Connections Hints

Monday, February 23, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — February 23, 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.

BLARNEY STONE
BLUFF
BOLT
CHRISTMAS TREE
CONE
FRONT
GORGE
INHALE
MASQUERADE
MISTLETOE
NEW YEAR'S EVE
PARTY HAT
POSTURE
SCARF
VOLCANO
WEDDING
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Themes

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

EAT VORACIOUSLYStraightforward
CONICAL THINGSModerate
POSETricky
SETTINGS FOR A KISSDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

EAT VORACIOUSLYStraightforward
WAYS TO DEVOUR FOOD VERY QUICKLY AND GREEDILY+ 3 more…
CONICAL THINGSModerate
THINGS SHAPED LIKE A POINTED TRIANGLE OR CONE+ 3 more…
POSETricky
TO PUT ON A FALSE APPEARANCE OR PRETEND TO BE SOMETHING YOU'RE NOT+ 3 more…
SETTINGS FOR A KISSDevious
TRADITIONAL OCCASIONS OR SPOTS WHERE KISSING IS EXPECTED OR INVITED+ 3 more…
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Full solution
EAT VORACIOUSLYStraightforward
BOLT,GORGE,INHALE,SCARF

BOLT, GORGE, INHALE, and SCARF all mean to eat rapidly and greedily, as if the food might disappear.

CONICAL THINGSModerate
CHRISTMAS TREE,CONE,PARTY HAT,VOLCANO

CHRISTMAS TREE, CONE, PARTY HAT, and VOLCANO all have a distinctive conical shape — wide at the base and tapering to a point.

POSETricky
BLUFF,FRONT,MASQUERADE,POSTURE

BLUFF, FRONT, MASQUERADE, and POSTURE all mean to fake or pretend, adopting a deceptive outward appearance.

SETTINGS FOR A KISSDevious
BLARNEY STONE,MISTLETOE,NEW YEAR'S EVE,WEDDING

BLARNEY STONE, MISTLETOE, NEW YEAR'S EVE, and WEDDING are all classic settings or traditions famously associated with kissing.

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