NYT Connections Sports Version: Hints and Answers for February 20, 2026

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition caters to fans of horse racing.

This iteration of the well-known New York Times word challenge evaluates the understanding of sports aficionados.

<pMuch like the original Connections, the game revolves around discovering “shared links among words.” In the style of Wordle, Connections refreshes at midnight, with each successive set of words presenting increased difficulty — so we have included some hints and tricks to assist you.

If you’re searching for today’s puzzle answer, jump to the conclusion of this article. If not, continue reading for clues, strategies, and tips.

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What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT‘s newest daily word challenge, launched alongside The Athletic, assesses sports knowledge. Connections is accessible on web browsers and mobile devices, necessitating players to associate four words with a shared connection.

Each puzzle consists of 16 words segmented into four categories. These groups may feature book titles, software names, countries, and more. While several words may appear to fit, only one is the correct solution.

If a participant accurately identifies all four words in a category, those words will be eliminated. A wrong attempt counts as an error — players are allowed up to four errors before the game concludes.

Players can rearrange and shuffle the board to identify connections with greater ease. Each group is assigned a color code: yellow indicates the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. As with Wordle, results can be shared on social media platforms.