NYT Connections Hints and Answers Today, February 2, 2026 (Puzzle #967)
Today’s guide for NYT Connections hints February 2 2026 covers the full solution for puzzle #967, with gentle hints, category clues and complete answers in a clean, scannable format. Use the layers of hints below if you want help before seeing any spoilers.
NYT Connections at a Glance – February 2, 2026 (#967)
Date: Monday, February 2, 2026
Puzzle number: #967
- Yellow: Ways to talk about how long something lasts.
- Green: Things that serve as proof of entry to an event or venue.
- Blue: Surnames of modern crime or thriller series protagonists.
- Purple: Words that hide tree names when you remove a letter.
How to Use These Hints
- Start with the light hints if you only need a small nudge without seeing category names.
- Move to the category-level hints if you’re stuck and want stronger guidance without grouped answers.
- Scroll to the full categories and answers section at the bottom when you’re ready for complete spoilers.
Today’s NYT Connections Word List (February 2, 2026 – Puzzle #967)
Here are the 16 words on today’s NYT Connections board:
- BOSCH
- CROSS
- FAIR
- INTERVAL
- LANYARD
- MARPLE
- PASS
- PERIOD
- POPULAR
- PSALM
- REACHER
- RYAN
- SPAN
- STAMP
- STRETCH
- WRISTBAND
Today’s NYT Connections Hints (No Category Names Yet)
- Yellow group: Think about different ways to describe how long something lasts.
- Green group: Focus on things that let you into concerts, events or restricted spaces.
- Blue group: Look for surnames that belong to modern crime and thriller heroes.
- Purple group: Consider words that become tree names when you remove a letter.
Category Hints for Today’s Connections
- Yellow: Think “how long it lasts” – the stretch of time something continues.
- Green: Imagine lanyards, wristbands and stamps that prove you’re allowed inside.
- Blue: Last names that double as titles for crime and action series leads.
- Purple: Each word hides a type of tree once a single letter is removed.
Today’s NYT Connections Categories and Answers
The NYT Connections answers for February 2, 2026 (Puzzle #967) are four groups: DURATION, CREDENTIALS FOR ENTRY, MODERN CRIME SERIES PROTAGONISTS, and TREES PLUS A LETTER.
| Color | Category name | Words in group |
|---|---|---|
| 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 group: Duration
Words: INTERVAL, PERIOD, SPAN, STRETCH
These words all describe how long something lasts, whether it’s a brief interval, a defined period, a general span or an extended stretch of time.
Green group: Credentials for entry
Words: LANYARD, PASS, STAMP, WRISTBAND
Each of these can serve as proof that you’re allowed into an event, venue or restricted area, such as a stamped hand, a wearable wristband or a badge on a lanyard.
Blue group: Modern crime series protagonists
Words: BOSCH, CROSS, REACHER, RYAN
These surnames belong to lead characters from modern crime and action series who often headline books and TV adaptations under their last names alone.
Purple group: Trees plus a letter
Words: FAIR, MARPLE, POPULAR, PSALM
Each word becomes a type of tree when you remove a letter: FAIR → FIR, MARPLE → MAPLE, POPULAR → POPLAR and PSALM → PALM.
How NYT Connections Works (Quick Refresher)
NYT Connections gives you 16 words that must be sorted into four groups of four based on a shared theme or pattern. You only get a limited number of mistakes, so you can’t rely on random guessing. The colors progress from easier to harder: yellow, green, blue and finally purple, which often leans on trickier wordplay or cultural knowledge.
Solving Tips for Today’s Puzzle
- First pull out obvious time-related words like INTERVAL, PERIOD, SPAN and STRETCH to secure the yellow group.
- Then collect anything that looks like a ticket or access proof—LANYARD, PASS, STAMP and WRISTBAND—for the green group.
- For the blue group, ask which words sound like last names from crime or thriller franchises, such as REACHER or BOSCH.
- Leave the purple group for last and test which remaining words hide tree names when you remove one letter.
- When in doubt, choose the connection that feels most specific rather than a loose association.
