**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Spin on the Renowned NYT Word Game**
*Connections: Sports Edition* offers an innovative approach to the beloved [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), tailored for sports aficionados. This variation prompts players to uncover the “common threads among words,” mirroring the classic *Connections* gameplay. Like *Wordle*, the game resets daily at midnight, with each new challenge becoming increasingly difficult. But don’t fret—we’ve got some hints and advice to assist you!
If you’re simply looking for today’s answer, feel free to scroll to the bottom of this article. However, if you wish to tackle the challenge yourself, continue reading for valuable clues, tactics, and suggestions.
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### What is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
The *New York Times* has teamed up with *The Athletic*—its sports-oriented platform—to introduce *Connections: Sports Edition*. This daily word challenge is accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices. The goal? Categorize four words that have a shared theme.
Each puzzle consists of 16 words, which need to be organized into four distinct categories. These categories can include everything from book titles to software names, country names, and beyond. Although some words might appear to fit together, there is only one correct solution for every grouping.
When you successfully identify a set of four connected words, those words are eliminated from the board. However, be cautious—every incorrect guess counts as a mistake, and you’re limited to four mistakes before the game concludes.
To simplify the process, players can shuffle and rearrange the words displayed on the board. Each category is also color-coded by difficulty: yellow denotes the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. And akin to *Wordle*, you can share your outcomes with friends on social media.
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### Hint for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Need a little push without giving too much away? Here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow**: Hollywood teams
– **Green**: Methods to catch
– **Blue**: Captain Comeback’s players
– **Purple**: Size of fighters
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Still feeling challenged? Here are the categories for today’s puzzle:
– **Yellow**: *Los Angeles Teams*
– **Green**: *Football Receiving Routes*
– **Blue**: *Coached by Jim Harbaugh*
– **Purple**: *___Weight in Boxing*
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### The Solution to Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition*
Ready for the answer? This is your final opportunity to back out if you want to solve it by yourself!
Drumroll, please…
The solution to today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* #53 is:
– **Los Angeles Teams**: *GALAXY, LAKERS, RAMS, SPARKS*
– **Football Receiving Routes**: *CORNER, CURL, POST, SLANT*
– **Coached by Jim Harbaugh**: *49ERS, CHARGERS, MICHIGAN, STANFORD*
– **___Weight in Boxing**: *FEATHER, FLY, HEAVY, WELTER*
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Don’t stress if you didn’t manage to solve it this time—there’s always a new puzzle tomorrow! We’ll return with additional hints and answers to aid you in conquering the next *Connections* challenge.
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Searching for more puzzles? Visit our [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and much more! And if you’re also engaging with *NYT Strands*, [here are today’s hints and solutions](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-november-17).
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*Not the day you’re interested in?* [Here’s the solution to yesterday’s *Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-november-17).