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Issue #981 Mon 16 Feb

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — February 16, 2026

A steady, methodical grid that rewards patience. The layout keeps the wordplay and linguistic traps fairly balanced, making for a morning of manageable sorting.

Hints are being reviewed

The verified answer is available below, but the progressive clues for February 16, 2026 have not passed editorial review yet.

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Complete Connections answer

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  1. Reveal the yellow group
    KNEE-SLAPPER

    HOOT · LAUGH · RIOT · SCREAM

  2. Reveal the green group
    HOMOPHONES

    DO · DOE · DOH · DOUGH

  3. Reveal the blue group
    SOUNDS A CHICKEN MAKES

    BUCK · CACKLE · CLUCK · SQUAWK

  4. Reveal the violet group
    STRESS RESPONSES

    FAWN · FIGHT · FLIGHT · FREEZE

Verified solution for .

Today

Difficulty
Stiff
At a glance
4 groups · 16 words

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