Here’s a rephrased version of the article that keeps the original language and HTML tags intact:

—

🧩 Connections: Sports Edition – All You Need to Know

The New York Times has introduced a sporty variation of its beloved word game with Connections: Sports Edition — a daily puzzle tailored for enthusiasts who are well-versed in stats, teams, and icons. Created in partnership with The Athletic, this edition invites players to discover the concealed connections among seemingly unrelated sports terms.

Similar to the first Connections game, the objective is to categorize 16 words into four groups of four, grounded in a unifying theme. However, don’t underestimate it — while certain words might seem to belong to several categories, there’s solely one correct arrangement.

🎮 How to Play

Connections: Sports Edition can be accessed on both web and mobile devices. Each day, players receive a new puzzle that refreshes at midnight. You will need to find four-word clusters that are linked by a common theme — be it baseball statistics, renowned athletes, or assorted sports trivia.

Here’s the gameplay breakdown:

– You begin with 16 words.
– Your mission: arrange them into four groups of four, with each group tied together by a common idea.
– Each correct group disappears from the board.
– You have up to four incorrect guesses allowed before the game concludes.
– You can shuffle the board to make recognizing patterns easier.

Every category is color-coded by level of difficulty: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (most challenging). And indeed — akin to Wordle, you can share your outcomes with friends via social media.

🧠 In Need of a Hint?

Seeking a little help without spoiling the fun? Here are some gentle hints for today’s categories:

– Yellow: To instruct
– Green: MLB statistics
– Blue: Legends from Pennsylvania
– Purple: They have the same first name

📢 Today’s Categories Unveiled

Still perplexed? Here are the actual category names for today:

– Yellow: Educate
– Green: Baseball defensive statistics
– Blue: Current teams from Philadelphia
– Purple: Jimmy ___

🥁 And Here Are the Answers…

Prepared for the reveal? Here’s the solution to today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle (#233):

– Educate: COACH, DRILL, INSTRUCT, MANAGE
– Baseball defensive statistics: ASSIST, ERROR, FIELDING PERCENTAGE, PUTOUT
– Current teams from Philadelphia: BARKLEY, HARPER, HURTS, MAXEY
– Jimmy ___: BUTLER, GAROPPOLO, GRAHAM, ROLLINS

Didn’t solve it this time? No problem — a new puzzle is available every day, and we’ll continue providing tips and answers to assist you.

🧩 Craving More Puzzles?

Keen to extend the cognitive challenge? Explore Mashable’s Games Hub for additional enjoyment, including Mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords, and more.

🧠 Also engaging with NYT Strands? Be sure to check today’s hints and solutions for Strands here.

📅 Missed a day? You can always go back and find yesterday’s Connections answer right here.

Enjoy puzzling!