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Connections: Sports Edition has one of those purple categories today that make players tear their hair out. The words aren’t really sports words, but they sound like connecting sports words. Oof. Read on for hints and answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle.
For now, the game is in beta, which means the Times is testing it out to see if it’s popular before adding it to the site’s Games app. You can play it daily for now for free — and then we’ll have to see if it sticks around.
Read more: NYT Has a Connections Game for Sports Fans. I Tried It
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Things aren’t looking up.
Green group hint: Hang ten.
Blue group hint: Empire State education.
Purple group hint: Sounds like a hoopster.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Downturn.
Green group: Surfing terms.
Blue group: New York colleges.
Purple group: Homophones of NBA player names.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is downturn. The four answers are decline, plunge, skid and slump.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is surfing terms. The four answers are barrel, crest, swell and wave.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is New York colleges. The four answers are Colgate, Columbia, St. John’s and Syracuse.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is homophones of NBA player names. The four answers are Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.