NYT Connections Hints Today for February 3, 2026: Clues and Answers (#968)

NYT Connections Hints are here for Tuesday, February 3, 2026, as players tackle puzzle number 968. The daily word game refreshed at midnight local time and brings a new set of 16 words to sort into four hidden groups.

The February 3 puzzle follows Monday’s game and continues the pattern of mixing simple associations with clever misdirection. Many players reported early confidence before running into subtle traps.

NYT Connections Hints and Word List for Today’s Puzzle

Today’s NYT Connections grid presents 16 everyday words that appear straightforward at first glance. As usual, several red herrings are designed to push players toward incorrect groupings.

The full word list for the February 3 Connections puzzle includes: CARD, WOOD, FOAM, DICE, BOARD, CUBE, QUARTER, HOLE, HASH, HOUSE, IRON, MINCE, WEDGE, LANE, LODGE, and PUTTER.

The puzzle offers four distinct themes, each requiring four correct words. Players are allowed up to three incorrect guesses before the game ends.

The yellow group hint points toward food preparation, focusing on actions that break ingredients into smaller pieces. This group is usually the easiest and helps establish early momentum.

The green group relates to accommodation and shelter. These words describe providing someone with a place to stay, though they appear in different everyday contexts.

The blue group centers on sports equipment. Golf fans may spot this category faster than others due to familiar terminology.

The purple group involves wordplay tied to a shared phrase. As is typical, this group requires lateral thinking rather than direct definitions.

The yellow group, focused on cutting food into pieces, includes CUBE, DICE, HASH, and MINCE. These words all describe methods of chopping or preparing ingredients.

The green group, which means to provide lodging, consists of BOARD, HOUSE, LODGE, and QUARTER. Each term connects to offering a place to stay in different forms.

The blue group features types of golf clubs. The correct answers are IRON, PUTTER, WEDGE, and WOOD, all standard tools used in the sport.

The purple group completes the phrase “memory.” The four correct words are CARD, FOAM, HOLE, and LANE, each forming a common compound phrase when paired with “memory.”

Many players identified the golf clubs quickly due to the clear presence of PUTTER and WEDGE. That early solve helped eliminate several misleading combinations.

Others initially suspected a board game theme because of words like BOARD, DICE, and CARD. That overlap acted as a deliberate distraction.

Once the food preparation terms were grouped, the remaining categories became easier to resolve. The memory-based wordplay group proved to be the final challenge for many.

NYT Connections Hints remain a helpful daily resource for players navigating tricky word associations, and the February 3 puzzle delivered a balanced mix of logic and misdirection.