Connections · Archive · #981
Connections Answers #981
Monday, February 16, 2026 — all four groups and the purple breakdown.
Puzzle#981
EditorWyna Liu
Difficulty5/10
Trap groupPurple
The Four Groups
Reveal the four groups
Connections answer · #981
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Yellow · KNEE-SLAPPER
SCREAMLAUGHHOOTRIOT
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Green · HOMOPHONES
DODOEDOUGHDOH
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Blue · SOUNDS A CHICKEN MAKES
BUCKSQUAWKCACKLECLUCK
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Purple · STRESS RESPONSES
FAWNFLIGHTFIGHTFREEZE
The Purple Group
STRESS RESPONSES
FAWN · FLIGHT · FIGHT · FREEZE
Connections guide
How Connections Works
Connections gives you sixteen words to sort into four hidden groups of four, with only four mistakes allowed. Groups run yellow (easiest) to purple (trickiest, often wordplay). New to it? Our how-to-play guide covers the full strategy, or grab today's Connections answers.
FAQ
What were the Connections answers for #981?
Connections #981 (Monday, February 16, 2026) had four groups from yellow to purple — all shown above.
How hard was this Connections?
We rated it 5/10 (Medium). The purple group was the trap, which is where most solvers slip.