Issue #1022 Mon 2 Feb
Connections hints — February 2, 2026
A steady climb today, with two straightforward clusters balanced against a pair of trickier, linguistically-focused groups. Patience remains the best tool in the shed.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
Watching the sand fall through the neck of an hourglass until the bottom chamber is full.
Measurements of time
Direct synonyms
Members are 4–8 letters; first letters I, P, S.
DURATION
One is INTERVAL.
INTERVAL · PERIOD · SPAN · STRETCH
green group 7 nudges
Green group
Fumbling with a plastic sleeve against the turnstile while the person behind you sighs.
Event access requirements
Functional objects
Members are 4–9 letters; first letters L, P, S, W.
CREDENTIALS FOR ENTRY
One is LANYARD.
LANYARD · PASS · STAMP · WRISTBAND
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
Scanning the airport bookstore shelves for a paperback with a gritty, embossed cover.
Popular fiction characters
Proper nouns
Members are 4–7 letters; first letters B, C, R.
MODERN CRIME SERIES PROTAGONISTS
One is BOSCH.
BOSCH · CROSS · REACHER · RYAN
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
Looking at a crossword clue that seems to be about botany but ends up being something else entirely.
Word manipulation
Addition and modification
Members are 4–7 letters; first letters F, M, P.
TREES PLUS A LETTER
One is FAIR.
FAIR · MARPLE · POPULAR · PSALM