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In search of most recent regular responses to Connections? Click here for today’s connection tipsplus our daily answers and tips for the New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, and Strands puzzles.
Today Connections: sports edition is a difficult question. I saw both SEATTLE and WASHINGTON in the clues, and sitting here in Seattle, Washington, I tried to put them in the same group. Spoiler: It didn’t work. If you’re having trouble solving today’s riddle but still want to solve it, read on for tips and answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the Times-owned subscription sports journalism site. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it online for free.
Learn more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle exits beta
Here are four clues for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ordered from the easiest yellow group to the difficult (and sometimes weird) purple group.
Yellow group index: Grid protection.
Green group index: Light it in there.
Blue group index: The envelope, please.
Purple group index: Scary weather.
Yellow group: Parts of a football helmet.
Green group: Baseball fields.
Blue group: Oscar nominees for playing a boxer.
Purple group: ____ storm.
Learn more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
The NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle completed by January 3, 2026.
The theme represents the parts of a football helmet. The four answers are chin bar, face mask, padding and shell.
The theme is baseball fields. The four responses are shift, cutter, slider, and splitter.
The theme is Oscar nominees for the role of a boxer. The four answers are De Niro, Stallone, Swank and Washington.
The theme is ____ storm. The four answers are Court, Hannah, Red and Seattle.
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