Spoiler warning: The hints below start gently, but the full Connections #983 answers appear farther down. The Wednesday, February 18, 2026 puzzle groups its 16 words around hair styling, retro slang, chickens, and phrases ending in “cream.”
Hints for Connections #983
Try these clues before revealing the categories and answers:
- Three words are actions you might associate with a retro hairstyle; look for a fourth styling term.
- One group uses four informal words meaning “cool.” RAD is a useful anchor.
- Some entries describe types or characteristics of chickens.
- The final group forms familiar phrases when each word comes before “cream.”
The 16 words
HEAVY, CRESTED, BAD, FEATHER, FLY, TEASE, BANTAM, TOPICAL, CURL, SOUR, WICKED, LEGHORN, SHAVING, CRIMP, FREE-RANGE, RAD
Connections #983 answers
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Retro hair directives | CRIMP, CURL, FEATHER, TEASE |
| Retro slang for cool | BAD, FLY, RAD, WICKED |
| Chicken descriptors | BANTAM, CRESTED, FREE-RANGE, LEGHORN |
| ___ cream | HEAVY, SHAVING, SOUR, TOPICAL |
How the groups fit together
Retro hair directives
CRIMP, CURL, and TEASE are familiar hair-styling actions. FEATHER completes the set as a hair-styling direction.
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Retro slang for cool
BAD, FLY, RAD, and WICKED can each describe something cool in informal or dated slang. RAD is a helpful starting point for spotting the connection.
Chicken descriptors
BANTAM refers to a small chicken or other fowl, CRESTED describes a feather crest, FREE-RANGE describes poultry allowed outdoors for at least part of the day, and LEGHORN is a type of domestic chicken.
Rank #2
Words before “cream”
HEAVY, SHAVING, SOUR, and TOPICAL each form a familiar phrase when followed by “cream.”
The red herring
BANTAM, HEAVY, FEATHER, and FLY can suggest combat-sport weight classes. That tempting connection is not a solution group: the words belong to the chicken, cream, hair, and slang categories above.
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Rank #3
How to approach the puzzle
- Start with CRIMP, CURL, and TEASE, then test whether FEATHER completes a hair-styling set.
- Use RAD as an anchor for the retro slang group and check the remaining words for other possible meanings.
- Consider poultry when FREE-RANGE and LEGHORN appear together; that can help place BANTAM and CRESTED.
- Look for a phrase pattern among the remaining words: each of the last four can precede “cream.”
About the game and archive
Connections presents 16 items to sort into four groups of four; four incorrect guesses end the game, according to Forbes’ guide for this puzzle. That guide reported daily play as free and archive access as available to All Access or Games subscribers. Access terms can change, so check NYT Games for current availability.
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