Hints and Solutions for NYT Connections Sports Version: June 4, 2025

Connections: Sports Edition is a fresh take on the well-known New York Times word game aimed at testing the knowledge of sports enthusiasts.

Much like the original Connections, the game emphasizes uncovering “common themes among words.” Similar to Wordle, Connections refreshes post-midnight, with each new word set incrementally increasing in difficulty—therefore, we’ve included some hints and strategies to assist you.

If you seek today’s puzzle answer, proceed to the end of this article. If you prefer to tackle it on your own, keep reading for clues, advice, and tactics.

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What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT‘s newest daily word challenge is released in partnership with The Athletic, the New York Times’ sports reporting platform. Connections is available on both web and mobile platforms, requiring players to cluster four words that have a shared connection.

Each puzzle contains 16 words, segmented into four categories. These groupings may involve book titles, software, names of countries, etc. While several words might appear to be linked, there is only one accurate combination.

If a player successfully identifies all four words in a grouping, those words are eliminated from the board. An erroneous guess counts as a mistake—participants can incur up to four errors before concluding the game.

Players have the option to rearrange and shuffle the board for easier identification of connections. Each group is color-coded, with yellow being the simplest, succeeded by green, blue, and purple. Just like Wordle, you can share your outcomes with friends via social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections Sports Edition categories

Looking for a hint about the categories without giving them away? Consider these:

  • Yellow: Types of players on the ice

  • Green: Teams from the far north

  • Blue: Methods of scoring in hockey

  • Purple: Championship victors

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