**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Aficionados**
*Connections: Sports Edition* is the newest offshoot of the acclaimed *New York Times* word game, crafted to challenge the knowledge of sports fans. Like the original *Connections*, this iteration tasks players with spotting “common threads among words.” In a fashion similar to *Wordle*, the game resets every day at midnight, with each subsequent puzzle becoming increasingly challenging. If you find yourself at a standstill, we have tips and strategies to assist you—or you can jump straight to the solution provided at the conclusion of this article.
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### What is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
This innovative daily word game from the *New York Times* is a partnership with *The Athletic*, the publication’s sports-centric platform. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, *Connections: Sports Edition* invites players to categorize four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle features 16 words, organized into four categories. These categories can span from sports teams to emblematic logos, and while some terms may appear suitable for multiple groups, there is only one correct answer.
When players successfully identify a set of four, those words are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect attempts are counted as mistakes, allowing players up to four errors before the game concludes. To simplify the gameplay, the board can be reshuffled, and the groups are color-coded by level of difficulty: yellow (easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to *Wordle*, players can share their results on social media to compare with friends.
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### Tips for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition*
Need a push in the right direction? Here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Striking someone
– **Green:** Team titles
– **Blue:** Soccer clubs
– **Purple:** Do you recognize this logo?
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
If you’re in need of a bit more assistance, here are today’s detailed categories:
– **Yellow:** Punches in boxing
– **Green:** Teams from Indiana
– **Blue:** Scottish football clubs
– **Purple:** Elements in NBA logos
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Solution
Ready to uncover the answers? Here’s your final chance to look away before we disclose today’s solution.
Drumroll, please!
The answer for today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* #76 is:
– **Punches in Boxing:** CROSS, HOOK, JAB, OVERHAND
– **Teams in Indiana:** FEVER, NOTRE DAME, PACERS, PURDUE
– **Scottish Soccer Clubs:** ABERDEEN, CELTIC, HEARTS, RANGERS
– **Items in NBA Logos:** BRIDGE, LEPRECHAUN, MUSIC NOTE, PICKAXE
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Don’t fret if you didn’t succeed this time—another puzzle awaits you tomorrow! We’ll return with additional hints and solutions to keep your mind active.
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### Seeking More Games?
If puzzles are your passion, visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. And if you’re playing *NYT Strands*, we’ve got [hints and answers for today’s puzzle](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-december-7).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the solution to the previous puzzle](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-8). Keep engaging, and happy puzzling!