Issue #1065 Tue 17 Feb
Connections hints — February 17, 2026
Two groups of verbs stand against a pair of culinary and wordplay categories. Watch for the overlap between the action-oriented terms in the first and third rows.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
A bike messenger swerving through traffic, or the motion of a needle through fabric.
Movement verbs
Verb synonyms
Members are 3–5 letters; first letters D, F, S, Z.
ZOOM
One is DART.
DART · FLASH · SPEED · ZIP
green group 7 nudges
Green group
The small glass bottles tucked into the back corner of the refrigerator door.
Chinese pantry staples
Examples of one named set
Members are 3–6 letters; first letters H, O, P, S.
SAUCES IN CHINESE CUISINE
One is HOISIN.
HOISIN · OYSTER · PLUM · SOY
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
You take the same route home and a single door is open that's never open.
Physical browsing actions
Verb synonyms
Members are 4–5 letters; first letters F, L, S, T.
RIFFLE (THROUGH)
One is FLIP.
FLIP · LEAF · SKIM · THUMB
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
Whatever you set the night before is what gets you up — for better or worse.
Compound words
Each starts with a hidden item
Members are 6 letters each; first letters B, F, M.
STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "DUD"
One is BOMBAY.
BOMBAY · BUSTLE · FLOPPY · MISSUS