NYT Connections Tuesday, February 17, 2026 - Complete Answers & Solutions

Welcome to today's NYT Connections puzzle solution! Below you'll find all the answers, hints, and explanations for the February 17, 2026 puzzle. Each group is color-coded by difficulty level, from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest).

🎯 Complete Solutions by Difficulty

🟡 Yellow (Easiest): Zoom

Words: DART, FLASH, SPEED, ZIP
💡 Hint: Zoom

This straightforward category connects words that zoom.

🟢 Green (Easy): Sauces in Chinese cuisine

Words: HOISIN, OYSTER, PLUM, SOY
💡 Hint: Sauces in Chinese cuisine

This moderately easy category connects words that sauces in chinese cuisine.

🔵 Blue (Medium): Riffle (through)

Words: FLIP, LEAF, SKIM, THUMB
💡 Hint: Riffle (through)

This challenging category connects words that riffle (through).

🟣 Purple (Hardest): Starting with synonyms for "Dud"

Words: BOMBAY, BUSTLE, FLOPPY, MISSUS
💡 Hint: Starting with synonyms for "Dud"

This most difficult category connects words that starting with synonyms for "dud".

🧩 How to Solve NYT Connections

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle where you need to find groups of four words that share something in common. Here are some tips:

📝 All 16 Words

Today's puzzle featured these 16 words: DART, FLASH, SPEED, ZIP, HOISIN, OYSTER, PLUM, SOY, FLIP, LEAF, SKIM, THUMB, BOMBAY, BUSTLE, FLOPPY, MISSUS

🎮 About NYT Connections

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle game by The New York Times. Players must identify four groups of four words that share a common theme. The categories range from straightforward (yellow) to tricky wordplay (purple). Each puzzle has exactly one solution, and you have four mistakes before the game ends.

New puzzles are released daily at midnight ET. Come back tomorrow for the next puzzle solution!