**Connections: Sports Edition – A New Perspective on the NYT Word Game for Sports Lovers**
*Connections: Sports Edition* is the newest variation of the beloved [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted to test the expertise of sports aficionados. Similar to the original *Connections*, this edition emphasizes the discovery of “shared connections among words.” Like *Wordle*, the game resets daily at midnight, with each subsequent puzzle increasing in difficulty. If you’re in need of assistance, we have tips and strategies available—or you can jump to the conclusion of this article for today’s answer.
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### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
This fresh daily word game from the *New York Times* is a partnership with *The Athletic*, the NYT’s sports-centric platform. Accessible on both web and mobile, the game challenges players to group four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle includes 16 words categorized into four groups. These categories may span sports themes to wider subjects like book titles or geographic locations. Although certain words might fit into several categories, only one solution is correct.
Once players successfully identify a set of four words, those words are eliminated from the board. Incorrect guesses are considered mistakes, with players permitted up to four errors before the game concludes. To aid in finding connections, players have the option to shuffle the board.
The game also incorporates a color-coded difficulty scale: yellow signifies the easiest level, followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to *Wordle*, players can post their results on social media to compare with friends.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Need some guidance? Here are clues for today’s categories, keeping the answers under wraps:
– **Yellow:** Competitions involving water
– **Green:** NFL teams with the highest Super Bowl trophies
– **Blue:** Teams where both the city and team name begin with the same letter
– **Purple:** Items linked to “Ice”
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories Unveiled
Still not making progress? Here are the precise categories for today’s challenge:
– **Yellow:** Water sports
– **Green:** NFL teams securing the most Super Bowl titles
– **Blue:** Teams with matching city/nickname initials
– **Purple:** Terms related to Ice
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Answers
Eager for the solutions? Here they are for today’s challenge:
– **Water sports:** **DIVING, ROWING, SURFING, SWIMMING**
– **NFL teams with the most Super Bowl titles:** **49ERS, COWBOYS, PATRIOTS, STEELERS**
– **Teams featuring alliterative city/nickname pairs:** **BILLS, BRUINS, MARLINS, STORM**
– **Ice ______:** **FISHING, HOCKEY, PACK, SKATING**
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Don’t fret if you couldn’t solve it today—there’s always tomorrow’s challenge waiting for you! We’ll return with additional hints and answers to support you.
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### Seeking More Games?
If puzzles intrigue you, visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and additional games. And if you’re also engaged in *NYT Strands*, [check out today’s hints and solutions](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-december-25).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Discover the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-25). Enjoy puzzling!