NYT Connections Hints, Answers & Clues -
NYT Connections #1096 Tip
Four payment apps are hiding inside words that look completely innocent.
What Makes NYT Connections #1096 Tricky?
PAPAL, STRIP, ELLE, and VENO look like they belong to completely different worlds — religion, geography, fashion, and poison — while BRONCHO, TROUPER, and UCONN look like a cowboy term, a theatre word, and a university abbreviation.
The editor is using two layers of disguise at once: one group swaps a single letter out of a familiar brand name, and another group uses alternate spellings to make you hear a word rather than read it.
This is a hard puzzle — the horns group and the workout group are the most accessible, but the other two require you to say words aloud and think about what is missing from familiar names.
Connections Hints for Every Word in the June 11, 2026 Puzzle
DEVIL
Connections hint for DEVIL
The horned figure from religious tradition — those horns are the relevant detail here, not the evil.
STRIP
Connections hint for STRIP
Looks like a verb for removing or a narrow piece of land, but here a single letter has been changed from a payment app name you almost certainly have on your phone.
PAPAL
Connections hint for PAPAL
Looks like the adjective meaning relating to the Pope, but one letter has been swapped — read it as a near-miss of a payment app name.
BRONCHO
Connections hint for BRONCHO
An old-fashioned alternate spelling of bronco — say it aloud and you will hear a well-known SUV model.
VENO
Connections hint for VENO
Looks like it relates to venom or poison, but one letter is missing from a popular peer-to-peer payment app.
BRASS BAND
Connections hint for BRASS BAND
A musical ensemble built around brass instruments — those instruments are the horns that matter here.
UCONN
Connections hint for UCONN
Looks like the University of Connecticut abbreviation, but say it aloud and it sounds exactly like a Toyota SUV.
RHINO
Connections hint for RHINO
The large horned mammal — those horns on its nose are exactly why it is here.
CARDIO
Connections hint for CARDIO
Cardiovascular exercise — running, cycling, swimming — the heart-rate-raising part of a workout routine.
TROUPER
Connections hint for TROUPER
A reliable, hardworking performer in theatre — but say it aloud and it sounds exactly like a Pontiac SUV model.
VIKING HELMET
Connections hint for VIKING HELMET
The horned helmet associated with Norse warriors — those decorative horns are the connection.
BALANCE
Connections hint for BALANCE
Training your body's stability and equilibrium — a recognised component of a complete workout routine.
ELLE
Connections hint for ELLE
Looks like the fashion magazine or the French word for she, but one letter has been dropped from a payment app name.
WEIGHTS
Connections hint for WEIGHTS
Lifting dumbbells or barbells — the resistance training component of a workout routine.
FORERUNNER
Connections hint for FORERUNNER
Looks like a word meaning a predecessor or early version of something, but say it aloud and it sounds exactly like a Toyota SUV model.
STRETCHING
Connections hint for STRETCHING
Lengthening muscles before or after exercise — the flexibility component of a workout routine.
Traps & Misdirects Hints for NYT Connections Puzzle (#1096)
PAPAL looks like an adjective meaning relating to the Pope, and STRIP looks like a verb for removing something or a noun for a narrow piece of land — both feel like completely unrelated common English words. Neither reading is what is happening here. Look at each word and ask what single letter has been swapped out of a name you use on your phone.
BRONCHO looks like an old-fashioned spelling of bronco, the wild horse, and TROUPER looks like a theatre term for a reliable performer — both feel like standalone vocabulary words with clear meanings. These are not being used for those meanings. Say each one out loud and think about which car model sounds exactly like that.
RHINO and DEVIL both have horns, which makes them feel like the obvious anchor of a horns-themed group — and they are in that group, but players often stop there and miss the less obvious members. Not everything with horns is an animal or a mythical creature.
ELLE looks like the French fashion magazine or the letter L, and UCONN looks like the University of Connecticut abbreviation — both feel like proper nouns from completely different domains. Neither of those readings is what the puzzle is using. One belongs to a group of altered payment app names, and the other sounds exactly like a specific SUV model when spoken aloud.
Connections Hints for June 11, 2026
Yellow Connections Hints
Yellow Category Hint
Four elements that make up a complete exercise session
Think: Think: gym class, fitness plan
Yellow Category Name
PARTS OF A WORKOUT ROUTINE
Yellow Category Words
Reveal word 1
BALANCEReveal word 2
CARDIOReveal word 3
STRETCHINGReveal word 4
WEIGHTSGreen Connections Hints
Green Category Hint
Four things that all physically have horns on them
Think: Think: literal horns, not metaphors
Green Category Name
THINGS WITH HORNS
Green Category Words
Reveal word 1
BRASS BANDReveal word 2
DEVILReveal word 3
RHINOReveal word 4
VIKING HELMETBlue Connections Hints
Blue Category Hint
Alternate spellings that sound identical to SUV model names
Think: Think: say each word aloud
Blue Category Name
HOMOPHONES OF SUVS
Blue Category Words
Reveal word 1
BRONCHOReveal word 2
FORERUNNERReveal word 3
TROUPERReveal word 4
UCONNPurple Connections Hints
Purple Category Hint
Familiar payment app names with one letter changed or removed
Think: Think: apps on your phone
Purple Category Name
PAYMENT APPS MINUS A LETTER
Purple Category Words
Reveal word 1
ELLEReveal word 2
PAPALReveal word 3
STRIPReveal word 4
VENONYT Connections Answers for June 11, 2026
NYT Connections Answers Explained: June 11, 2026
PARTS OF A WORKOUT ROUTINE
BALANCE, CARDIO, STRETCHING, and WEIGHTS are all recognised components of a complete fitness routine — each targets a different aspect of physical health.
- BALANCE
- Balance training improves stability and coordination — exercises like standing on one leg or using a balance board.
- CARDIO
- Short for cardiovascular exercise — running, cycling, or swimming that raises your heart rate and builds endurance.
- STRETCHING
- Lengthening muscles before or after exercise to improve flexibility and reduce injury risk.
- WEIGHTS
- Resistance training using dumbbells, barbells, or machines to build muscle strength.
THINGS WITH HORNS
BRASS BAND, DEVIL, RHINO, and VIKING HELMET all have horns — the brass band has horn instruments, the devil has head horns, the rhino has a nose horn, and the Viking helmet has decorative horns.
- BRASS BAND
- A brass band is built around brass instruments — trumpets, trombones, tubas — which are all colloquially called horns.
- DEVIL
- The traditional depiction of the devil includes two horns on the head — a defining visual feature.
- RHINO
- The rhinoceros has one or two large keratin horns on its nose — the most famous horn in the animal kingdom.
- VIKING HELMET
- The iconic (if historically inaccurate) Viking helmet is depicted with two horns curving outward from the sides.
HOMOPHONES OF SUVS
BRONCHO, FORERUNNER, TROUPER, and UCONN are all alternate spellings that sound identical to real SUV model names — Bronco, Forerunner, Trooper, and 4Runner.
- BRONCHO
- Sounds identical to Bronco — the Ford Bronco is a classic American SUV revived in 2021.
- FORERUNNER
- Sounds identical to 4Runner — the Toyota 4Runner is a long-running mid-size SUV; Forerunner is the spelled-out homophone.
- TROUPER
- Sounds identical to Trooper — the Isuzu Trooper was a popular SUV; Trouper is the theatre-world spelling of the same sound.
- UCONN
- Sounds identical to 4Runner — wait, no: UCONN sounds identical to Yukon, the GMC Yukon being a full-size SUV.
PAYMENT APPS MINUS A LETTER
ELLE, PAPAL, STRIP, and VENO are all payment app names with one letter removed or changed — Zelle, PayPal, Stripe, and Venmo.
- ELLE
- Zelle minus the Z — Zelle is a bank-linked peer-to-peer payment service; ELLE is what remains when you drop the first letter.
- PAPAL
- PayPal with the Y swapped for an A — PayPal is one of the oldest online payment platforms; PAPAL is the near-miss spelling.
- STRIP
- Stripe minus the E — Stripe is a widely used online payment processing platform; STRIP drops the final letter.
- VENO
- Venmo minus the M — Venmo is a popular peer-to-peer payment app owned by PayPal; VENO is what you get when the M is removed.
