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NYT Connections #987 was published for Sunday, February 22, 2026. The four groups are built around people who do not fit in, descriptions of graying hair, classic newspaper comic strips, and things associated with Theodore Roosevelt.
Try the spoiler-safe clues below first. The complete groups and explanations appear farther down.
Hints for NYT Connections #987
Here are progressively more useful clues without immediately giving away all 16 answers:
- Yellow: Think of someone who does not belong or fit in.
- Green: These are complimentary or descriptive ways to refer to hair that is turning gray.
- Blue: Think of well-known newspaper comic strips.
- Purple: Think of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States.
If you need a one-word nudge for each category, think Black Sheep, Silver, Peanuts, and Big Stick.
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The 16 words in today’s puzzle
These are the entries in Connections #987:
OUTCAST, SALT-AND-PEPPER, BLONDIE, TEDDY BEAR, DISTINGUISHED, BLACK SHEEP, ROUGH RIDERS, THE FAR SIDE, BULL MOOSE, BLOOM COUNTY, SILVER, PEANUTS, MISFIT, FLECKED, REJECT, BIG STICK.
Spoiler warning: answers to Connections #987
Stop here if you are still solving. The full solution is below.
Yellow: One who doesn’t fit in
- BLACK SHEEP
- MISFIT
- OUTCAST
- REJECT
Each word can describe a person who is excluded, rejected, socially separated, or seen as not belonging. “Black sheep” is especially useful as the category clue because it commonly refers to an outsider within a family or group.
Rank #2
Green: Descriptors for graying hair
- DISTINGUISHED
- FLECKED
- SALT-AND-PEPPER
- SILVER
These words describe hair that contains gray or white strands. Silver, salt-and-pepper, and flecked point more directly to the appearance. Distinguished is the flattering description in the group: gray hair is sometimes said to give someone a distinguished look.
Blue: Classic comic strips
- BLONDIE
- BLOOM COUNTY
- PEANUTS
- THE FAR SIDE
All four are titles of prominent comic-strip franchises associated with newspaper comics. The group can be easy to overlook because several of the entries also work as ordinary words or phrases outside the comics category.
Purple: Associated with Theodore Roosevelt
- BIG STICK
- BULL MOOSE
- ROUGH RIDERS
- TEDDY BEAR
This is the most associative category in the puzzle. Roosevelt’s foreign-policy maxim is commonly summarized as “speak softly and carry a big stick.” Bull Moose refers to the nickname associated with Roosevelt’s 1912 Progressive Party campaign, while the Rough Riders were the volunteer cavalry unit connected with his military and political image.
Teddy bear comes from the famous story linking Roosevelt to the naming of the toy bear. It is not a formal Roosevelt title in the same way that “Big Stick” is a historical phrase, so this category is best solved by recognizing the shared cultural association.
Why this puzzle can be tricky
The yellow group is probably the cleanest starting point. Black Sheep, Misfit, Outcast, and Reject all have a direct relationship to not belonging, which removes four entries at once.
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The blue group relies on recognizing proper names. Blondie, Peanuts, Bloom County, and The Far Side are all comic-strip titles, but Bull Moose can distract solvers who begin looking for names or phrases rather than franchises.
The purple group is the broadest and most historical. Its entries are not all the same kind of thing: one is a political maxim, one a campaign nickname, one a military unit, and one a toy name. That mixture is why it is sensible to leave this category until the more literal groups have been removed.
This suggested solving order is an editorial inference from the word set, not an official difficulty rating.
Want more Connections-style puzzles?
For readers who prefer solving away from a screen, Puzzle Mania! from The New York Times Games is a physical collection that includes Connections-related material alongside Wordle, Spelling Bee, Minis, and other puzzle formats. It is an option for more Connections puzzles, but it is not presented as a collection containing this specific daily puzzle, #987.
Quick answer recap
| Color | Category | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | One who doesn’t fit in | BLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, REJECT |
| Green | Descriptors for graying hair | DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, SILVER |
| Blue | Classic comic strips | BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE |
| Purple | Associated with Theodore Roosevelt | BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR |
Sources and date note
The puzzle is identified as Connections game #987 for Sunday, February 22, 2026. Guides published on February 21 or February 22 may show different timestamps because of time zones. The published clue and answer references are available from TechRadar’s February 22 Connections guide and Forbes’ answer guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer to NYT Connections #987 on Sunday, February 22?
The groups are One who doesn’t fit in; Descriptors for graying hair; Classic comic strips; and Associated with Theodore Roosevelt.
What is the purple category in Connections #987?
The purple category is “Associated with Theodore Roosevelt.” Its answers are BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, and TEDDY BEAR.
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The blue category, “Classic comic strips,” consists of BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, and THE FAR SIDE.
Why is TEDDY BEAR connected to Theodore Roosevelt?
The toy’s name is traditionally linked to a story involving Theodore Roosevelt, which is why TEDDY BEAR belongs in the Roosevelt-associated category.
The Bottom Line
NYT Connections #987 groups BLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, REJECT as people who do not fit in; DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, SILVER as descriptions of graying hair; BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE as classic comic strips; and BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR as Roosevelt associations.
Quick Recap
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