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NYT Connections #987 was the puzzle released on Sunday, February 22, 2026. The archived puzzle featured groups about outsiders, graying hair, classic comic strips, and Theodore Roosevelt. Hints appear first below; the complete answers are farther down for readers who want the solution immediately.
Today’s Connections words
The 16 tiles in Connections #987 were:
- OUTCAST
- SALT-AND-PEPPER
- BLONDIE
- TEDDY BEAR
- DISTINGUISHED
- BLACK SHEEP
- ROUGH RIDERS
- THE FAR SIDE
- BULL MOOSE
- BLOOM COUNTY
- SILVER
- PEANUTS
- MISFIT
- FLECKED
- REJECT
- BIG STICK
Note: This was the puzzle for February 22, 2026—not the current daily puzzle.
Need a gentle hint?
- Yellow: Think of someone who does not fit in.
- Green: These can describe hair that is turning gray.
- Blue: Think of familiar newspaper or syndicated comic strips.
- Purple: Think of the 26th U.S. president.
Stronger hints
These clues give away one representative tile from each group:
- Yellow: OUTCAST
- Green: FLECKED
- Blue: BLONDIE
- Purple: BIG STICK
What were the Connections categories?
The four categories were:
- One who doesn’t fit in
- Descriptors for graying hair
- Classic comic strips
- Associated with Theodore Roosevelt
Spoilers: Connections #987 answers
Stop here if you only wanted hints. The complete solution is below.
#1 Best Overall
🟨 One who doesn’t fit in
BLACK SHEEP · MISFIT · OUTCAST · REJECT
🟩 Descriptors for graying hair
DISTINGUISHED · FLECKED · SALT-AND-PEPPER · SILVER
🟦 Classic comic strips
BLONDIE · BLOOM COUNTY · PEANUTS · THE FAR SIDE
🟪 Associated with Theodore Roosevelt
BIG STICK · BULL MOOSE · ROUGH RIDERS · TEDDY BEAR
Why each answer fits
Yellow: One who doesn’t fit in
A BLACK SHEEP differs from or is rejected by its group. A MISFIT does not fit socially or situationally, while an OUTCAST is excluded from a community. A REJECT is someone or something that has not been accepted.
Green: Descriptors for graying hair
Hair can be FLECKED with gray, or described as SALT-AND-PEPPER when dark and gray strands are mixed. SILVER is a common description for gray or white hair, while DISTINGUISHED can be a positive description of someone with gray hair.
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BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, and THE FAR SIDE are all well-known comic-strip titles. The article “The” is part of the tile for THE FAR SIDE.
Purple: Associated with Theodore Roosevelt
BIG STICK refers to Roosevelt’s famous “big stick” foreign-policy maxim. The ROUGH RIDERS were the volunteer cavalry unit associated with him during the Spanish-American War. BULL MOOSE connects to Roosevelt’s 1912 Progressive Party campaign, while the name TEDDY BEAR is conventionally associated with his nickname, “Teddy.”
This was the puzzle’s most knowledge-dependent group. BULL MOOSE can look like a possible comic-strip title at first, but its intended connection is Roosevelt.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How NYT Connections works
Connections presents 16 words or phrases that must be divided into four groups of four. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow, green, blue, and purple. Players have a limited number of incorrect guesses, so it is useful to look for the most obvious group first and keep possible red-herring words in mind.
Best Value
The puzzle commonly resets at midnight in the player’s local time, although exact availability and features can depend on the NYT Games platform. You can find the official game at The New York Times Connections page.
Final result
- 🟨 BLACK SHEEP · MISFIT · OUTCAST · REJECT
- 🟩 DISTINGUISHED · FLECKED · SALT-AND-PEPPER · SILVER
- 🟦 BLONDIE · BLOOM COUNTY · PEANUTS · THE FAR SIDE
- 🟪 BIG STICK · BULL MOOSE · ROUGH RIDERS · TEDDY BEAR
The solution and word list were cross-checked against coverage from TechRadar, Yahoo Tech/CNET, Forbes, and Insider Gaming.
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