words that seem unrelated to any apparent theme early on, and stay alert for words capable of fitting more than one category, since the puzzle is deliberately constructed to include such overlaps. Saving the purple category for last is also a commonly recommended approach, since it can often be solved through process of elimination once the other three groups have been correctly identified.

A new Connections puzzle goes live at midnight local time for each player’s specific time zone, meaning solvers in different parts of the world are frequently working through different numbered puzzles at any given moment. Players looking to keep their streaks alive can also find daily coverage of the Times’ broader puzzle lineup, including Wordle, the Mini Crossword, Strands, and the sports-focused Connections variant, each of which resets on its own midnight schedule and offers a distinct daily test of vocabulary, pattern recognition and lateral thinking.

For those who came up short on Sunday’s puzzle, Puzzle #1113 adds one more entry to an archive that continues to grow by the day, with Monday’s edition, Puzzle #1114, set to bring an entirely new set of 16 words and four fresh categories for solvers to untangle.

The NBA offseason has already produced one blockbuster after another, and the league’s rumor mill shows no signs of slowing down with free agency set to officially open Tuesday. Here are the five biggest trade stories currently swirling around the league.

1. Jaylen Brown’s future remains unsettled, with competing scenarios emerging

Boston’s All-Star wing continues to be at the center of trade speculation, with multiple, sometimes conflicting, reports describing how the Celtics might eventually move him. According to RealGM, citing Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons are considering a Jaylen Brown trade that would involve restricted free agent center Jalen Duren as the centerpiece of the deal on a sign-and-trade.

The dynamics behind that scenario trace back to Detroit’s roster needs. The Pistons have entered the offseason aggressively looking to add a shot creator beside Cade Cunningham, with Austin Reaves, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Coby White among the names they had explored, only for Reaves and White to already agree to re-sign with their incumbent teams. Detroit and Duren, meanwhile, have reportedly been far apart on contract talks, fueling expectations that the All-NBA big man will explore his options in restricted free agency through a sign-and-trade.

Boston’s motivation in any Brown scenario appears tied to retooling its frontcourt after a disappointing finish to last season. The Celtics are prioritizing getting bigger and more versatile this offseason following their first-round playoff exit to the Philadelphia 76ers, and notably, Boston previously offered Brown in a package to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of trade discussions for Giannis Antetokounmpo before that deal ultimately sent Antetokounmpo to Miami instead.

2. LaMelo Ball is officially headed to Minnesota

What began as trade speculation has already turned into one of the offseason’s biggest completed deals. According to Bleacher Report’s NBA rumors tracker, LaMelo Ball is headed to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade, with the Charlotte Hornets receiving Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks in return.

Ball had been a driving force behind Charlotte’s strong second-half surge last season, but the move reflects long-standing questions about his durability, given that he has also long been considered a significant injury risk throughout his career. The Hornets moved quickly to address their backcourt after the trade, re-signing guard Coby White, though the deal has already drawn some criticism in NBA media circles given the perceived drop-off in production between Ball and White at the position.

3. Kawhi Leonard’s situation in Los Angeles draws renewed scrutiny

Speculation around Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has intensified as the team signals its roster flexibility heading into the new league year. According to RealGM, the Los Angeles Clippers have the capacity to open up cap space this offseason if they decline team options on Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum. ESPN’s Zach Lowe added detail on that posture, saying, “I don’t know if this has been decided yet, but someone who would know told me that the Clippers are telling or behaving I guess as though they’re going to have cap space in the offseason.”

That maneuvering has coincided with renewed chatter about Leonard’s long-term future with the franchise. During the second round of the NBA Draft, ESPN’s Bobby Marks dropped what RealGM described as “a not-so-subtle hint” that one of Leonard’s former teams might be interested in reacquiring him, fueling speculation about a possible reunion with either the Toronto Raptors or San Antonio Spurs if Leonard’s situation in Los Angeles doesn’t ultimately work out on a new contract.

4. Ja Morant’s trade market has gone cold

Few players have seen their trade outlook shift as dramatically as Memphis guard Ja Morant. According to Bleacher Report, despite the fact that Morant is only 26 years old, it’s not difficult to understand why, seemingly, no one wants him in a trade, pointing to a steep decline in availability and production over the past three seasons, including multiple suspensions and injuries that have limited him to fewer than 30 appearances per season since 2022-23.

Memphis appears to be moving on regardless of the lack of trade interest. The report noted that the Grizzlies’ new core, built around Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey and Cedric Coward, doesn’t need Morant’s off-court baggage as it continues developing together, and suggested the most likely path forward for both sides might ultimately be a buyout rather than a trade.

5. LeBron James’ free agency decision could reshape multiple rosters

Few storylines carry more weight across the league than where 41-year-old LeBron James lands as he enters unrestricted free agency. James is coming off a historic season in which he became the first NBA player to play a 24th year, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 51.5% from the field, even as the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference semifinals.

Speculation connecting James to a reunion with the Miami Heat, where he won two championships alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, has grown louder following Miami’s blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on “First Take” that he doesn’t believe Heat president Pat Riley would turn James away if he called expressing interest in joining Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, while former Heat champion Mario Chalmers told WQAM radio, “I can see him coming back. It’ll definitely be a good opportunity because of Giannis and Bam.” Still, multiple reports have characterized a Miami reunion as unlikely given the team’s hard-capped financial situation, leaving James’ ultimate decision, and its ripple effects across the league, as one of the offseason’s most closely watched outcomes.

With several of these situations still unresolved heading into the official start of free agency Tuesday, expect continued movement across the league in the coming days as teams race to finalize their rosters before training camps open later this year. Brown’s situation in Boston, Leonard’s future in Los Angeles, Morant’s path out of Memphis, and James’ eventual destination all stand to significantly reshape the league’s competitive landscape depending on how each storyline ultimately resolves.

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