**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Aficionados**
*Connections: Sports Edition* is the newest extension of the beloved [New York Times word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted to challenge the knowledge of sports fans.
Much like the original *Connections*, the aim is to discover “shared links among words.” Similar to *Wordle*, the game resets at midnight every day, with each subsequent puzzle becoming increasingly complex. If you’re finding it difficult, we have some tips and tactics to assist you—or feel free to jump to the end of this article for today’s answer.
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### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
This fresh daily word challenge from the *New York Times* has been created in partnership with *The Athletic*, the publication’s sports-centric outlet. *Connections: Sports Edition* is available on both web and mobile platforms. The mission? Assemble four words that are connected by a common theme.
Each puzzle contains 16 words that players need to categorize into four separate groups. These categories can include everything from book names and software to country titles and, naturally, topics about sports. While some words may appear to fit together, there is only one correct grouping.
Once players successfully form a group of four, those words are cleared from the board. However, wrong guesses are counted as errors, and players only have a maximum of four mistakes per game.
To simplify the task, players can shuffle the board to rearrange the words and uncover connections more easily. Each category is marked by a color code, with yellow being the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. And just like *Wordle*, players can share their outcomes on social media to compare their scores with friends.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Need a little encouragement without revealing the answers? Here are some clues for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Items you might purchase at a sports event
– **Green:** Actions related to displaying
– **Blue:** Famous NFL defensive players
– **Purple:** Soccer tricks and moves
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Still having trouble? Here are the categories for today:
– **Yellow:** Snacks from the concession stand
– **Green:** Display
– **Blue:** Hall of Fame defensive rushers
– **Purple:** Soccer skill moves
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Answers
Ready for the answers? Here are the solutions to today’s puzzle:
– **Concession stand snacks:** *CRACKER JACK, PEANUTS, POPCORN, PRETZEL*
– **Show off:** *FLAUNT, GRANDSTAND, HOTDOG, SHOWBOAT*
– **Hall of Fame pass rushers:** *PEPPERS, STRAHAN, WARE, WHITE*
– **Soccer skill moves:** *NUTMEG, OLIMPICO, RABONA, STEPOVER*
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Don’t fret if you couldn’t crack it this time—there’s always a new *Connections* puzzle coming your way tomorrow. And we’ll be here with more hints and answers to assist you.
Looking for additional puzzles? Visit [Mashable’s games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and much more.
Missed the previous day’s puzzle? [Here’s the answer to yesterday’s *Connections.*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-january-24-2025)