Need a nudge for NYT Connections #977, or ready for the full solution? Start with the four spoiler-light hints below. The answers follow after a clear spoiler warning. This is the puzzle for Thursday, February 12, 2026—not today’s current game.
Hints for Connections #977
Try each clue before looking at the answer key. These are editorial hints, not official NYT category labels.
- To build.
- Not mobile.
- Baseball pro.
- Not king.
Full answers for February 12, 2026
Spoilers below: The four groups are:
- CONSTRUCT: FORM, MAKE, MOLD, PRODUCE
- FIXED IN PLACE: FAST, FIRM, FROZEN, TIGHT
- MLB PLAYER, FOR SHORT: A, CARD, JAY, YANK
- ___ QUEEN: DAIRY, DANCING, DRAG, MAY
The 16 words in the grid were MAY, YANK, A, CARD, FROZEN, PRODUCE, DANCING, DAIRY, MAKE, JAY, FAST, FORM, DRAG, FIRM, MOLD, and TIGHT.
How the four groups connect
CONSTRUCT
FORM, MAKE, MOLD, and PRODUCE can each mean to create or build something.
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FIXED IN PLACE
FAST, FIRM, FROZEN, and TIGHT can each describe something held or kept in place.
MLB PLAYER, FOR SHORT
Each word is a shortened reference to a Major League Baseball team: A for the Athletics, CARD for the St. Louis Cardinals, JAY for the Toronto Blue Jays, and YANK for the New York Yankees.
___ QUEEN
Add “Queen” after each word to complete a familiar name or phrase: Dairy Queen, Dancing Queen, drag queen, and May Queen. Forbes’ hint about a similarly named killer points to Queen’s song “Killer Queen.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Red herrings in the grid
FROZEN, PRODUCE, and DAIRY may look like grocery-store departments, but they do not make a complete group of four here. DRAG and YANK can both suggest pulling, yet they belong to different categories: DRAG completes “drag queen,” while YANK is the shortened baseball-team reference.
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