Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 22 #987.
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, and generational studies Credentials
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won “Headline Writer of the Year” award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
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Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has some entertaining clues, but the categories are tough to sort out. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Not popular.
Green group hint: Like George Clooney, maybe.
Blue group hint: Doonesbury also.
Purple group hint: The 26th US president.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: One who doesn’t fit in.
Green group: Descriptors for graying hair.
Blue group: Classic comic strips.
Purple group: Associated with Theodore Roosevelt.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The completed NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 22, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is one who doesn’t fit in. The four answers are black sheep, misfit, outcast and reject.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is descriptors for graying hair. The four answers are distinguished, flecked, salt-and-pepper and silver.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is classic comic strips. The four answers are Blondie, Bloom County, Peanuts and The Far Side.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is associated with Theodore Roosevelt. The four answers are big stick, Bull Moose, Rough Riders and teddy bear.
