NYT Connections Sports Version: Clues and Solutions for December 20, 2025

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition will be simpler if you understand tactics.

This iteration of the beloved New York Times word game evaluates the knowledge of sports enthusiasts.

Similar to the initial Connections, the game centers on discovering “common links between words.” Like Wordle, Connections resets each day at midnight, with each new collection of words becoming increasingly difficult — so we’ve included some hints and advice to assist you.

If you’re looking for the solution to today’s puzzle, jump to the conclusion of this article. Otherwise, proceed to read for clues, advice, and strategies.

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What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT‘s newest daily word game, created in partnership with The Athletic, the New York Times’ sports coverage section, is accessible on web browsers and mobile devices. Players need to group four words that have a shared characteristic.

Each puzzle includes 16 words categorized into four groups. These sets could comprise anything from book titles to software or country names. While multiple words might appear to fit together, there is only one correct combination.

If a player successfully identifies all four words in a category, those words are cleared from the board. An incorrect guess is counted as a mistake — players are allowed up to four mistakes before the game concludes.

Players can rearrange and shuffle the board for easier identification of connections. Each group is color-coded: yellow indicates the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Much like Wordle, you can share your results with friends on social media.

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

Want a hint regarding the categories without directly receiving them? Consider these:

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