published the answers for Connections puzzle No. 1089 on June 4, revealing the four category groups that solved that day’s 16-word grid.
The four solution categories for Connections #1089 were Painting media, Starts of classic Hip-hop groups, Ghost ___, and a fourth set of words that completed the day’s quartet. The Painting media group was ACRYLIC, GOUACHE, OIL and TEMPERA. The Starts of classic Hip-hop groups were BEASTIE, PUBLIC, RUN and SALT. The Ghost ___ group consisted of KITCHEN, PEPPER, TOWN and WRITER.
Players of the Times’ latest daily word game arrange 16 words into four categories of four. The puzzle gives players up to four mistakes before the game ends, and the categories are color-coded by difficulty: yellow as the easiest, followed by green, blue and purple. The puzzle resets after midnight, and a new Connections challenge will be available at midnight in the player’s time zone.
The published answers matter because Connections changes every day; the June 4 answers tell players exactly which words belonged together in puzzle #1089 and remove any lingering uncertainty before the grid resets. That certainty is useful for players tracking streaks, studying patterns or comparing strategies with other solvers.
Multiple words can seem like they fit together, but the game has only one correct answer. That friction is plain in the Ghost ___ set: all four words — KITCHEN, PEPPER, TOWN and WRITER — form recognized phrases when paired with "ghost," but the game requires the single grouping the puzzle-maker intended.
The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create Connections and bringing it to the Games section. The game became a social media hit before June 4, and its daily rhythm — a new grid each midnight — remains part of its appeal.
The one detail the published answers do not explain is why those particular categories were chosen for June 4. The Times supplied the solutions and the mechanics, but not an editorial note on the selection process, leaving the reasoning behind the day’s theme set unresolved.
If you missed #1089, the practical next step is straightforward: a fresh Connections puzzle will be live after midnight, with another set of 16 words to sort into four groups. For players who study past puzzles, the June 4 answers are now part of the public record; for everyone else, the clock is already counting down to the next round.
