Your Complete Guide to the February 26, 2025, Connections Puzzle
Searching for the Connections solution for Wednesday, February 26, 2025? This post will provide you with useful hints, strategies, and the answers for each category. Throughout the process, the meanings of the trickier terms will be clarified, helping to connect the dots. Warning: spoilers ahead for NYT Connections #626 on February 26! If you’re keen for some guidance (followed by the ultimate answers), continue reading!
For handy access to daily Connections tips, consider bookmarking this page. Previous hints are also available here, in case you wish to catch up on past puzzles you might have missed.
Initially, some subtle hints for today’s Connections answers will be shared, followed by a deeper exploration of the themes and final answers. Take your time scrolling through and only take hints as you need them!
Non-Spoiler Hints for Today’s Connections Themes
Here are some helpful hints regarding the groups in today’s Connections:
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Yellow category – What’s that price going to be?
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Green category – Once the case, but not anymore.
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Blue category – Identical shape.
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Purple category – Cartoon figures that are yellow, with altered spellings.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
Now entering the answer territory. Proceed with caution if you prefer to be surprised. (The complete solutions can be found a bit further down.)
Keep an Eye on These Trickier Terms
The term LATE could refer to an individual who has passed away, such as “the LATE president.”
CHARGE is associated with making a CHARGE on your credit card.
DASH can be identified as a key on a keyboard.
Categories in Today’s Connections
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Yellow: EXPENDITURE
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Green: ONETIME
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Blue: MADE WITH HORIZONTAL LINES
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Purple: SIMPSON FAMILY MEMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED
Double Warning: Solutions Await Below
Prepared to uncover the solutions for today’s Connections puzzle? All the answers are provided below.
The Yellow Words Today
The yellow category is recognized for its simplicity. The central theme here is EXPENDITURE and includes these words: CHARGE, COST, PRICE, RATE.
The Green Words Today
The green category is generally regarded as the second easiest. The theme is ONETIME, with the terms: FORMER, LATE, PAST, PRIOR.
The Blue Words Today
The blue category is identified as next in difficulty. The theme centers around MADE WITH HORIZONTAL LINES, featuring: DASH, HYPHEN, MINUS, UNDERSCORE.
The Purple Words Today
Lastly, the purple group stands as the most challenging. The theme is SIMPSON FAMILY MEMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED, represented by: BAGGIE, BARGE, COMER, PISA.
Understanding How to Play Connections
A detailed guide on playing Connections can be helpful, but here’s a brief rundown of the rules:
Begin by accessing the Connections game either on the New York Times website or through their Games app (previously referred to as the Crossword app). You’ll find a game board consisting of 16 tiles, each displaying a word or phrase. The goal is to pick a set of four tiles that share a common element. Categories may consist of similar items (e.g., RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all types of precipitation) or might involve wordplay (e.g., BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH are different types of lists: bucket list, etc.).
Choose four items and click the Submit button. If your selection is correct, the category and color of the grouping will be revealed (Yellow indicates the easiest and Purple the hardest). If the guess is incorrect, more opportunities to try will be provided.
Victory is achieved when all four categories are correctly identified. However, if four incorrect attempts are made prior to completion, the game concludes, revealing the answers.
Winning Strategies for Connections
To excel in Connections, knowing that the groupings can be deceptively tricky is crucial. Overlapping groups are often included. For instance, one puzzle featured six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. However, BACON ended up being part of a grouping related to famous painters, alongside CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG was linked with items found in dozens (JUROR, ROSE, MONTH). Therefore, it’s advisable to hold off on clicking “submit” until confident that the selected group consists of only those four items.
If a deadlock is reached, a solid approach is to examine words that seem disconnected from others. If WHISTLER brings to mind the famous painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” that might be a sign of a potential link. When solving that particular puzzle, additional research led to confirming a painter named Close, which also didn’t fit into evident themes.
Another effective way to progress when stuck is to consult the provided hints—this is precisely why daily pointers are shared. Make sure to revisit for the next round of puzzles!
