Connections Hints
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — February 25, 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.
ALKALINE
BABY
BASIC
BROWN
COOK
DEAN
DECLAN
DIATRIBE
FOSTER
HARDEN
KEY
MOTHER
NAPKIN
NURSE
PRIMARY
PRINCIPAL
Themes
The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.
CARE FORStraightforward
ELEMENTARYModerate
JAMESESTricky
ENDING IN FAMILY WORDSDevious
One word per group
Theme name plus one word from each category.
CARE FORStraightforward
WORDS MEANING TO LOOK AFTER OR TEND TO SOMEONE+ 3 more…
ELEMENTARYModerate
WORDS MEANING FUNDAMENTAL OR MOST IMPORTANT+ 3 more…
JAMESESTricky
FAMOUS PEOPLE ALL NAMED JAMES+ 3 more…
ENDING IN FAMILY WORDSDevious
EACH WORD CONTAINS A FAMILY MEMBER HIDDEN AT THE END+ 3 more…
Full solution
CARE FORStraightforward
BABY,FOSTER,MOTHER,NURSE
BABY, FOSTER, MOTHER, and NURSE all mean to care for or nurture someone
ELEMENTARYModerate
BASIC,KEY,PRIMARY,PRINCIPAL
BASIC, KEY, PRIMARY, and PRINCIPAL all mean fundamental or chief in importance
JAMESESTricky
BROWN,COOK,DEAN,HARDEN
James Brown (musician), James Cook (explorer), James Dean (actor), and James Harden (basketball player) are all famous Jameses
ENDING IN FAMILY WORDSDevious
ALKALINE,DECLAN,DIATRIBE,NAPKIN
ALKALINE ends in LINE... wait — ALKALINE has KIN, DECLAN has CLAN, DIATRIBE has TRIBE, NAPKIN has KIN — each word ends with a word for a family or kinship group