The New York Times’ daily word game, Connections, presented a relatively accessible challenge to players on Friday, February 28, 2026, with categories that leaned into common experiences and linguistic patterns. The game, which tasks players with grouping sixteen words into four categories of four, has quickly become a popular fixture in the Times Games portfolio, alongside stalwarts like Wordle and the Mini Crossword.
Introduced in 2014 as part of an expansion of the New York Times’ puzzle offerings, Connections was developed with the assistance of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, according to the Times. The game’s appeal lies in its blend of vocabulary, lateral thinking, and the satisfaction of uncovering hidden relationships between seemingly disparate terms. Players can access Connections through web browsers and mobile devices.
Today’s puzzle featured four distinct groupings. The “yellow” category, intended as the easiest, centered around expressions of “craving,” encompassing the words desire, itch, thirst, and urge. The “green” category focused on professions that involve frequent travel, with the answers being cruise director, pilot, roadie, and salesman. A more challenging “blue” category tested players’ knowledge of homophones – words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings – with earnest, kneel, rustle, and tailor forming the correct grouping.
The most demanding category, designated “purple,” required players to identify a connection between astronomical terms and a playful addition: airplane, luggage, palm tree, and smiling face with sunglasses. This grouping proved particularly elusive for some, highlighting the game’s capacity for both cleverness and ambiguity.
Connections, like Wordle, allows players to share their results on social media, fostering a sense of community and friendly competition. The game also provides a scoring system and analysis tools for registered Times Games users, tracking metrics such as puzzles completed, win rate, and streak length. Players can also utilize a shuffle feature to rearrange the board, aiding in the identification of potential connections.
The New York Times has continued to expand its suite of games in recent years, acquiring Wordle and adding Connections and Strands to its collection, demonstrating a commitment to providing a diverse range of puzzles for players of all skill levels. The company also offers other popular games such as Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, and Tiles.
