NYT Connections Answer

Happy Monday, puzzle lovers! Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or taking a quick break, today’s NYT Connections for February 9, 2026, is a delightful way to kick off the week.

Wyna Liu has crafted a grid that feels approachable at first glance but hides a few clever overlaps. If you’re feeling a bit stuck on the blue or purple groups, don't worry—we’ve got all the NYT Connections hints and the full answer for 2026-02-09 right here.

What is the NYT Connections Hint for February 9?

Before we reveal the full solution, here are a few clues to get your brain moving in the right direction:

• Yellow Group Hint: These are all different ways of describing a "process" or "technique."
• Green Group Hint: If you were a novelist, you'd be very happy to receive any of these.
• Blue Group Hint: Think about hobbies involving thread and fabric.
• Purple Group Hint: Every one of these words can follow the same four-letter verb.

NYT Connections Answer for February 9, 2026

If you're ready for the full reveal, here are the four categories and their corresponding words.

Yellow: METHOD

This group consists of synonyms for how someone carries out a task or conducts themselves.

• APPROACH, MANNER, STYLE, WAY

Green: KINDS OF PAYMENT FOR AN AUTHOR

If you’ve ever written a book or an article, these are the financial terms you’d likely see in your contract.

• ADVANCE (Payment made before a book is published)
• BONUS (Extra pay for hitting bestseller lists)
• FEE (A flat rate for a specific assignment)
• ROYALTY (A percentage of sales paid to the creator)

Blue: USED IN WEAVING

These are the essential tools and materials used in the art of creating fabric from thread.

• LOOM (The frame or machine used for weaving)
• NEEDLE (A slender tool for pulling thread)
• SCISSORS (Used for cutting the finished product or excess yarn)
• YARN (The spun thread used for weaving)

Purple: DRAW ___

This is today’s "blank" category. Each of these words forms a common phrase when preceded by the word "Draw."

• NEAR (Draw near)
• POKER (Draw poker)
• STRAWS (Draw straws)
• THE LINE (Draw the line)

Puzzle Breakdown and Tips

Today’s puzzle wasn't too punishing, but there were a few spots where you might have tripped up.

The word NEEDLE could have easily been associated with sewing or knitting, but it fit perfectly into the broader WEAVING category. Similarly, APPROACH and ADVANCE might have looked related at first (both imply moving forward), but once you noticed BONUS and ROYALTY, it became clear that ADVANCE belonged with the author payments.

The Purple group today was a classic "word that follows" category. POKER and STRAWS are dead giveaways for "Draw," which helps you slot in the more abstract NEAR and THE LINE.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play NYT Connections?

Connections is a daily word game from The New York Times. You are given 16 words and must group them into four sets of four based on a common theme. Each group is color-coded by difficulty: Yellow (easiest), Green, Blue, and Purple (trickiest).

What time does NYT Connections reset?

The puzzle resets every night at midnight in your local time zone.

Can there be more than one correct answer?

While some words might seem to fit into multiple categories, there is only one unique solution where every word fits into a group of four without any leftovers.

Who is the editor of NYT Connections?

The game is currently edited by Wyna Liu, who is known for her clever wordplay and "trap" words that make the puzzle challenging.

Check back tomorrow for more hints and the latest solution! Happy puzzling!