Every day, thousands of word game enthusiasts wake up to a fresh challenge: the New York Times Connections puzzle. On February 25, 2026, puzzle #990 delivered a particularly tricky set of clues that left even seasoned players scratching their heads. As reported by Forbes and TechRadar, this installment of the increasingly popular word association game was rated “hard,” with at least one expert reviewer admitting to making a mistake before finally cracking the code.
For those unfamiliar, NYT Connections tasks players with sorting sixteen words into four groups of four, each group sharing a subtle, sometimes elusive, connection. The game, available on the NYT Games site for both desktop and mobile, has become a daily ritual for many, rivaling the likes of Wordle and Quordle in the world of digital puzzles. But unlike those simpler games, Connections ups the ante with clever misdirections, homophones, and wordplay that can easily trip up even the most attentive solver.
So, what made puzzle #990 so memorable? Let’s break down the answers and the reasoning behind each group, as explained by Forbes and TechRadar in their detailed post-game analyses.
The first group, marked yellow, was all about nurturing and care. The words BABY, FOSTER, MOTHER, and NURSE all relate to the act of looking after or nurturing someone or something. As Forbes put it, “these all mean to nurture and protect something or someone.” It’s a grouping that seems obvious in hindsight, but in the heat of the moment, the inclusion of BABY might have thrown some players off. One reviewer admitted, “I was hesitant over the four tiles for CARE FOR, slightly hesitating over BABY as that felt more akin to condescending someone rather than looking after them, but I took the risk.”
The green group focused on the concept of being elementary or foundational. BASIC, KEY, PRIMARY, and PRINCIPAL each denote something fundamental or essential, like the cornerstone of a building or the bedrock of a system. As the Forbes column noted, “these all refer to a critical, foundational aspect of something else.” It’s the kind of category that rewards players who think abstractly and recognize synonyms, but it also offers opportunities for confusion. Both PRINCIPAL and DEAN, for instance, could be seen as school authority figures, leading some solvers down the wrong path.
The blue group, perhaps the most playful of the bunch, was united by the name James. BROWN, COOK, DEAN, and HARDEN are all famous individuals whose first name is James: James Brown, the legendary soul singer known as the Godfather of Soul; Captain James Cook, the British explorer who charted New Zealand and the east coast of Australia; James Dean, the iconic actor whose brief but brilliant career left a lasting mark on Hollywood; and James Harden, the NBA superstar currently ranked ninth in all-time scoring. According to Forbes, “James HARDEN, meanwhile, has yet to win an NBA championship, but he’s still considered among the best to have played in the league.” TechRadar’s reviewer confessed to nearly missing the connection, saying, “HARDEN, DEAN and BROWN seemed logical, but COOK seemed too historical and I almost tapped on DECLAN because of the author called Declan James. Thankfully, I resisted the temptation.”
The final group, colored purple, required solvers to notice a subtler pattern: each word ended with a string that’s also a family-related word. ALKALINE ends with “line,” DECLAN with “clan,” DIATRIBE with “tribe,” and NAPKIN with “kin.” This group, labeled “ending in family words,” demanded a sharp eye for word endings and a flexible mind. As Forbes explained, “these refer to - ALKALINE > line - DECLAN > clan - DIATRIBE > tribe - NAPKIN > kin.” For many, this was the trickiest group, as the connections weren’t based on meaning but on hidden word fragments.
Of course, no Connections puzzle would be complete without a few red herrings. On this particular day, the pairing of PRINCIPAL and DEAN as school officials could easily lure players into grouping them together, but only one belonged in the correct answer set. “Aside from PRINCIPAL and DEAN (as in school authority figures), nothing jumped out to me as a red herring today,” the Forbes writer observed. It’s a reminder that Connections thrives on ambiguity, rewarding those who can see past the obvious and spot the deeper links.
Players are allowed up to four mistakes, giving some breathing room, but the game’s clever design ensures that errors come easily. TechRadar’s reviewer admitted to making one mistake, confusing DECLAN with deacon, before finding their way to the correct solution. “My mistake came in thinking that DEAN, PRIMARY and PRINCIPAL belonged in the same leader-based group — for some reason I included DECLAN (I was confusing it with deacon). That error out of the way I managed to get CARE FOR.”
NYT Connections has become more than just a game; it’s a daily communal event. Social media buzzes each morning with players sharing their triumphs, frustrations, and strategies. Some, like the author at Forbes, even invite readers to join Discord communities to discuss the day’s puzzle, swap theories, and commiserate over near-misses. “If you’d like to chat about today’s game of NYT Connections with a group of exceptionally cool and lovely people and also me, you can do just that in our Discord community. We’d love to have you join us.”
For those who crave even more wordplay, the New York Times Games platform offers a suite of daily challenges, including Strands, Quordle, and the ever-popular Wordle. As TechRadar’s reviewer cheerfully suggests, “What should you do once you’ve finished? Why, play some more word games of course.”
Looking back at puzzle #990, it’s clear that the NYT Connections team continues to raise the bar for word game design. By blending straightforward categories with clever misdirection and a dash of pop culture, they keep players coming back for more. Whether you breezed through the groups or stumbled over a red herring, each day’s puzzle offers a fresh opportunity to stretch your brain and connect with a global community of fellow solvers.
As the sun rises on another day, a new Connections puzzle awaits, promising another round of surprises, challenges, and — for the lucky few — the sweet satisfaction of getting it right on the first try.