**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Aficionados**
*Connections: Sports Edition* offers an innovative twist on the well-known [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections) created especially for sports fans. Like the original *Connections*, this adaptation invites players to pinpoint “common themes among words.” Each day, similar to *Wordle*, the game resets at midnight, with the difficulty of each new puzzle increasing. Should you find yourself in a jam, we provide hints and tactics to assist you—and if you’re simply looking for today’s answer, just scroll to the end of the article.
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### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
The *New York Times* has collaborated with *The Athletic*, its sports-centric platform, to introduce this thrilling daily word game. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, *Connections: Sports Edition* challenges players to categorize four words that share a similar theme.
Every puzzle consists of 16 words, divided into four distinct groups. These categories can include anything from book titles to software names, country names, or in this instance, sports-related themes. Although some words may appear to fit multiple categories, there’s only one correct grouping.
When a player successfully identifies a set of four connected words, those words are removed from the board. Nevertheless, incorrect guesses are counted as mistakes, with players limited to four mistakes per game. To simplify the process, the board can be shuffled, and each category is color-coded: yellow represents the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Just like *Wordle*, players can share their results on social media.
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### How to Play *Connections: Sports Edition*
1. **Objective**: Organize the 16 words into four groups of four words each.
2. **Hints**: Categories are color-coded based on difficulty:
– Yellow: Easiest
– Green: Moderate
– Blue: Challenging
– Purple: Most difficult
3. **Mistakes**: You can make up to four incorrect guesses before the game concludes.
4. **Tools**: Utilize the shuffle feature to rearrange the board and make spotting connections easier.
5. **Sharing**: After solving the puzzle, share your success with friends and see if they can surpass your score.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
If you need a push in the right direction without revealing the answers, here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow**: Types of golf shots
– **Green**: Athletes recognized by a single name
– **Blue**: Passing the ball in soccer
– **Purple**: Representatives for college sports
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Looking for a bit more support? Here are today’s categories:
– **Yellow**: Golf shots
– **Green**: Mononymic athletes
– **Blue**: Passes in soccer
– **Purple**: College mascots
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### The Solution to Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Puzzle
Ready for the answers? This is your final chance to step back and solve the puzzle independently. Drumroll, please!
**Today’s solution (#88):**
– **Golf shots**: CHIP, DRIVE, FLOP, PUTT
– **Mononymic athletes**: ICHIRO, LEBRON, SERENA, TIGER
– **Passes in soccer**: BACKHEEL, CROSS, ONE-TWO, THROUGH
– **College mascots**: BRUTUS, BUCKY, OTTO, SEBASTIAN
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### Don’t Fret if You Missed It!
If you were unable to complete today’s puzzle, don’t be disheartened. A new *Connections* puzzle will arrive tomorrow, and we’ll return with more hints and solutions to lend a hand.
Seeking more games? Visit [Mashable’s games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and beyond. And if you’re also engaged with *NYT Strands*, [here are today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-december-20).
Want to look back at yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the solution](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-20).
Enjoy puzzling!