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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The NYT Connections puzzle dated February 21, 2026, is game #986. Its four groups are Experience, Attendance status, Commentary about your results, and a wordplay group built from car brands plus two letters.
February 21, 2026 Connections answers
| Group | Words |
|---|---|
| Experience | BACKGROUND, HISTORY, LIFE, PAST |
| Attendance status | ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, PRESENT |
| Commentary about your Connections results | GREAT, PERFECT, PHEW, SOLID |
| Car brands plus two letters | AUDITS, DODGERS, INFINITIVE, MINION |
How the groups fit
Experience
BACKGROUND, HISTORY, LIFE, and PAST can each describe experience accumulated over time.
Attendance status
ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, and PRESENT are ways to describe someone’s attendance.
Commentary about your result
GREAT, PERFECT, PHEW, and SOLID are reactions or comments a player might make about a Connections result.
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Car brands plus two letters
Each word in the final group starts with a car brand name, with two letters added: AUDI becomes AUDITS, DODGE becomes DODGERS, INFINITI becomes INFINITIVE, and MINI becomes MINION.
What to know about game #986
Connections challenges players to sort 16 words into four groups of four. TechRadar’s February 20, 2026 guide says players may make up to four mistakes and describes the game as free to play on the NYT Games site. The answer above is for the February 21 puzzle, not a claim about the current daily game.
Rank #2
The four categories and their words are corroborated by three answer guides: Try Hard Guides (published February 20, 2026, 12:15 p.m. MST), TechRadar (February 20, 2026), and Forbes (February 20, 2026, 1:10 p.m. EST). These are answer guides rather than an official NYT answer archive.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Playing or finding older puzzles
TechRadar describes online play on the NYT Games site as free. Forbes notes that an NYT Games subscription provides access to past-puzzle archives. That archive access is separate from looking up the answers here; these sources do not establish current subscription terms or pricing.
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Best Value
Rank #3
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