NYT Connections Hint - February 10, 2026

Hey, puzzlers! 🎡 Grab your popcorn and maybe a lug wrench, because today’s Connections felt like flipping through an old DVD menu while someone revved an engine in the background. Halfway through, I swear my coffee started glowing like a bonus feature button. I nearly slapped the word “fair” into the commentary group—hello, brain-freeze moment—but then the wheel inside my head started spinning (literally, you’ll see), and everything clicked with a satisfying rimshot. Let’s roll through the grid together before we hit the blooper reel!

Word Explanations

• SPOKESPERSON

  • The voice of the brand, the face of the press release—the human buffer between chaos and company slogans. I once pictured a literal metal spoke when I saw this word (bicycle flashbacks), but today it’s our wheel-themed mouthpiece. Fun fact: the first “spokesperson” cited by the OED was in 1909, and yes, it was already gender-neutral. Talk ahead of the curve!

• INTERVIEW

  • Whether it’s a red-carpet grill or a post-game locker-room ramble, the interview is the bonus peek behind the curtain. I love the tiny thrill when an actor spills the one Easter egg you missed—popcorn-worthy stuff. And on DVDs, it’s basically a 20-minute hangout with the cast; pajama pants strongly implied.

• EXPOSITION

  • Fancy twin of “exhibition,” but it also moonlights as back-story in a novel—English is greedy like that. I immediately smell barns and fry-bread because my hometown “exposition center” hosts the state fair. Etymology nerds: from Latin exponere, “to put out”—which yes, is also what you do with opinions at family dinner.

• EMCEE

  • Master of ceremonies, hype-person, mic-wielding hero of every school talent show. The spelling “emcee” is literally saying “M.C.” out loud—how cool is that? My fifth-grade self still thinks emcees own magical powers because ours could calm a gym full of sugar-addled kids with one hand raise.

• OKAY

  • The chameleon of agreements: polite nod, reluctant surrender, or enthusiastic yes depending on the tone. I love how texting reduced it to “k” and somehow made it passive-aggressive—language evolution is wild. Also, fun scrabble tile: two letters, big versatility.

• CONVENTION

  • Cons: overpriced nachos, carpeted conference rooms, people in lanyards. Pros: free pens, sneak-peek tech, accidental cosplay spotting. Convention centers are basically human beehives with Bluetooth. Just don’t ask me how many tote bags I’ve hoarded.

• FAIR

  • County fair = livestock selfies and questionable deep-fry choices. State fair = demolition derby dreams. Renaissance fair = me failing to pronounce “huzzah” convincingly. No matter the zip code, it’s THE place to lose five bucks on a ring toss and gain five pounds in funnel cake.

• COMMENTARY

  • That cozy director’s voice explaining why the haunted hallway was actually a broom closet? Pure DVD-era ASMR. Commentary turns movie night into film school minus the tuition. I once listened to an entire animated film narration just to catch the voice actor giggling at his own joke—worth it.

• SHOW

  • Broadway! Trade show! Talent show! Even my dog’s grooming competition calls itself a “show.” It’s the umbrella term for every spectacle that invites you to sit, stare, and clap on cue. I’ll never forget my first auto show—sat in a convertible, pretended I was 007, got politely shooed out.

• OUTTAKES

  • Bloopers, blunders, and actors swearing at locked doors—the dessert of any DVD menu. There’s something heart-warming about watching ultra-cool heroes trip over their capes. Outtakes remind us perfection is staged; giggles are real. I still quote an actress flubbing “line” as “lion” every time I need comic relief.

• DEEJAY

  • The life of every wedding, bar mitzvah, and roller-rink birthday I crushed on in eighth grade. Spelling it “deejay” is just alphabet karaoke for D.J. My favorites still spin actual vinyl; the crackle before the drop feels like a vinyl hug.

• RIMSHOT

  • Ba-dum-tss! The sound of every dad joke meeting its destiny. Drummers call it a “sting,” comedians call it salvation. Rimshot also doubles as a pool move and an espresso puck technique—multitalented word! I can’t hear it without picturing a tiny cymbal wearing sunglasses.

• TIRESOME

  • The polite way to say “I’d rather alphabetize my socks.” We’ve all sat through tiresome meetings where the clock appears to move backward. Etymology bonus: tire (to exhaust) + some = “somewhat exhausted,” which sounds like something a Victorian teenager would sigh.

• TRAILER

  • Two-minute hype machine that either spoils the whole plot or intrigues you with ambiguous foghorns. I’m that person who arrives early just to catch the trailers—free mini-movies! Also, remember when trailers actually trailed the film? Yeah, nobody else does either.

• HUBBUB

  • Chaos in a cute package: a hub is the center, bub is… well, just friendly noise, so hubbub literally means “noise at the center.” I love saying it out loud—it feels like popping bubble wrap syllabically. Shakespeare used it, which makes me feel classy while gossiping.

• KAYO

  • Knock-out in vintage boxing slang, spelled the way the ref might yell it mid-count. K.O. turned into kayo, and voilà—another letter-speller crashes the party. My brain still pictures a cartoon glove spinning stars every time I read it.

Theme Hints

1. EXHIBITION

   • Think crowded aisles, name tags, and the smell of popcorn—where are you wandering under one giant roof?

2. WORDS SPELLING OUT INITIALISMS

   • Say the letters out loud and you’ll hear the word itself—old-school radio style.

3. DVD BONUS FEATURES

   • Popcorn-ready extras you used to find on a shiny disc—what didn’t make the main feature?

4. STARTING WITH PARTS OF A WHEEL

   • Every entry hides a bit of rolling hardware—look under the hubcap of each word.

Answers Explanation

So that’s today’s ride—two wheels, four bonus menus, and a whole lot of “aha!” I nearly side-lined myself overthinking KAYO (kept picturing a boxing ring inside a CD player, don’t ask). But the moment the wheel-group clicked I actually spun my pen like it was a game-show wheel—yes, I’m that dramatic. 🎡 If you also mistook EXPO for “interview” at first, welcome to the over-thinkers’ club; we meet right after the blooper reel. Tomorrow brings a fresh grid, but tonight I’m basking in the tiny victory of finally proving to my brain that tiresome truly starts with “tire.” See you on the next spin—just promise you’ll brake for puns.