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NYT Connections for February 2, 2026, is puzzle #967. The board mixes time periods, entry credentials, modern fictional detectives, and tree names altered by one letter. Use the spoiler ladder below to choose how much help you want.
The 16 words in Connections #967
Here is the complete board before any clues:
- POPULAR
- PERIOD
- CROSS
- STAMP
- SPAN
- PSALM
- PASS
- RYAN
- LANYARD
- STRETCH
- REACHER
- MARPLE
- FAIR
- INTERVAL
- WRISTBAND
- BOSCH
Progressive hints
Yellow group
Think of a length of time—something that does not last forever.
Green group
These are identification formats or markers you may need to get inside.
Blue group
Look for protagonists from modern crime series.
Purple group
These words become tree names when a letter is added, removed, or changed.
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One-word nudges
For a stronger but still partial reveal, one representative word from each group is:
- Yellow: SPAN
- Green: PASS
- Blue: CROSS
- Purple: POPULAR
Spoiler warning: full answers
The complete categories and their four words are below.
Rank #2
| Category | Words | How the connection works |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | INTERVAL, PERIOD, SPAN, STRETCH | Each can describe a length or passage of time. |
| Credentials for entry | LANYARD, PASS, STAMP, WRISTBAND | Each can identify someone who is authorized to enter an event or location. |
| Modern crime-series protagonists | BOSCH, CROSS, REACHER, RYAN | These are surnames used by central detectives or investigators in contemporary crime franchises. |
| Trees plus a letter | FAIR, MARPLE, POPULAR, PSALM | Remove or alter one letter to reveal tree names: FIR, MAPLE, POPLAR, and PALM. |
Why the purple group is tricky
The final category relies on word transformation rather than a shared meaning. MARPLE points to MAPLE, POPULAR to POPLAR, PSALM to PALM, and FAIR to FIR. Spotting the near-spellings helps separate these words from the more literal time, entry, and detective groups.
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