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Connections: Sports Edition has one of those oddball purple categories today, and I think I could’ve stared at the puzzle for a week and not solved it. It’s one of those “play with the letters” categories, and they’re always fun after I see the answer, but I seldom get it right. 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: Your group.
Green group hint: Where the Pope is from.
Blue group hint: All-Star player.
Purple group hint: Change a letter.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Team
Green group: Chicago teams
Blue group: Teams Juan Soto has played for
Purple group: NBA teams with the first letter changed
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 May 20, 2025.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is team. The four answers are club, side, squad and unit.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is Chicago teams. The four answers are Bears, Fire, Sky and White Sox.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is teams Juan Soto has played for. The four answers are Mets, Nationals, Padres and Yankees.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is NBA teams with the first letter changed. The four answers are Buns, Gulls, Meat and Slippers.
