NYT Connections Answers and Clues for February 21 Puzzle

Hints and solutions for the popular word association game

Mar. 1, 2026 at 11:23am

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The New York Times' daily Connections puzzle challenges players to link a grid of 16 words into four themed groups. For the February 21 puzzle (#986), the game is rated a 1.8 out of 5 for difficulty. This article provides hints for each of the four groups as well as the full answers to help readers complete the puzzle.

Why it matters

Connections is a popular brain teaser that tests players' ability to find common themes and associations between seemingly unrelated words. Providing hints and answers helps readers who may be stuck on a particular puzzle, allowing them to learn from the experience and improve their skills at this challenging word game.

The details

The four groups in the February 21 Connections puzzle are: 'Heritage and knowledge', 'How you may be marked on a register', 'Things this game might say to you', and 'Starts with automobiles, and then some'. One starter word is provided for each group: BACKGROUND, ABSENT, GREAT, and PERFECT. The full answers for each group are: 'BACKGROUND, HISTORY, LIFE, PAST', 'ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, PRESENT', 'GREAT, PERFECT, PHEW, SOLID', and 'AUDITS, DODGERS, INFINITIVE, MINION'.

  • The February 21 Connections puzzle was published on February 20, 2026.

The players

New York Times

The publisher of the popular Connections word game.

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What’s next

There are no clear next steps mentioned in the article.

The takeaway

Connections is a challenging word game that tests players' ability to find connections between seemingly unrelated words. Providing hints and answers can help readers improve their skills at this brain-teasing puzzle.