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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Need help with NYT Connections #991 for Thursday, February 26, 2026? The puzzle’s groups are pivotal points, green things, elements of joke-telling, and phrases that can precede “please.” Hints appear first, followed by the full answers and explanations.
Warning: the answers are below.
NYT Connections #991 hints for February 26
Try these clues before revealing the groups:
- Yellow: An important or decisive moment
- Green: Things that share the same color
- Blue: Components of a joke
- Purple: Add the same polite word after each one
The clues can also be summarized as “moment of truth,” “share same color,” “parts of a gag,” and “add a polite word.”
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The 16 words in today’s puzzle
SHAMROCK, DRUMROLL, PUNCHLINE, MILESTONE, PRETTY, WATERSHED, GRASSHOPPER, LANDMARK, CHECK, TIMING, ATTENTION, STATUE OF LIBERTY, SETUP, WASABI, CALLBACK, CROSSROADS
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Here are the four completed groups for Connections puzzle #991:
#1 Best Overall
🟨 Pivotal point
CROSSROADS, LANDMARK, MILESTONE, WATERSHED
Each word can describe an important, defining, or decisive point. A crossroads is a moment of choice, while a landmark, milestone, or watershed can mark a significant change or achievement.
🟩 Green things
GRASSHOPPER, SHAMROCK, STATUE OF LIBERTY, WASABI
Grasshoppers, shamrocks, and wasabi can all be associated with green. The Statue of Liberty belongs because its copper exterior developed a green patina through oxidation; the statue was originally reddish-brown.
🟦 Elements of joke-telling
CALLBACK, PUNCHLINE, SETUP, TIMING
A setup establishes the premise, timing affects delivery, and the punchline provides the payoff. A callback returns to an earlier joke, detail, or idea for a later comedic effect.
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🟪 “___ please”
ATTENTION, CHECK, DRUMROLL, PRETTY
These form the phrases attention please, check please, drumroll please, and pretty please.
Rank #3
How difficult was Connections #991?
The green group is the likely trap: the Statue of Liberty is not naturally green, but its oxidized copper exterior is now recognized by that color. The purple group also depends on completing familiar phrases rather than finding a strict category shared by the four words alone.
The yellow group contains several words that can describe an important moment, while the blue group is comparatively direct once SETUP, PUNCHLINE, and TIMING are recognized as parts of a joke. As always, the grid is designed to include plausible overlaps, so grouping four words by a broad association can produce a wrong guess.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play NYT Connections
The standard Connections puzzle is available at nytimes.com/games/connections, in the New York Times Games app, and in the News app. The puzzle is released at midnight in the player’s time zone, so the date shown as “today” can vary by location.
This article covers the standard Connections puzzle, not Connections: Sports Edition.
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Can you replay this puzzle?
New York Times subscribers can access the official archive on the web through NYTimes.com/crosswords via the navigation menu, or through the Connections Archive section of the Games app. The archive is not available in the News app’s Play tab.
The archive reaches back to June 12, 2023. Archived puzzles count toward statistics such as completed puzzles, win rate, perfect puzzles, and mistake distribution, but they do not change current or maximum streaks. A completed archived puzzle cannot be replayed.
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