New York Times Connections Puzzle Answers Revealed

Clues and solutions for the February 16 crossword game

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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A guide to the hints, clues, and full answers for the New York Times Connections puzzle #981 published on February 16, 2026. The puzzle features four categories of related words that players must correctly identify and group together.

Why it matters

Connections is a popular daily word association game in the New York Times that challenges players to think critically and make connections between seemingly unrelated words. Providing guidance and solutions can help players improve their skills and enjoy the game more, especially for puzzles rated as more difficult.

The details

The February 16 Connections puzzle is rated 3 out of 5 for difficulty by the New York Times. The four categories in this puzzle are: 1) Hilarious jokes that are hard to contain, 2) All these words sound the same, 3) Chicken noises, and 4) How the body may react under stress. Starter words for each category are provided to help players begin solving the puzzle.

  • The New York Times Connections puzzle #981 was published on February 16, 2026.

The players

New York Times

The New York Times is a renowned American newspaper that publishes a daily Connections word puzzle, among other popular features.

pcguide.com

Pcguide.com is a technology news website that provided a guide to the hints, clues, and full answers for the February 16 Connections puzzle.

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What they’re saying

“Connections is much more of a brain teaser than Wordle, so the need for clues and hints will come in handy, especially if you're running out of guesses.”

— Jack Goodall, Author (pcguide.com)

What’s next

The New York Times will publish a new Connections puzzle for players to solve on February 17, 2026.

The takeaway

While the difficulty of Connections puzzles can vary, providing helpful hints and solutions can assist players in improving their word association skills and enjoying the game, even for more challenging puzzles.