### **Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Lovers**
**Connections: Sports Edition** presents a novel interpretation of the well-known [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted especially for sports aficionados.
Just like its predecessor **Connections**, this game invites players to uncover the “common links among words.” In the same vein as **Wordle**, a new puzzle emerges each day at midnight, with escalating levels of difficulty. Should you find yourself in need of assistance, we have various hints and strategies to guide you.
Do you want to jump ahead to today’s solution? Scroll down to the conclusion of this article. If you’d prefer to tackle it independently, continue reading for valuable hints and advice.
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### **What is Connections: Sports Edition?**
The **New York Times** has launched this daily word game in partnership with **The Athletic**, its sports-centered outlet. **Connections: Sports Edition** is accessible on both desktop browsers and mobile devices, urging players to categorize four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle is composed of 16 words distributed across four categories. These categories can include anything from book titles to country names, software, and more. While several words might appear to fit together, only one correct set exists.
When you successfully pinpoint a group of four related words, they are removed from the board. Conversely, incorrect guesses are counted as mistakes, and players have a maximum of four mistakes before the game concludes.
To aid in solving, players can shuffle the board to better recognize connections. The complexity of each category is indicated by color:
– **Yellow** – Easiest
– **Green** – Moderate
– **Blue** – Challenging
– **Purple** – Most complex
Similar to **Wordle**, players can share their outcomes on social media.
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### **Hints for Today’s Connections: Sports Edition Categories**
Need a bit of assistance without spoiling the surprise? Here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Played on grass, commonly enjoyed in a yard
– **Green:** Associated with NASCAR
– **Blue:** Runs in the bloodline
– **Purple:** Sports figures who turned into comedians
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### **Today’s Connections: Sports Edition Categories**
If you could use a touch more direction, here are today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Lawn games
– **Green:** Components of a racetrack
– **Blue:** Members of the Manning family
– **Purple:** Sports stars who have hosted *Saturday Night Live*
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### **Today’s Connections: Sports Edition Answers**
Still feeling stuck? Here are the right groupings for today’s puzzle:
– **Lawn games** – **BOCCE, CORNHOLE, CROQUET, KANJAM**
– **Parts of a racetrack** – **INFIELD, PITS, STRAIGHTAWAY, TURN**
– **Members of the Manning family** – **ARCH, COOPER, ELI, PEYTON**
– **Athletes who have hosted *SNL*** – **BRADY, PHELPS, ROUSEY, WATT**
If you didn’t manage to get them all this time, don’t fret! A new **Connections** puzzle will be available tomorrow, and we’ll provide more hints and solutions.
Looking for additional word games? Try today’s **[Wordle](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-february-20-2025)** or explore **[NYT Strands](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-february-20-2025)** for another challenge.
Want even more puzzles? Head over to **[Mashable’s Games Hub](https://games.mashable.com/)** for Mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords, and more!
Missed yesterday’s puzzle? **[Locate the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-february-20-2025).**