The New York Times released puzzle number 970 for its popular word game, Connections, on February 5, 2026. The daily puzzle presented a thematic challenge centered on American culture and identity, requiring players to group words based on shared underlying concepts.

Connections is a word grouping game published by The New York Times. Players are presented with a grid of 16 words and must sort them into four secret categories of four words each. Success requires identifying the common threads linking the words, with the puzzle’s difficulty often tied to the specificity of its theme.

Gameplay and Structure

The game allows for a limited number of mistakes before the session ends. Each correct grouping is revealed, narrowing down the remaining word options for the player. The puzzle for February 5, 2026, was described as approachable for those familiar with American themes, suggesting its categories were directly tied to national symbols, history, or cultural touchstones.

The objective remains consistent across all daily puzzles: to correctly identify all four categories without exceeding the mistake limit. The game’s design encourages logical deduction and vocabulary recall, rather than trivia knowledge alone.

Popularity and Context

Since its launch, Connections has become one of the most widely played word games offered by The New York Times. It resides alongside other popular titles like Wordle and Spelling Bee on the newspaper’s games platform. Its rise in popularity reflects a broader cultural engagement with daily puzzle-solving as a form of mental exercise and routine.

The game is accessible through The New York Times website and its dedicated mobile applications. It is offered as part of a subscription to the publication’s games section, which includes a suite of puzzles and brain teasers.

Editorial and Design

The puzzles are curated and edited by a dedicated team. The selection of words and the construction of categories are designed to provide a consistent but varying challenge to a global audience. Themes can range from broad concepts to niche topics, with the February 5 edition leveraging a patriotic motif.

No official hints or answers for the puzzle are published by The New York Times itself upon release. Players typically share strategies and solutions on community forums and social media after completing the day’s challenge.

Future Developments

The New York Times is expected to continue releasing a new Connections puzzle daily. The game’s format and core rules are likely to remain stable, with variation introduced through the daily thematic content of the word categories. The publication maintains a schedule for its games portfolio, with new puzzles typically becoming available at midnight in the Eastern Time zone.

Source: The New York Times