Need a nudge before the solution? Connections game #981, dated Monday, February 16, 2026, groups its words around laughter, homophones, chicken sounds, and stress responses. Hints are below in stages; stop before the answer section if you want to keep solving.
Hints for Connections #981
Read one hint at a time and pause before moving on if you want to solve the puzzle yourself.
Yellow hint
These words can describe something very funny.
Green hint
Say the words aloud. One is a musical syllable, not the everyday verb.
Blue hint
Think of sounds associated with chickens.
Purple hint
These are four possible responses to stress or threat.
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Connections #981 answers
Spoilers: The complete groups and words are listed below.
Yellow — Knee-slapper
- HOOT
- LAUGH
- RIOT
- SCREAM
Green — Homophones
- DO
- DOE
- DOH
- DOUGH
Here, DO is the solfège syllable, pronounced like DOE, DOH, and DOUGH—not the ordinary verb “do.”
Blue — Sounds a chicken makes
- BUCK
- CACKLE
- CLUCK
- SQUAWK
Purple — Stress responses
- FAWN
- FIGHT
- FLIGHT
- FREEZE
FAWN refers to appeasing a threat. The word overlaps are deliberate traps: DOE, BUCK, and FAWN can bring deer to mind; HOOT and SCREAM may seem like animal sounds; and CACKLE can suggest laughter. The intended groupings depend on the full sets of four, not just one plausible association.
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