Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is both fun and tough. The purple category was kind of brilliant, actually. Read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
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: NFL terms.
Green group hint: Maple leaf flag.
Blue group hint: Ducks from Eugene.
Purple group hint: Fore!
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Deliver the ball to a teammate
Green group: Canadian teams, minus the S
Blue group: Oregon alumni
Purple group: Golf clubs minus the first letter
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 Aug. 17, 2025.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is deliver the ball to a teammate. The four answers are dish, distribute, give and pass.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is Canadian teams, minus the S. The four answers are Canuck, Flame, Raptor and Whitecap.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Oregon alumni. The four answers are Herbert, Ionescu, Nix and Pritchard.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is golf clubs minus the first letter. The four answers are edge (wedge), river (driver), ron (iron) and utter (putter).
