NYT Connections #993 answers for February 28, 2026: the groups are CRAVING, JOBS THAT INVOLVE TRAVELING, NAME HOMOPHONES, and ASTRONOMICAL TERMS PLUS A LETTER. Use the spoiler-free clues below first, then continue for the complete solution.
Connections #993 for Saturday, February 28, 2026, has a reported difficulty of 2.8 out of 5. The easiest route is to start with the four words describing a strong want, then identify the traveling jobs. The last two groups depend on sound-alike names and removing one final letter from each word.
Spoiler-free hints for Connections #993
Try these clues before looking at the full grid. They are arranged from the more accessible connections to the more construction-dependent ones.
- Yellow: A strong want, appetite, or longing.
- Green: Careers that involve substantial travel or movement from place to place.
- Blue: Words that sound like people’s names when spoken aloud.
- Purple: Astronomical terms with one extra letter attached.
For a lighter reveal, one representative word from each group is DESIRE, PILOT, KNEEL, and COMETH.
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Connections #993 answers for February 28, 2026
Yellow: CRAVING
DESIRE, ITCH, THIRST, URGE
Each word can describe an intense want or longing. Itch is used figuratively here—as in “an itch to travel”—rather than referring to a skin irritation.
Green: JOBS THAT INVOLVE TRAVELING
CRUISE DIRECTOR, PILOT, ROADIE, SALESMAN
These are occupations in which travel is commonly part of the job. A cruise director moves with a cruise ship, a pilot travels by air, a roadie travels with performers or a production, and a salesman may travel to meet customers.
Blue: NAME HOMOPHONES
EARNEST, KNEEL, RUSTLE, TAILOR
Say the words aloud and they evoke names with different spellings:
| Grid entry | Sounds like |
|---|---|
| EARNEST | Ernest |
| KNEEL | Neil |
| RUSTLE | Russell |
| TAILOR | Taylor |
The connection is based on pronunciation, not spelling.
Purple: ASTRONOMICAL TERMS PLUS A LETTER
COMETH, NOVAK, START, SUNG
Remove the final letter from each entry and an astronomical term remains:
| Entry | Remove the final letter | Result |
|---|---|---|
| COMETH | Remove H | COMET |
| NOVAK | Remove K | NOVA |
| START | Remove T | STAR |
| SUNG | Remove G | SUN |
This is the most pattern-dependent group. The four entries look unrelated until the extra final letter is removed.
How to solve this grid
- Lock in DESIRE, ITCH, THIRST, and URGE. Their shared meaning is the cleanest connection in the grid.
- Look for occupations rather than objects. CRUISE DIRECTOR, PILOT, ROADIE, and SALESMAN all involve traveling, though the type and amount of travel differ.
- Read the remaining unusual words aloud. EARNEST, KNEEL, RUSTLE, and TAILOR become familiar names when heard rather than examined visually.
- Test the final letter. COMETH, NOVAK, START, and SUNG each become a space-related term when their last character is removed.
The official New York Times companion reports a tester difficulty of 2.8/5. That rating fits a puzzle with an accessible first group but two later categories—homophones and letter manipulation—that are easy to miss if you focus only on spelling or meaning.
Want more Connections-style puzzles?
Related puzzle book: If you enjoy the daily game and want more screen-free wordplay, consider New York Times Connections puzzle book options such as Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! The publisher describes it as a New York Times Games hardcover featuring Connections alongside other puzzle formats. It is an optional offline alternative; it is not a book containing puzzle #993, and it is not needed to play the daily game. Check the retailer listing for current price and availability.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsConnections is released at midnight in a player’s local time zone, and editions may appear at different moments for readers in different regions. For that reason, this solution is identified by both the exact date—February 28, 2026—and puzzle number #993.
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Complete grid at a glance
| Color | Connection | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Craving | DESIRE, ITCH, THIRST, URGE |
| Green | Jobs that involve traveling | CRUISE DIRECTOR, PILOT, ROADIE, SALESMAN |
| Blue | Name homophones | EARNEST, KNEEL, RUSTLE, TAILOR |
| Purple | Astronomical terms plus a letter | COMETH, NOVAK, START, SUNG |
Frequently Asked Questions
When was NYT Connections #993 released, and how difficult was it?
Connections #993 was released on February 28, 2026. The official companion lists the puzzle’s tester difficulty as 2.8 out of 5.
What are the name homophones in Connections #993?
The blue group is EARNEST, KNEEL, RUSTLE, and TAILOR. Spoken aloud, they sound like Ernest, Neil, Russell, and Taylor.
How does the purple category in Connections #993 work?
The purple group is COMETH, NOVAK, START, and SUNG. Removing the final letter produces COMET, NOVA, STAR, and SUN.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The Bottom Line
Connections #993 answers: CRAVING; JOBS THAT INVOLVE TRAVELING; NAME HOMOPHONES; and ASTRONOMICAL TERMS PLUS A LETTER. The full word groups are listed above, with the final category formed by removing each entry’s last letter.
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