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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →NYT Connections #991, published Thursday, February 26, 2026, includes groups about pivotal points, green things, joke-telling, and words that go with “please.” The word list is provided first, followed by graduated hints and the complete spoiler answer.
NYT Connections #991 was published on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The 16 words are:
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SHAMROCK, DRUMROLL, PUNCHLINE, MILESTONE, PRETTY, WATERSHED, GRASSHOPPER, LANDMARK, CHECK, TIMING, ATTENTION, STATUE OF LIBERTY, SETUP, WASABI, CALLBACK, CROSSROADS.
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If you want to keep solving without seeing the full solution, use the hints below first. The complete groups appear farther down the page.
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NYT Connections #991 hints
Each category contains four words. The clues below are arranged from broadest to most specific:
- Yellow: An important or decisive point in a journey or process.
- Green: Things that are green, either naturally or by appearance.
- Blue: Parts of constructing or delivering a joke.
- Purple: Words that can precede “please.”
One-word clues
- Yellow: LANDMARK
- Green: WASABI
- Blue: SETUP
- Purple: CHECK
Spoiler warning: the complete Connections #991 answers
Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle yourself. The four completed groups are below.
Yellow: PIVOTAL POINT
CROSSROADS, LANDMARK, MILESTONE, WATERSHED
All four words can describe an important point, event, or turning point. A crossroads is a major juncture where a decision may be required. A landmark can be a notable event or stage, while a milestone marks meaningful progress. A watershed can refer to a decisive turning point that changes what follows.
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Green: GREEN THINGS
GRASSHOPPER, SHAMROCK, STATUE OF LIBERTY, WASABI
A grasshopper and a shamrock are commonly associated with green, and wasabi is typically green in appearance. The Statue of Liberty belongs in this group because its copper exterior developed a green patina through oxidation. It was originally a reddish-brown copper color before changing over time.
Blue: ELEMENTS OF JOKE-TELLING
CALLBACK, PUNCHLINE, SETUP, TIMING
A setup establishes the premise, and the punchline delivers the comic payoff. Timing affects the rhythm, pauses, and delivery of a joke. A callback refers to an earlier joke, phrase, or detail. Together, these are recognizable parts of writing or performing comedy.
Purple: “___ PLEASE”
ATTENTION, CHECK, DRUMROLL, PRETTY
Each word can come before “please”:
- Attention, please
- Check, please
- Drumroll, please
- Pretty please
This is the most phrase-dependent group in the puzzle. “Pretty please” is a familiar expression, while “drumroll, please” is commonly used to build anticipation. “Attention, please” and “check, please” complete the set.
How to solve Connections #991
A productive route begins with the words that most strongly suggest significant moments: MILESTONE and WATERSHED. Adding LANDMARK and CROSSROADS produces the “PIVOTAL POINT” group.
Next, SETUP and PUNCHLINE form an obvious comedy pairing. Once CALLBACK and TIMING are considered as joke-telling terms, the blue group is complete.
The green category is broader and works by association rather than by a shared function. GRASSHOPPER, SHAMROCK, and WASABI point toward the color green. The STATUE OF LIBERTY is the less literal entry, but its weathered copper surface is now green.
After those groups are removed, the remaining words are ATTENTION, CHECK, DRUMROLL, and PRETTY. Putting “please” after each one reveals the purple category.
Why the red herrings work
Connections is built around misleading overlaps. LANDMARK may initially look like a physical object because it can describe a recognizable place, but here it means a notable point in a process. The green group also mixes literal and visual associations: a grasshopper and shamrock are naturally linked with green, while the Statue of Liberty gets there through its patina.
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The purple group can feel less concrete than the others because the connection is a phrase pattern rather than a shared meaning. Solvers who identify “please” as the missing word can test all four remaining entries quickly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.More NYT Games puzzles
If you enjoy Connections and want offline play after finishing the daily grid, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! is a physical NYT Games puzzle book published by Authors Equity on October 21, 2025. It is a related collection for additional puzzle sessions; it is not presented as containing Connections #991 specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the NYT Connections #991 categories?
The four Connections #991 categories are PIVOTAL POINT, GREEN THINGS, ELEMENTS OF JOKE-TELLING, and “___ PLEASE.”
What is the purple group in Connections #991?
The purple group is ATTENTION, CHECK, DRUMROLL, and PRETTY. Each can precede or form a phrase with “please”: attention, please; check, please; drumroll, please; and pretty please.
The Bottom Line
Connections #991 answers: PIVOTAL POINT — CROSSROADS, LANDMARK, MILESTONE, WATERSHED; GREEN THINGS — GRASSHOPPER, SHAMROCK, STATUE OF LIBERTY, WASABI; ELEMENTS OF JOKE-TELLING — CALLBACK, PUNCHLINE, SETUP, TIMING; “___ PLEASE” — ATTENTION, CHECK, DRUMROLL, PRETTY.
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