NYT Connections #987 was released on Sunday, February 22, 2026. The quickest route through this grid is to spot the four outsider terms first, then identify the gray-hair descriptions and classic comic-strip titles. The final four entries all connect to Theodore Roosevelt. Spoilers follow after the hints.
Spoiler warning: The complete answers for NYT Connections #987, released on Sunday, February 22, 2026, appear below. If you are still solving, start with the hints and stop before the answer section.
Hints for Connections #987
Here are progressively more revealing clues for today’s four groups:
- Yellow: What might you call someone who does not belong in a group?
- Green: These can describe hair that is gray, partly gray, or streaked with gray.
- Blue: Four well-known newspaper comic-strip titles are hiding in the grid.
- Purple: These words and phrases are connected with one prominent U.S. president, soldier, and political figure.
The Connections #987 grid
The 16 entries in the February 22 puzzle were:
BLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, REJECT, DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, SILVER, BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE, BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR
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Spoilers: Connections #987 answers
Below are the four completed categories. Each group contains four entries.
Yellow: One who doesn’t fit in
BLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, REJECT
This is the most direct group in the puzzle. A black sheep is an outsider within a family or group, while a misfit, outcast, or reject is someone regarded as not belonging.
Green: Descriptors for graying hair
DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, SILVER
These words can describe gray hair or hair showing a mixture of gray and darker strands. Salt-and-pepper is the clearest visual clue. Silver and distinguished are more flattering descriptions of gray hair, while flecked suggests scattered gray strands.
Potential trap: SILVER looks like a general color word and can fit many unrelated categories. It becomes more convincing when paired with SALT-AND-PEPPER, FLECKED, and DISTINGUISHED.
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Blue: Classic comic strips
BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE
These are all established newspaper comic-strip titles. Peanuts is probably the easiest anchor, followed by Blondie. Bloom County and The Far Side complete the cultural-reference group. The latter is especially useful because it is a proper title rather than an ordinary phrase in this grid.
Purple: Associated with Theodore Roosevelt
BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR
The final group brings together different parts of Theodore Roosevelt’s public image:
- Big Stick: The phrase refers to the diplomatic maxim associated with Roosevelt’s presidency: negotiating while maintaining the ability to use force.
- Bull Moose: This evokes the Progressive, or “Bull Moose,” Party movement Roosevelt led during the 1912 presidential election.
- Rough Riders: Roosevelt became associated with the volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War.
- Teddy bear: The toy’s name is popularly linked to Roosevelt.
This is likely the hardest category because the entries are not all the same kind of thing. They are political, military, historical, and cultural references connected by one person.
How to solve this grid
- Begin with the tightest synonym group. BLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, and REJECT all point strongly to someone who does not belong.
- Look for language describing gray hair. Once the outsider group is removed, DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, and SILVER form a more specific descriptive set.
- Recognize proper titles. BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, and THE FAR SIDE are all comic strips, even though some may initially look like ordinary words or phrases.
- Use the leftovers strategically. BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, and TEDDY BEAR point to Theodore Roosevelt. The group works because Connections categories can involve different types of association, not just four synonyms.
The main danger is accepting a broad connection too early. SILVER can describe almost anything metallic or gray, and TEDDY BEAR can look like a generic animal or toy phrase. In Connections, a proposed category should not merely be plausible: it should account for exactly four entries and leave a coherent path for the remaining words.
How difficult was Connections #987?
This was a culturally themed puzzle rather than a purely vocabulary-based one. The yellow group was relatively straightforward. The green group required recognizing both literal and flattering descriptions of graying hair. The blue group depended on familiarity with classic comic-strip titles, while the purple group required knowledge of several Theodore Roosevelt references.
That makes the puzzle’s difficulty uneven: the first category can open the grid quickly, but the final group is much less uniform than a standard synonym set. This is an editorial assessment based on the structure of the answers, not an official NYT difficulty rating or formal test result.
Want more Connections puzzles?
A forthcoming Connections puzzle book, Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay, is listed by retailers as a hardcover New York Times Games collection scheduled for October 27, 2026. Retail descriptions say it includes more than 100 puzzles and related material. Availability and the release date may change, so check the retailer listing before ordering. The book is a separate collection and should not be assumed to include daily puzzle #987 unless a contents listing confirms it.
A broader collection, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More!, is another possible option for readers who want several New York Times Games in one book, although it is a less focused choice for someone specifically seeking Connections puzzles.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the answers to NYT Connections #987 on February 22, 2026?
The four groups are: Yellow—BLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, REJECT; Green—DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, SILVER; Blue—BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE; Purple—BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR.
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What is the hardest category in Connections #987?
The purple group is associated with Theodore Roosevelt: BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, and TEDDY BEAR.
Why is SILVER in the green category?
The green group is made up of descriptors for graying hair: DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, and SILVER.
The Bottom Line
Connections #987 answers: Yellow, one who doesn’t fit in; Green, descriptors for graying hair; Blue, classic comic strips; Purple, associated with Theodore Roosevelt.
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