A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #978
hints & answers for February 13, 2026

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows February 13, 2026. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with P, S, S and U. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

PURE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DOWNRIGHT

Reveal all four words
  • PURE
  • SHEER
  • STARK
  • UTTER

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, C, F and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BANNER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PENNANT

Reveal all four words
  • BANNER
  • COLORS
  • FLAG
  • STANDARD

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, K, P and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CAMEL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CIGARETTE BRANDS

Reveal all four words
  • CAMEL
  • KENT
  • PARLIAMENT
  • SALEM

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with L, R, S and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

LESSON belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOMOPHONES OF WAYS TO GET SMALLER

Reveal all four words
  • LESSON
  • RESEED
  • SYNC
  • WAYNE
Show categories only
  • Yellow: DOWNRIGHT
  • Green: PENNANT
  • Blue: CIGARETTE BRANDS
  • Purple: HOMOPHONES OF WAYS TO GET SMALLER

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

DOWNRIGHT

PURE · SHEER · STARK · UTTER

Green

PENNANT

BANNER · COLORS · FLAG · STANDARD

Blue

CIGARETTE BRANDS

CAMEL · KENT · PARLIAMENT · SALEM

Purple

HOMOPHONES OF WAYS TO GET SMALLER

LESSON · RESEED · SYNC · WAYNE

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.