NYT Connections game #966 is dated Sunday, February 1, 2026. Start with the four progressive hints below, or skip to the answer groups if you want the full solution. Spoilers follow.
Hints for Connections #966
These progressive hints are from Parade’s February 1 guide, not from the New York Times. Read one at a time if you want to preserve some of the puzzle.
- Get the word out.
- Sneakerhead.
- My song is on!
- Harmonious noise makers.
Category themes
Spoiler warning: The category names and tile groupings below reveal the solution.
- PUBLICIZE
- KINDS OF SHOES
- ANTHEM
- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLUS STARTING LETTER
Answers for Connections #966
The two contemporary answer guides, Parade and TechRadar, agree on these categories and the solution groups:
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- PUBLICIZE: BOOST, HYPE, PITCH, PLUG.
- KINDS OF SHOES: CLOG, FLAT, MULE, WEDGE.
- ANTHEM: BANGER, BOP, HEATER, JAM.
- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLUS STARTING LETTER: GLUTE, MORGAN, SHARP, THORN.
The purple group’s theme is agreed upon, but the transcribed tile spelling is not fully consistent between the guides: Parade prints “MORAGN,” while TechRadar lists “MORGAN.” TechRadar’s extracted tile list also shows a Cyrillic-looking “ВОР,” although its answer group says BOP. The available guides do not settle those transcription differences.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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