Issue #1036 Sat 28 Feb
Connections hints — February 28, 2026
Two groups of wordplay and two sets of direct definitions share the grid today. Watch the blue column, as several homophones are waiting to derail your progress.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
Cold air, a stuck-in-throat moment, the camera flash you weren't ready for — three different snags, same body.
Human internal states
Synonyms
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters D, I, T, U.
CRAVING
One is DESIRE.
DESIRE · ITCH · THIRST · URGE
green group 7 nudges
Green group
Where the lawnmower lives, where the mail piles up, where the kids hide.
Professional occupations
Examples of one named set
Members are 5–15 letters; first letters C, P, R, S.
JOBS THAT INVOLVE TRAVELING
One is CRUISE DIRECTOR.
CRUISE DIRECTOR · PILOT · ROADIE · SALESMAN
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
You take the same route home and a single door is open that's never open.
Linguistic wordplay
Homophones of a single set
Members are 5–7 letters; first letters E, K, R, T.
NAME HOMOPHONES
One is EARNEST.
EARNEST · KNEEL · RUSTLE · TAILOR
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
Whatever you set the night before is what gets you up — for better or worse.
Scientific terminology
Letter-substitution wordplay
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters C, N, S.
ASTRONOMICAL TERMS PLUS A LETTER
One is COMETH.
COMETH · NOVAK · START · SUNG