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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has some very goofy words in it. It might be tough to sort out. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for 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: A night out.
Green group hint: What’s the score?
Blue group hint: Hit lightly.
Purple group hint: Woof!
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Bar games.
Green group: Ways to catch up on the game.
Blue group: Descriptors for a softly hit baseball.
Purple group: Dog show groups.
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 for Dec. 12, 2025.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is bar games. The four answers are darts, pool, pop-a-shot and shuffleboard.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is ways to catch up on the game. The four answers are box score, highlights, replay and story.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is descriptors for a softly hit baseball. The four answers are blooper, dribbler, duck snort and Texas leaguer.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is dog show groups. The four answers are sorting, terrier, toy and working.
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Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories
The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.
That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing recently.
#1: Series A Clubs, Jan. 11. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.
#2: WNBA MVPs, Jan. 21. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.
#3: Premier League team nicknames, Jan. 17. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.
#4: Homophones of NBA player names, Jan. 26. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.