**Connections: Sports Edition—A Fresh Challenge for Sports Aficionados**
*Connections: Sports Edition* is a thrilling offshoot of the acclaimed [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections) aimed at assessing the knowledge of sports fans.
Similar to the original *Connections*, the objective is to discover the “shared themes among words.” Much like *Wordle*, the game resets every day at midnight, with each new puzzle becoming increasingly difficult. If you find yourself in need of assistance, we provide hints and tips to guide you.
For those who simply want the answers, scroll to the bottom of this article. However, if you’d like to solve the puzzle independently, keep reading for some helpful strategies and clues.
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### What is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
The *New York Times* has collaborated with *The Athletic*, its sports-oriented publication, to introduce this fresh daily word game. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, *Connections: Sports Edition* invites players to group four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle is made up of 16 words, sorted into four categories. These categories can vary from book titles to software names to country designations, among others. While some words might appear related, there is only one correct grouping for each set.
When players successfully identify all four words in a category, those words are cleared from the board. Conversely, incorrect guesses are counted as errors, and players are allowed a maximum of four mistakes before the game concludes.
To simplify gameplay, players can shuffle and reorganize the board. Furthermore, the categories are color-coded according to difficulty: yellow indicates the easiest level, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like *Wordle*, players can share their outcomes on social media to compare scores with friends.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Need a little help? Here are some clues for today’s puzzle categories:
– **Yellow:** Brief pause
– **Green:** Counteraction
– **Blue:** Recreational areas
– **Purple:** Related matters
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Still in a bind? Here are the exact categories for today’s puzzle:
– **Yellow:** Interruption in play
– **Green:** Halt
– **Blue:** MLB arenas
– **Purple:** ____ duration
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Solution
Ready for the solutions? Here’s the answer to today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* puzzle (#75):
– **Interruption in play:** INTERMISSION, PAUSE, SUSPENSION, TIMEOUT
– **Halt:** BLOCK, PREVENT, STUFF, THWART
– **MLB arenas:** CHASE, ORACLE, TARGET, WRIGLEY
– **____ duration:** EXTRA, GARBAGE, STOPPAGE, WINNING
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Don’t fret if you didn’t crack it this time—there’s always tomorrow! Fresh *Connections* puzzles will arrive daily, and we’ll return with more hints and solutions to assist you.
Interested in more games? Visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and much more.
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### Bonus: Other NYT Games
If you’re also trying your hand at *Wordle*, [here’s today’s answer](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-december-7-2024). Or, if you’re working on *Strands*, [we have hints and answers for that too](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-december-7).
Happy puzzling!