**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Aficionados**
*Connections: Sports Edition* is the newest iteration of the acclaimed *New York Times* word game, aimed at evaluating the knowledge of sports fans. Like the original *Connections*, the objective is to spot “common connections among words.” Similar to *Wordle*, the game is updated daily at midnight, with each new puzzle becoming increasingly challenging. If you find yourself in need of assistance, we have hints and tips available to support you.
If you’re simply after today’s answer, scroll down to the end of this article. But if you’d like to solve the puzzle independently, continue reading for strategies and clues to assist you.
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### What is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
This new daily word game from *The New York Times* is a partnership with *The Athletic*, the sports-centric publication under the *NYT* umbrella. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile gadgets, the game invites players to group four words sharing a common theme.
Every puzzle contains 16 words split into four categories. These categories can vary from sports roles to well-known athletes, or even broader subjects like book names or nations. Although certain words may appear to belong together, there exists only one correct combination for each grouping.
When you successfully identify a cluster of four related words, they are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect guesses are counted as mistakes, and players can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes.
To assist players, they can shuffle the board to rearrange the words. Each category is assigned a color based on difficulty: yellow is the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Just like *Wordle*, you can share your results with friends on social media.
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### Hints for This Day’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
In need of a little guidance without giving away the answers? Here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Not exact
– **Green:** Positions on the rink
– **Blue:** Hall of Famers who played in the Bay Area
– **Purple:** Captain of the Bills
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
If you require additional assistance, here are the specific categories for today’s puzzle:
– **Yellow:** Incorrect
– **Green:** Ice hockey positions
– **Blue:** Giants Hall of Famers
– **Purple:** Linked to Josh Allen
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Solution
Eager for the answers? Here’s your last chance to turn back before we unveil today’s solution.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* #118 is:
– **Incorrect:** AWAY, OFF THE MARK, OUTSIDE, WIDE
– **Ice Hockey Positions:** CENTER, DEFENSEMAN, GOALTENDER, WINGER
– **Giants Hall of Famers:** MARICHAL, MAYS, MCCOVEY, OTT
– **Linked to Josh Allen:** 17, BUFFALO, QB, WYOMING
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Don’t stress if you didn’t manage to solve it this time—tomorrow offers another opportunity! A new *Connections* puzzle will be available for you, and we’ll return with more hints and tips to assist you.
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### Looking for More Games?
If you’re a puzzle enthusiast, visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and much more.
Want to explore another *NYT* game? Check out today’s *Wordle* solution [here](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-january-19-2025) or find hints and answers for *NYT Strands* [here](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-19).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the solution to yesterday’s puzzle.](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-january-19-2025)