**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Take on the Popular NYT Word Game**
*Connections: Sports Edition* introduces a new angle on the favorite [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted especially for sports fans. This iteration invites players to discover the “shared links between words,” reminiscent of the classic *Connections*. Like *Wordle*, the game is updated every day at midnight, with puzzles incrementally increasing in challenge. If you hit a wall, we have hints and advice available to assist you—or you can jump straight to the end for today’s solution.
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### What is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
This latest word game from the *New York Times* has been created in collaboration with *The Athletic*, the NYT’s sports-centered publication. Players can engage with *Connections: Sports Edition* on both web platforms and mobile devices. The goal? To group four words that are united by a common theme.
Each puzzle offers 16 words, which need to be categorized into four separate groups. These classifications could include sports terminology, book titles, country names, and more. Although several words may appear to belong together, there is only one accurate solution for each cluster.
When players successfully identify a set of four words, those are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect selections count as mistakes, and players are allowed only four missteps before the game concludes. To assist with spotting connections more easily, players can shuffle the board. The game includes color-coded difficulty levels: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (most challenging). Just like *Wordle*, you can share your outcomes with friends on social media.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Need a little guidance? Here are some clues to aid you in identifying today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Negative trend
– **Green:** Terms related to a water sport
– **Blue:** Colleges located near the Big Apple
– **Purple:** Sounds akin to they play basketball
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Still feeling lost? Here’s a breakdown of today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Recession
– **Green:** Surfing vocabulary
– **Blue:** New York educational institutions
– **Purple:** Homophones resembling NBA player names
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### The Solution to Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition*
Eager for the answers? Here’s how today’s puzzle unfolds:
– **Recession:** DECLINE, PLUNGE, SKID, SLUMP
– **Surfing vocabulary:** BARREL, CREST, SWELL, WAVE
– **New York educational institutions:** COLGATE, COLUMBIA, ST. JOHN’S, SYRACUSE
– **Homophones resembling NBA player names:** BARNS, CONNECT, HEART, HERO
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Don’t be discouraged if you couldn’t solve it this time—there’s always a fresh puzzle awaiting you tomorrow. We’ll return with additional hints and techniques to help you tackle the next one.
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### Looking for More Games?
If you love puzzles, take a look at Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. And if you’re also playing *NYT Strands*, [here are today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-20).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Find the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-january-20-2025). Happy puzzling!