NYT Connections February 22 2026 Answers
Puzzle #987
EDITED BY WYNA LIUToday's 16-word board, in its starting order:
OUTCAST SALT-AND-PEPPER BLONDIE TEDDY BEAR DISTINGUISHED BLACK SHEEP ROUGH RIDERS THE FAR SIDE BULL MOOSE BLOOM COUNTY SILVER PEANUTS MISFIT FLECKED REJECT BIG STICK
Category hints (no spoilers)
Yellow — ONE WHO DOESN'T FIT IN
Green — DESCRIPTORS FOR GRAYING HAIR
Blue — CLASSIC COMIC STRIPS
Purple — ASSOCIATED WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT
ONE WHO DOESN'T FIT INBLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, REJECT
DESCRIPTORS FOR GRAYING HAIRDISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, SILVER
CLASSIC COMIC STRIPSBLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE
ASSOCIATED WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELTBIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR
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.