NYT Connections Sports Version: Clues and Solutions for January 7, 2026

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition will be more manageable if you’re familiar with west coast institutions.

This iteration of the beloved New York Times word game evaluates sports enthusiasts’ expertise.

<p akin to the original Connections, the game requires identifying “common threads among words.” Similar to Wordle, Connections refreshes at midnight, and every new word set becomes increasingly difficult — so we’ve included hints and advice to assist you.

If you’re looking for today’s puzzle answer, skip to the conclusion of this article. If not, keep reading for hints, advice, and tactics.

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What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT‘s newest daily word game is in collaboration with The Athletic, the New York Times platform for sports news. Connections can be played on web browsers and mobile devices, requiring players to categorize four words by a shared link.

Each puzzle presents 16 words, organized into four groups. These groups may include book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though several words might appear to fit together, there’s solely one correct combination.

If a player successfully identifies all four words in a group, those words are cleared from the board. An incorrect guess constitutes a mistake — players are allowed up to four mistakes before the game concludes.

Players can modify and shuffle the board to identify connections more effectively. Each group is color-coded, with yellow being the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share outcomes with friends on social platforms.