Today’s Connections grid is friendly on the surface, then quietly turns into a precision test. Two categories feel like they belong in an everyday checklist, one reads like what you’d say after finishing a puzzle, and the last group is pure structure: you have to look inside the words rather than at their meanings.
If you want to play the official game, it’s on the New York Times Connections page. Below you’ll find plain-text hints, a mobile-friendly practice grid with selectable tiles, and the full answers in tap-to-reveal.
Plain-text hints for February 21
Yellow is about what came before you: the personal archive that shaped you.
Green belongs on a roll call or an attendance sheet.
Blue sounds like the quick things you say after you finish a game.
Purple hides famous car brands inside longer words — plus two extra letters.
One-word anchor from each group
- 🟨 Yellow: HISTORY
- 🟩 Green: PRESENT
- 🟦 Blue: PHEW
- 🟪 Purple: INFINITIVE
Practice mode
Tap tiles to select exactly four, then hit Check. If your set matches one of today’s groups, the practice board will confirm the color. This grid includes full selection controls and a shuffle for a fresh feel.
Answers for NYT Connections February 21, 2026
Tap to reveal the four groups. The short explanation for each group is included inside the reveal sections only.
🟨 Yellow group
BACKGROUND, HISTORY, LIFE, PAST
These all speak to experience in the broad sense: what shaped you, what happened before, and the personal record that sits behind the present.
🟩 Green group
ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, PRESENT
These are attendance statuses you’d see on a register, whether someone is there, missing, or marked with a reason.
🟦 Blue group
GREAT, PERFECT, PHEW, SOLID
These are reactions to your solve: praise, relief, and quick judgment about how it went.
🟪 Purple group
AUDITS, DODGERS, INFINITIVE, MINION
Each word contains a car brand plus two extra letters at the end: AUDI+TS, DODGE+RS, INFINITI+VE, MINI+ON.
Missed yesterday’s puzzle? Check out the full hints and answers from NYT Connections February 20, 2026 Hints & Answers (#985) .
