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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe NYT Connections answer for Monday, February 2, 2026, is puzzle #967. Its four groups are DURATION, CREDENTIALS FOR ENTRY, MODERN CRIME-SERIES PROTAGONISTS, and TREES PLUS A LETTER.
Need the answer to NYT Connections #967? The Monday, February 2, 2026, puzzle groups its 16 words into DURATION, CREDENTIALS FOR ENTRY, MODERN CRIME-SERIES PROTAGONISTS, and TREES PLUS A LETTER.
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This is puzzle #967. Because the headline does not include a year, the date here is stated explicitly: these hints and answers are for Monday, February 2, 2026.
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Try these clues before scrolling to the solution. They progress from least revealing to most revealing.
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Yellow group hint
These four words can describe a length or period of time.
Green group hint
These are things that may identify someone as authorized to enter an event, venue, facility, or country.
Blue group hint
These four names belong to protagonists from modern crime, thriller, or espionage television franchises. Do not limit the category to traditional detectives.
Purple group hint
Remove one letter from each word to reveal the name of a tree.
One-word hints for each group
If you want a stronger nudge without seeing every answer, use these:
- Yellow: SPAN
- Green: PASS
- Blue: CROSS
- Purple: POPULAR
Warning: the Connections #967 answers are below
Stop here if you are still solving. The complete grid, category labels, and explanations follow.
NYT Connections #967 answers for February 2, 2026
| Color | Category | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | DURATION | INTERVAL, PERIOD, SPAN, STRETCH |
| Green | CREDENTIALS FOR ENTRY | LANYARD, PASS, STAMP, WRISTBAND |
| Blue | MODERN CRIME-SERIES PROTAGONISTS | BOSCH, CROSS, REACHER, RYAN |
| Purple | TREES PLUS A LETTER | FAIR, MARPLE, POPULAR, PSALM |
Yellow: DURATION
INTERVAL, PERIOD, SPAN, STRETCH
Each word can mean a length or period of time. An interval is a period between events, while a period is a defined length of time. A span can describe the extent or duration of something, and a stretch can mean a continuous period.
Green: CREDENTIALS FOR ENTRY
LANYARD, PASS, STAMP, WRISTBAND
These can all serve as proof that someone is permitted to enter or return to a place. A lanyard may hold an event or work-access badge; a pass directly grants access; a stamp can mark admission or re-entry; and a wristband commonly identifies authorized attendees at events or venues.
Blue: MODERN CRIME-SERIES PROTAGONISTS
BOSCH, CROSS, REACHER, RYAN
These names point to Harry Bosch, Alex Cross, Jack Reacher, and Jack Ryan, characters associated with modern crime, thriller, or espionage screen franchises.
The label is deliberately broader than “detectives.” Bosch and Cross are strongly associated with crime investigation, Reacher is an action and investigative protagonist, and Ryan is primarily an intelligence and espionage character. The intended connection is the group of recognizable protagonists from contemporary crime-oriented television franchises, not one identical job description.
Purple: TREES PLUS A LETTER
FAIR, MARPLE, POPULAR, PSALM
Remove one letter from each word to get a tree name:
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| Grid word | Letter removed | Tree |
|---|---|---|
| FAIR | A | FIR |
| MARPLE | R | MAPLE |
| POPULAR | U | POPLAR |
| PSALM | S | PALM |
This is the trickiest category because the tree names are created by deletion rather than appearing as ordinary words. The transformation is exact: each answer contains the tree name plus one extra letter.
Why MARPLE is a red herring
MARPLE can suggest Miss Marple, the famous fictional detective. That makes it tempting to place MARPLE alongside BOSCH, CROSS, and REACHER in the blue group. But the blue category needs four intended screen protagonists, and RYAN completes that set. MARPLE instead belongs with FAIR, POPULAR, and PSALM because removing one letter produces MAPLE, POPLAR, and PALM.
This is a useful Connections lesson: a plausible association is not enough. The correct group must account for all four words using the same precise rule, while avoiding a stronger, cleaner arrangement elsewhere.
Where the four blue-group names come from
The blue answers refer to characters and franchises familiar from television adaptations and related crime or thriller entertainment: Bosch, Cross, Reacher, and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Their occupations and story types differ, which is why “modern crime-series protagonists” is a better description than simply “detectives.” Availability of any particular series or adaptation can vary by country and change over time.
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Connections presents 16 words. The objective is to sort them into four groups of four, with each group sharing a hidden connection. The groups have different difficulty levels, traditionally represented by yellow, green, blue, and purple. You can submit guesses, and an incorrect selection uses one of your available mistakes.
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For a reliable solving method, first look for the most literal category, then test every word against it. Before submitting, check whether one word has a stronger alternate relationship with another group. This puzzle demonstrates that principle particularly well: MARPLE looks like a detective clue, but the one-letter tree transformation is the intended exact match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is MARPLE not grouped with BOSCH, CROSS, and REACHER?
MARPLE belongs in the purple group, not the blue group. Remove the R from MARPLE to make MAPLE, a tree. Its association with Miss Marple is an intentional red herring.
How does the purple category work in Connections #967?
The purple words become tree names after one letter is removed: FAIR becomes FIR, MARPLE becomes MAPLE, POPULAR becomes POPLAR, and PSALM becomes PALM.
Are all four blue-group answers detectives?
No. The blue group is broader than detectives: BOSCH, CROSS, REACHER, and RYAN are protagonists associated with modern crime, thriller, or espionage television franchises.
The Bottom Line
The answers for NYT Connections #967, published Monday, February 2, 2026, are: DURATION—INTERVAL, PERIOD, SPAN, STRETCH; CREDENTIALS FOR ENTRY—LANYARD, PASS, STAMP, WRISTBAND; MODERN CRIME-SERIES PROTAGONISTS—BOSCH, CROSS, REACHER, RYAN; and TREES PLUS A LETTER—FAIR, MARPLE, POPULAR, PSALM.
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