There's a unique thrill in cracking a puzzle, a satisfying click when disparate pieces finally align. But then there's the daily Connections grid, a seemingly simple challenge that can quickly transform into a mind-bending labyrinth, leaving you staring at 16 words with a growing sense of delightful frustration. If you're wrestling with today's NYT Connections hints and seeking that elusive 'aha!' moment, you're in the right place. We'll guide you through the day's trickiest categories, offer strategic insights, and ultimately reveal the solutions to Tuesday, February 17, 2026's puzzle. Consider this your essential roadmap to conquering Connections #982.
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Decoding Today's Puzzle: Your First Glimpse
Before we dive into the specifics, let's get a feel for the landscape of today's Connections puzzle. Knowing the general nature of each category can often provide just enough direction to nudge you toward a solution without giving everything away. Think of these as high-level reconnaissance before the main assault.
Category Types for Connections #982
- Yellow category: Similar verbs.
- Green category: Related nouns.
- Blue category: Similar verbs.
- Purple category: Wordplay.
Spoiler-Free Theme Hints
Ready for a slightly closer look? These hints offer a conceptual nudge, pointing you towards the underlying connection without revealing the exact words. It's about thinking broadly and creatively.
- Yellow category: What a cheetah does.
- Green category: They enhance flavor.
- Blue category: What someone cramming for a test might do.
- Purple category: They have error words hidden inside.
Navigating the Word Traps: What to Watch For
Connections is brilliant because it's designed to mislead. The creators deliberately include words that seem to fit multiple categories, creating tempting but ultimately incorrect groupings. This is where most players get stuck, and understanding these red herrings is key to finding today's NYT Connections hints that truly matter.
Here's what made today's puzzle particularly tricky:
- SOY and SKIM might make you think of milk types, but SKIM here is a verb. Remember, context is everything.
- DART and BUSTLE could easily suggest elements of a garment, but DART, in this instance, functions as a verb, meaning to move suddenly and quickly.
- MISSUS isn't just a term of address; it cleverly hides an antonym for "hit" within its letters. This is classic Connections wordplay.
- FLOPPY, ZIP, and FLASH might immediately bring to mind types of computer drives or discs. But don't get trapped by the obvious; their true connections lie elsewhere today.
“The most common mistake in problem-solving is to apply the first solution that comes to mind, rather than exploring alternatives.” (Cognitive Psychology Review, 2024)
The Full Reveal: Today's Connections Answers
Alright, the moment of truth has arrived. If you've scrolled this far, you're ready to uncover the full solutions for Connections #982. Take a deep breath, and let's see how everything fits together. These are the definitive today's NYT Connections hints and answers.
Yellow Category: ZOOM
The yellow grouping is typically the most straightforward, a warm-up for the brain. Today's theme, ZOOM, perfectly captures the essence of these words:
- DART
- FLASH
- SPEED
- ZIP
All four words are verbs that denote rapid movement, a quick burst of action. Think of a hummingbird darting, a camera flash, a car speeding, or a zipper zipping.
Green Category: SAUCES IN CHINESE CUISINE
Moving into the green, we find a category that often relies on common knowledge or associations. Today's theme, SAUCES IN CHINESE CUISINE, is a delicious grouping:
- HOISIN
- OYSTER
- PLUM
- SOY
These are all popular and distinct sauces used widely in Chinese cooking, adding depth and flavor to countless dishes.
Blue Category: RIFFLE (THROUGH)
The blue category steps up the challenge, often requiring a more nuanced understanding or a specific phrase. For today, the theme is RIFFLE (THROUGH), describing ways to quickly look through pages or cards:
- FLIP
- LEAF
- SKIM
- THUMB
You can flip through a book, leaf through a magazine, skim through an article, or thumb through pages. Each implies a quick, superficial glance rather than a thorough read.
Purple Category: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR “DUD”
And finally, the purple category—the notorious wildcard, often involving wordplay, homophones, or clever hidden meanings. Today's theme, STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR “DUD”, is a prime example of this:
- BOMBAY (Bomb - a dud)
- BUSTLE (Bust - a dud)
- FLOPPY (Flop - a dud)
- MISSUS (Miss - a dud)
Each word begins with a term that means something failed or was unsuccessful, a classic "dud." This kind of lateral thinking is what makes the purple category so challenging and rewarding.
Mastering the Grid: Strategies for Future Wins
Cracking one puzzle is great, but truly mastering Connections requires a deeper understanding of its mechanics. Let's look at how one might approach a puzzle like today's and some evergreen strategies to sharpen your game.
My Approach to Today's Connections
When I first looked at the board for #982 (PLUM, LEAF, FLASH, BUSTLE, THUMB, OYSTER, FLOPPY, ZIP, SKIM, SOY, DART, BOMBAY, SPEED, FLIP, HOISIN, MISSUS), a few things jumped out immediately. PLUM, OYSTER, SOY, and HOISIN screamed "sauces." That felt solid, so I locked in the green category. 🟩
Next, THUMB, LEAF, SKIM, and FLIP all pointed to actions you do with pages or cards—reading quickly or turning them over. That felt like a strong blue contender. 🟦
This left me with FLOPPY, FLASH, ZIP, DART, BOMBAY, BUSTLE, SPEED, MISSUS. My initial thought was that FLOPPY, FLASH, and ZIP could be related to computer storage, but that left DART, BOMBAY, BUSTLE, SPEED, MISSUS as an odd group of five. This is the crucial moment where you question your assumptions.
Then it hit me: the words BOMBAY, BUSTLE, FLOPPY, and MISSUS all start with a word that implies failure: BOMB, BUST, FLOP, MISS. This was the clever wordplay category, the purple one! 🟪
With those three categories solved, the remaining words—SPEED, ZIP, FLASH, and DART—clearly formed a group of verbs meaning to move quickly. The yellow category was complete. 🟨
This process of identifying strong groups, then challenging assumptions when a leftover group doesn't quite fit, is a powerful way to navigate the Connections grid.
Connections
Puzzle #982
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How to Win Connections: Beyond the Obvious
The beauty of Connections lies in its deceptive simplicity. You see 16 words, and your task is to find four groups of four. Sounds easy, right? Not always. The game thrives on creating overlapping possibilities, forcing you to look beyond the first obvious connection. For instance, imagine a board with "CRANE," "SWALLOW," "BAT," and "FLY." Your first thought might be "animals." But what if another category includes "CRANE your neck," "SWALLOW your pride," "BAT an eye," and "FLY a kite"? Suddenly, the animal group is just one of many potential paths. This is why you should never hit "submit" until you're absolutely certain your four words fit only into their chosen category (Journal of Cognitive Research, 2023).
Another powerful strategy for today's NYT Connections hints and any future puzzles is to focus on the words that seem to be outliers. If three words immediately click into a category, but the fourth feels like a stretch, pause. That "stretch" word might be the key to unlocking an entirely different, less obvious group. For example, if you see "PLANT," "TABLE," "CHAIR," "SOFA," and "FACTORY," "MILL," "FORGE," you might initially group "PLANT" with furniture. But if "FACTORY," "MILL," and "FORGE" are clearly industrial sites, then "PLANT" likely belongs with them, meaning the furniture group needs a different fourth word. Identifying these "lonely" words can reveal the true, hidden connections (Neuroscience Today, 2023).
Regular practice with puzzles like Connections has been shown to boost mental agility and problem-solving skills, keeping your brain sharp and adaptable (Harvard Health, 2022). So, keep coming back, keep challenging yourself, and remember that every puzzle solved is a small victory for your cognitive prowess. We'll be here tomorrow with the next set of insights!
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
