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NYT Connections game #971 is the Friday, February 6, 2026 puzzle. If you are still solving, use the progressive nudges below before opening the spoiler section. The complete answer key follows the warning.
Spoiler warning: The groups and all sixteen answers appear below this line.
Hints for Connections #971
Try these category-level clues in order. Each describes a group without naming its four entries.
- Yellow: Think of objects you might find around a hot drink.
- Green: Look for things visibly marked with bands or lines.
- Blue: Complete each word with fly to make an insect name.
- Purple: Say the remaining words aloud; they sound like informal greetings.
NYT Connections #971 answers
| Group | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Items at a coffee station | CUP, LID, STIRRER, STRAW |
| Green | Things with stripes | CANDY CANE, CROSSWALK, REFEREE, TIGER |
| Blue | Words before “fly” in insect names | BUTTER, DRAGON, FIRE, HORSE |
| Purple | Homophones of greetings | CHOW, HAY, HIGH, YEOH |
The answer groups and game number are reported by Forbes, with the date and number also cross-checked by TechRadar.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
Why each group works
Yellow: items at a coffee station
A CUP holds the drink, a LID covers it, a STIRRER mixes it and a STRAW lets you sip it. Together they describe familiar coffee-station supplies rather than types of coffee.
Green: things with stripes
A CANDY CANE has colored bands, a CROSSWALK has painted lines, a REFEREE commonly wears a striped shirt and a TIGER has striped fur.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Blue: words before “fly”
Adding fly creates BUTTERFLY, DRAGONFLY, FIREFLY and HORSEFLY. The words work as parts of insect names, not as a general category of things that can fly.
Purple: homophones of greetings
The sound-alike readings are CHOW/“ciao,” HAY/“hey,” HIGH/“hi” and YEOH/“yeah.” This is the puzzle’s wordplay group, so pronunciation matters more than literal definitions.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
A practical way to solve this grid
Start with concrete clusters
When several entries appear to belong to an everyday setting, check whether exactly four fit the same use. The coffee-station objects form a clean set and remove four distractors from consideration.
Test visible properties
After the first set is removed, inspect what the remaining things look like. “Striped” can describe an object, a place marking, clothing or an animal, which is why the group is broader than a single kind of item.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
Look for compound-word completions
Short words that become familiar terms when followed by the same word are strong Connections candidates. Appending fly to BUTTER, DRAGON, FIRE and HORSE produces four established insect names.
Read the leftovers aloud
If a final group resists a literal category, switch from meaning to sound. The purple entries are deliberately unconventional spellings whose pronunciations evoke greetings.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Protect your mistake allowance
Before submitting, make sure a proposed category explains all four words and leaves the other entries with plausible homes. This avoids spending a guess on a three-word pattern that has a tempting fourth-word decoy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Date, numbering and access
This guide is for Friday, February 6, 2026, puzzle #971. Connections appears at midnight in each time zone, so a reader’s local “today” can correspond to a different numbered edition; TechRadar notes the time-zone behavior in its guide.
The game is available as a free daily word puzzle on the New York Times website and Games app. Forbes reports that the historical archive, which contains past puzzles, is available with an All Access or Games subscription; that archive detail is separate from access to the specific daily puzzle.
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