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NYT Connections February 17 mixes speedy actions, Chinese sauces, page-marking verbs, and clever “dud” wordplay into a smart challenge.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle blends food terms, reading actions, and failure-based twists for a moderately tricky solve.
From zooming verbs to sneaky synonym starters, the February 17 grid rewards sharp observation and layered thinking.
The New York Times has released the newest NYT Connections grid. Again, it has 16 randomly placed words, and four of them share a passive link that one must understand to form the sets and solve the puzzle. Every day, this word puzzle challenges gamers' knowledge with wordplay, witty themes, and intricate solving processes.
If you are struggling with today’s NYT Connections, the puzzle on February 17 presents words that are closely connected to speedy things, sauce in Chinese food, marking a book page, and synonyms for failure. Finding the correct four words to make each set may require some help, so here’s the detailed guide to dive into NYT Connections answers and hints for today.
Every day, NYT experts rate Connections puzzles to indicate their level of difficulty. Out of 5 to hint at the difficulty level. Today’s one is rated 2.8 out of 5. Though players’ personal ratings may differ, experts have found today's themes to be average and challenging to solve. Still, for those who are struggling to figure it out, here are the hints to make the process easier. Let's start with the hints category-wise:
Easiest Group (Yellow): Today’s yellow group words are connected to speed. Precisely how a Cheetah behaves.
Moderate Group (Green): This group will contain words associated with Chinese cuisine.
Challenging Group (Blue): This group will have four words that represent marking pages of a book.
Most Difficult Group (Purple): This is the final category, and these words are related to failure.
Also Read: NYT Wordle Answer Today for February 16, 2026: Hints and Expert Walkthrough Revealed
With the above hints, solvers must have reached near the themes of today’s Connections, but if there are the words to form them, below are the solutions to check out:
Yellow Category (ZOOM): DART, FLASH, SPEED, ZIP
Green Category (SAUCES IN CHINESE CUISINE): HOISIN, OYSTER, PLUM, SOY
Blue Category (RIFFLE (THROUGH)): FLIP, LEAF, SKIM, THUMB
Purple Category (STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "DUD"): BOMBAY, BUSTLE, FLOPPY, MISSUS
These are the four categories for today’s puzzle, and hopefully, most players have guessed the word sets without the answer. So, congratulations to all who have solved it!
Unlike traditional crosswords or word searches, NYT Connections asks players to identify subtle connections between the given words and form four groups of four. Connections presents a grid of 16 words, and the objective is to group these words into four sets of four words.
The twist is that each set must be formed while adhering to a specific theme. To solve this puzzle, players must be aware of the connection between particular words.
NYT Connections is tricky. That’s the most attractive part of this puzzle as well. This puzzle appeals to those who love challenges. Unlike others, this puzzle offers four different themes every day, making it both complicated and exciting. These themes never get repeated. Therefore, the solutions require a solid vocabulary to identify connections between words.
Also Read: Today’s NYT Strands Hints and Answers for February 16, 2026
