NYT Connections #983 was the puzzle released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Below are the 16 words, progressive hints and the complete solutions, with a spoiler warning before the answers. Since the release date has passed, “today” in the supplied headline refers to that historical puzzle date, not the current day.
Puzzle #983 was released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The 16 words were HEAVY, CRESTED, BAD, FEATHER, FLY, TEASE, BANTAM, TOPICAL, CURL, SOUR, WICKED, LEGHORN, SHAVING, CRIMP, FREE-RANGE and RAD.
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Connections asks you to divide those 16 words into four groups of four. Try the hints below before revealing the solutions.
NYT Connections #983 word grid
FLYTEASEBANTAMTOPICAL
CURLSOURWICKEDLEGHORN
SHAVINGCRIMPFREE-RANGERAD
Hints for Connections #983
- Yellow: These could be instructions from a retro salon or hair stylist.
- Green: These older slang terms could mean something was cool, excellent or impressive.
- Blue: These words describe types, breeds or characteristics associated with chickens.
- Purple: Each word can come before cream.
One answer from each group
Need a little more help without seeing all the answers? The four representative words are:
#1 Best Overall
- Yellow: FEATHER
- Green: BAD
- Blue: CRESTED
- Purple: TOPICAL
NYT Connections #983 answers
Yellow: RETRO HAIR DIRECTIVES
- CRIMP
- CURL
- FEATHER
- TEASE
These are hair-styling instructions or techniques associated with older and retro hairstyles. To crimp, curl, feather or tease hair is to shape or treat it in a distinct way.
Green: RETRO SLANG FOR COOL
- BAD
- FLY
- RAD
- WICKED
Each word has been used as informal slang for something impressive, fashionable or cool. The expressions are associated with older slang, particular eras, or specific regional and social contexts rather than current internet language.
Rank #2
Blue: CHICKEN DESCRIPTORS
- BANTAM
- CRESTED
- FREE-RANGE
- LEGHORN
Bantam identifies a small chicken type, crested describes a bird with a crest, free-range describes a way poultry may be raised, and Leghorn is a recognized chicken breed.
Purple: _____ CREAM
- HEAVY
- SHAVING
- SOUR
- TOPICAL
These complete the phrases heavy cream, shaving cream, sour cream and topical cream. The category mixes familiar food, cosmetic and medical terms, which makes it less obvious than a group built around one subject.
Rank #3
Why Connections #983 was tricky
The grid includes several tempting overlaps. HEAVY, FEATHER, FLY and BANTAM can suggest boxing or combat-sports weight classes, but that is a red herring: BANTAM belongs with the chicken descriptors, while HEAVY completes “heavy cream.”
There is another possible slang trap in BAD, RAD, HEAVY and SOUR. Some of these words can sound like older slang or intensifiers, but SOUR is needed for the “_____ cream” group, and HEAVY is not part of the retro-cool set. The four slang answers are BAD, FLY, RAD and WICKED.
Rank #4
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How NYT Connections works
Each daily Connections puzzle presents 16 words. Your goal is to identify four groups of four words that share a connection. Select four words and submit them as a group; you can make up to four mistakes before the puzzle ends. The connections may be straightforward, such as the four hair techniques here, or depend on wordplay, shared phrases and multiple meanings.
A reliable solving approach is to first mark groups with a very specific connection, then test every remaining word against the apparent group. Before submitting, ask whether one word has a stronger home elsewhere. That final check is especially important in puzzles like #983, where BANTAM and HEAVY invite plausible but incorrect groupings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the categories in NYT Connections #983?
The four groups in NYT Connections #983 are RETRO HAIR DIRECTIVES; RETRO SLANG FOR COOL; CHICKEN DESCRIPTORS; and _____ CREAM.
What are the answers to NYT Connections #983?
The answers are CRIMP, CURL, FEATHER and TEASE; BAD, FLY, RAD and WICKED; BANTAM, CRESTED, FREE-RANGE and LEGHORN; and HEAVY, SHAVING, SOUR and TOPICAL.
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When was NYT Connections #983 released?
NYT Connections puzzle #983 was released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The Bottom Line
NYT Connections #983, released February 18, 2026, groups the words into retro hair directives, retro slang for “cool,” chicken descriptors, and words that precede “cream.”
Quick Recap
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