Stuck on today’s puzzle? Here are the clues and full solutions.
Fans of daily word games from The New York Times know the satisfaction of solving challenges like Wordle, Mini Crossword, and Connections. If today’s Connections puzzle gave you trouble, here are helpful hints—followed by the complete answers for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Warning: Spoilers ahead. Scroll carefully if you only want hints.
Hints for Today’s Connections Categories
Try grouping the words based on these clues:
- A key section often found on a resume
- School attendance terms
- Reactions you might have after finishing a Connections puzzle
- Words that contain car brands plus two additional letters
Take another look at the grid and see if these clues help you identify the four groups.
NYT Connections Answers for February 21, 2026
Here are the correct groupings for Puzzle #986:
1. Experience
- BACKGROUND
- HISTORY
- LIFE
- PAST
2. Attendance Status
- ABSENT
- EXCUSED
- LATE
- PRESENT
3. Reactions to Your Connections Results
- GREAT
- PERFECT
- PHEW
- SOLID
4. Car Brands + Two Letters
- AUDITS (AUDI + TS)
- DODGERS (DODGE + RS)
- INFINITIVE (INFINITI + VE)
- MINION (MINI + ON)
How Connections Works
In Connections, players sort 16 words into four groups of four based on shared themes. Some links are straightforward, while others rely on wordplay, hidden meanings, or clever patterns—making it one of the trickier daily puzzles.
Check back tomorrow for more hints and answers to keep your winning streak alive.
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