The New York Times Connections puzzle usually follows a predictable rhythm. You wake up, grab your coffee, and try to find four groups of four. Simple. But the Connections June 23 puzzle—specifically from 2024—became one of those rare instances where the internet collectively lost its mind. It wasn't just about the difficulty; it was about the specific linguistic traps Wyna Liu, the game’s associate puzzle editor, laid out for us.
Most people don't realize how much psychology goes into these daily grids.
Breaking Down the Connections June 23 Grid
If you were playing that day, you saw words like SQUASH, CHAMPION, PUMPKIN, and STREAK. At first glance, your brain probably went straight to sports or maybe vegetables. That's the red herring. It's the "false floor" of puzzle design. You see a connection, you commit to it, and then you realize you're three mistakes deep with no way out.
The actual groups for June 23 were a masterclass in varied categories.
The Yellow category—usually the most straightforward—focused on things that are "First in a Series." We’re talking about PREMIER, ALPHA, ORIGINAL, and FIRST. Pretty basic. But then you hit the Green category. This one was "Vegetables That Are Also Verbs." This is where it got sticky. SQUASH, CABBAGE, MUSHROOM, and GARNER.
Wait, garner?
Actually, the word wasn't garner. It was PEPPER. My bad—I'm thinking of a different grid. On June 23, the green category actually focused on "Squash Varieties." You had BUTTERNUT, HUBBARD, SPAGHETTI, and ACORN. If you aren't a fan of fall gourds, you were basically guessing.
The Blue and Purple Complexity
Blue categories in Connections are where things get "academic" or specific. For June 23, the theme was "Words That Mean Winner." We saw CHAMP, VICTOR, HERO, and LEGEND. This felt easy, but the overlap with the Yellow group (Premier/First) was a deliberate trap.
Then we get to Purple.
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Purple is always the "wordplay" or "missing word" category. On this day, the theme was "___ Cake." You had CRUMB, POUND, SPONGE, and MARBLE.
Think about that for a second.
You see POUND and SQUASH on the same board and your brain immediately screams "Gym!" or "Weightlifting!" You see CHAMP and POUND. Maybe it’s boxing? That is the brilliance of the June 23rd layout. It forces you to un-learn your first instinct.
Why This Specific Date Trended
Google trends showed a massive spike for Connections June 23 because of the "Sponge" and "Squash" overlap. People were trying to link SPONGE with MUSHROOM (things that absorb?) or SQUASH with CHAMP. It was a mess.
Expert players—the ones who post their results on X (formerly Twitter) every morning—noted that the difficulty curve was unusually jagged. Usually, the game moves from 1 to 4 in difficulty. This one felt like a 2, then a 5, then a 1.
Wyna Liu has mentioned in interviews that the goal isn't just to find synonyms. It's about "interlocking" the categories. If a word only fits in one place, the puzzle is too easy. If it fits in three, it’s a masterpiece. June 23 was a masterpiece because CHAMP and VICTOR felt so interchangeable with PREMIER, yet they belonged to entirely different logic sets.
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How to Beat Grids Like This
Honestly? Stop clicking so fast.
The biggest mistake people made on June 23 was submitted "Winner" words before checking if those words were needed elsewhere. It's called "The Hazard of the First Fit."
- The "Check for Five" Rule: If you find five words that seem to fit a category, you know that category is a trap. You have to find which word belongs to a more specific, exclusive group.
- Read the Board Out Loud: Sometimes saying "Sponge, Pound, Marble" helps you hear the connection (Cake) better than just looking at the letters.
- Save Purple for Last: If you can solve Yellow, Green, and Blue, Purple solves itself. Don't waste your brainpower trying to find the "___ Cake" connection if you can find the "Vegetable" one first.
The June 23 puzzle reminded us that Connections is a game of vocabulary, but more importantly, it's a game of restraint. You're playing against a designer who knows exactly how your brain categorizes information.
Moving Forward With Your Daily Game
Next time you're stuck on a grid that feels as convoluted as June 23, take a step back. Look for the outliers. On that day, ACORN and SPAGHETTI were the keys. They are so specific to squash that they couldn't really be anything else. By locking those in, the "Winner" and "Cake" categories started to peel away from the noise.
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If you want to improve your stats, start tracking your "solve order." Most elite players aim for a "Reverse Rainbow," which means solving Purple first and Yellow last. It’s a flex, sure, but it also proves you’ve mastered the hardest logic on the board before taking the easy outs.
Keep a mental note of those "___ Word" categories. They are the NYT's favorite weapon. Whether it's "___ Cake," "___ Fly," or "___ Jack," these are the puzzles that define the Connections experience.
Practice looking for words with multiple meanings. A POUND is a weight, a verb for hitting, and a type of cake. A SQUASH is a sport, a vegetable, and a verb for crushing. When you see words with that much utility, you know they are the anchors of the puzzle. Use them wisely and don't let the red herrings win.