Connections Hints

Friday, February 13, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — February 13, 2026

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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
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Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

BANNER
CAMEL
COLORS
FLAG
KENT
LESSON
PARLIAMENT
PURE
RESEED
SALEM
SHEER
STANDARD
STARK
SYNC
UTTER
WAYNE
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Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

DOWNRIGHTStraightforward
PENNANTModerate
CIGARETTE BRANDSTricky
HOMOPHONES OF WAYS TO GET SMALLERDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

DOWNRIGHTStraightforward
WORDS MEANING ABSOLUTE OR TOTAL, AS IN 'MADNESS'+ 3 more…
PENNANTModerate
THINGS THAT FLY AND REPRESENT A TEAM OR COUNTRY+ 3 more…
CIGARETTE BRANDSTricky
THESE SMOKING BRANDS ONCE HAD FAMOUS AD CAMPAIGNS+ 3 more…
HOMOPHONES OF WAYS TO GET SMALLERDevious
THEY SOUND LIKE WAYS TO SHRINK OR REDUCE+ 3 more…
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Full solution
DOWNRIGHTStraightforward
PURE,SHEER,STARK,UTTER

PURE, SHEER, STARK, and UTTER all mean absolute or complete, used as intensifiers (e.g., 'utter chaos', 'sheer madness').

PENNANTModerate
BANNER,COLORS,FLAG,STANDARD

BANNER, COLORS, FLAG, and STANDARD are all synonyms for a pennant or flag representing a group, team, or nation.

CIGARETTE BRANDSTricky
CAMEL,KENT,PARLIAMENT,SALEM

CAMEL, KENT, PARLIAMENT, and SALEM are all cigarette brand names.

HOMOPHONES OF WAYS TO GET SMALLERDevious
LESSON,RESEED,SYNC,WAYNE

LESSON sounds like 'lessen', RESEED sounds like 'recede', SYNC sounds like 'sink', and WAYNE sounds like 'wane' — all homophones of ways to get smaller or decrease.

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