NYT Connections February 16 2026 Answers
Puzzle #981
EDITED BY WYNA LIUToday's 16-word board, in its starting order:
BUCK SCREAM DO LAUGH FAWN DOE FLIGHT SQUAWK HOOT FIGHT RIOT DOUGH FREEZE CACKLE DOH CLUCK
Category hints (no spoilers)
Yellow — KNEE-SLAPPER
Green — HOMOPHONES
Blue — SOUNDS A CHICKEN MAKES
Purple — STRESS RESPONSES
KNEE-SLAPPERHOOT, LAUGH, RIOT, SCREAM
HOMOPHONESDO, DOE, DOH, DOUGH
SOUNDS A CHICKEN MAKESBUCK, CACKLE, CLUCK, SQUAWK
STRESS RESPONSESFAWN, FIGHT, FLIGHT, FREEZE
Checked against the official NYT Connections solution
How Connections works
Connections gives you 16 words that form four secret groups of four. Find each group — yellow is the easiest, then green, blue, and the famously tricky purple. You're allowed four mistakes. A new puzzle drops daily at midnight; play free at nytimes.com.