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NYT Connections Answers for February 14, 2026: Puzzle #979

The February 14, 2026 Connections puzzle (#979) groups words about increases, protuberances, Tom Hanks roles, and words before “mint.”
Length1 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Spoilers: The complete answers to Connections puzzle #979, dated February 14, 2026, are below. If you want a nudge first, the four themes are moving upward, something that sticks out, characters played by a famous actor, and words that commonly come before “mint.”

Connections #979 hints for February 14, 2026

  • Yellow: Think of an increase or upward movement.
  • Green: Look for words describing a raised, rounded feature.
  • Blue: These are characters played by the same famous actor.
  • Purple: Each word can come before “mint.”

Connections answers for February 14, 2026

The board’s four groups are:

Color Category Words
Yellow UPTICK HIKE, JUMP, RISE, SPIKE
Green PROTUBERANCE BUMP, HUMP, LUMP, MOUND
Blue TOM HANKS ROLES GUMP, PHILLIPS, SULLY, WOODY
Purple WORDS BEFORE “MINT” BREATH, JUNIOR, PEPPER, SPEAR

Why the words fit

Yellow: UPTICK

HIKE, JUMP, RISE, and SPIKE can each describe an increase or upward movement.

Green: PROTUBERANCE

BUMP, HUMP, LUMP, and MOUND name raised or rounded features.

Blue: TOM HANKS ROLES

GUMP refers to Forrest Gump; PHILLIPS to Captain Richard Phillips; SULLY to pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger; and WOODY to the Toy Story character.

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Purple: WORDS BEFORE “MINT”

BREATH makes breath mint, JUNIOR makes Junior Mints, PEPPER makes peppermints, and SPEAR makes spearmint.

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How Connections works

Connections presents 16 words to sort into four groups of four based on a shared connection. Players have up to four mistakes, according to PC Guide’s gameplay explanation. That is standard gameplay context, not a special rule for puzzle #979.

The February 14, 2026 date and #979 number, along with the answer groups, are also reported by Fortnite Insider and WePC.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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