NYT Connections Hints, Answers & Clues - Mon, June 15, 2026

LEGS, MOMENTUM, STAMINA, and TRACTION all describe the quality of being able to keep going — whether that is a person, a trend, a movement, or an idea that refuses to fade.

LEGS

When something 'has legs' it means it has the staying power to keep running — journalists use it about stories, marketers use it about campaigns.

MOMENTUM

The forward energy that builds and sustains itself — once you have momentum, stopping is harder than continuing.

STAMINA

The physical or mental endurance to keep performing over a long stretch — the most direct synonym for staying power in the group.

TRACTION

When an idea or movement gains traction it means it is taking hold and continuing to grow — borrowed from the physics of grip but used here for sustained progress.

ACCESSORIZE, CHANGE, PRIMP, and SHOWER are all things you do in sequence when preparing yourself to go out for the evening — each captures a distinct stage of the getting-ready ritual.

ACCESSORIZE

The finishing step — adding jewellery, a bag, a belt, or other extras to complete the outfit before walking out the door.

CHANGE

Swapping out of your daytime clothes into something suitable for a night out — the most basic step in the ritual.

PRIMP

To fuss carefully over your hair and appearance — fixing, adjusting, and perfecting before you feel ready to be seen.

SHOWER

The first step for most people — washing up before everything else begins, used here in the personal hygiene sense rather than rain.

DOG, DRAGON, HORSE, and SNAKE are four of the twelve animals that make up the Chinese zodiac — a cycle in which each year is associated with a specific animal and its characteristics.

DOG

The eleventh animal in the twelve-year Chinese zodiac cycle — people born in the year of the Dog are said to be loyal and honest.

DRAGON

The fifth animal in the cycle and the only mythical one — the year of the Dragon is considered especially auspicious in Chinese culture.

HORSE

The seventh animal in the Chinese zodiac — associated with energy, freedom, and a strong spirit.

SNAKE

The sixth animal in the cycle — people born in the year of the Snake are traditionally associated with wisdom and intuition.

ANEMONE, LARKSPUR, MONKSHOOD, and PHLOX are all specific wildflower species — each a real plant genus with distinctive blooms, and each obscure enough to trip up players who know flowers only by common names.

ANEMONE

A wildflower with cup-shaped petals in white, red, or purple — the name is shared with the sea anemone, which is the trap, but here it is purely the plant.

LARKSPUR

A tall flowering plant with spiky clusters of blooms in blue, purple, or pink — the name comes from the spur-shaped petal at the back of each flower.

MONKSHOOD

A wildflower with distinctive hooded purple blooms — also called aconite or wolfsbane, it is one of the most toxic plants in the Northern Hemisphere.

PHLOX

A genus of flowering plants that produces dense clusters of small five-petalled blooms — common in gardens and meadows, but the name is unfamiliar to many players.