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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNYT Connections puzzle #969 is for Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Start with the group clues below if you want a nudge; the full category labels and tile groupings are farther down, after a clear spoiler warning.
Hints for Connections #969
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. The clues below reveal the theme of each group without listing its tiles.
- Yellow: Conflict
- Green: Lucky contests
- Blue: Roughly speaking
- Purple: Basketball starters
If you want more help without seeing the complete solution, the NYT Connections Companion forum offers hints and comments, but reader comments may include spoilers. See the NYT Help Center’s Connections information.
Full answers for February 4
Spoilers below: The category labels and all 16 answers follow.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchYellow: CONTENTION
CONFLICT, DISCORD, FRICTION, RIVALRY all describe tension or disagreement between people or sides.
Green: GAMES OF CHANCE
BINGO, CRAPS, LOTTERY, WAR are games or contests where chance is central. Craps is a dice game; War is also the name of a casino card game.
Rank #2
Blue: MORE OR LESS, COLLOQUIALLY
APPROX, BOUT, LIKE, ROUND can each express approximation: “approximately,” “about,” “like 15,” and “around.”
Purple: STARTING WITH NBA TEAMS
BULLSEYE, HEATED, MAGICAL, NETSCAPE each begins with the name of an NBA team: Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Brooklyn Nets.
Why the grid is tricky
Several words tempt you toward a plausible but incorrect grouping. WAR can sound like a word for conflict, while BOUT and ROUND may bring boxing to mind. The purple set depends on spotting team names at the starts of longer words, rather than treating each tile as a standalone basketball reference.
The New York Times Help Center says each puzzle has one intended solution and is designed to be tricky because words may fit more than one category. That overlap is why it helps to look for a complete set of four before submitting a guess.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to play or revisit this puzzle
The daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. The NYT Help Center lists the NYT Games app, NYT Games website, NYT/The Athletic site, and News app as places to play; it described Connections as free to play when its guidance was published. Availability and subscription terms can change, so check the current NYT Help Center page for the latest details.
The Help Center says the Connections archive goes back to June 12, 2023, and is available to All Access and Games subscribers. Archived puzzles count toward completed-puzzle, win-rate, perfect-puzzle, and mistake statistics, but not current or maximum streaks; a completed archive puzzle cannot be replayed. Check the Help Center for current archive and subscription terms.
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