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Spoiler-light hints for Connections #992
- Yellow: Think of an untrustworthy person or betrayer.
- Green: Think of a surrounding atmosphere or magnetic impression.
- Blue: Think of phenomena where one event leads to another.
- Purple: Add a word meaning firmly applied pressure.
Answers for February 27, 2026
Spoilers: The groups and their words are listed below.
| Color | Category | Words | Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | BACKSTABBER | JUDAS, SNAKE, TRAITOR, TURNCOAT | Words for someone who betrays another person. |
| Green | AURA | AIR, IMPRESSION, MANNER, QUALITY | Each can describe an atmosphere, bearing, or surrounding impression. |
| Blue | Kinds of chain-reaction “effects” | BUTTERFLY, DOMINO, RIPPLE, SNOWBALL | Each forms a familiar phrase with “effect.” |
| Purple | ___ PRESS | BENCH, DRILL, FRENCH, PRINTING | Add “press” to make bench press, drill press, French press, and printing press. |
How to solve the grid
Start with the betrayer synonyms
JUDAS, SNAKE, TRAITOR, and TURNCOAT form the most direct semantic group: each points to a betrayer. Removing them leaves 12 words and makes the less literal groupings easier to see.
Read the atmosphere words broadly
AIR, IMPRESSION, MANNER, and QUALITY can all describe the feel or bearing someone or something gives off. Together, they form AURA.
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Supply the shared final word
BUTTERFLY, DOMINO, RIPPLE, and SNOWBALL each pair with “effect,” producing butterfly effect, domino effect, ripple effect, and snowball effect.
Use PRESS to resolve the last four
The remaining words combine with PRESS: BENCH PRESS, DRILL PRESS, FRENCH PRESS, and PRINTING PRESS. This is the purple set, where the connection depends on completing familiar phrases rather than spotting synonyms.
How Connections works
Connections gives players 16 words to sort into four groups of four. Its colors run from yellow, the easiest category, to purple, the trickiest; the game also includes words that can appear to fit more than one group. The New York Times describes it as “a word game that challenges players to find themes between words.” The daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. See the NYT Connections game and the official Connections Help Center for game details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Difficulty rating
PC Guide reports that The New York Times rated puzzle #992 2 out of 5 for difficulty. No verified completion-rate statistic for this specific puzzle is available, so a completion percentage should not be inferred from the rating.
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