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Today's Connections: Sports Edition stumped me all over the place today. Growing up in Minnesota surrounded by ice hockey, I was able to nail the green group, but I didn't do so well otherwise. 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: Throw it in there.
Green group hint: Five for fighting.
Blue group hint: On the ice.
Purple group hint: Crimson Tide.
Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Baseball pitching arm slots.
Green group: Hockey penalties.
Blue group: PWHL teams.
Purple group: Former Alabama QBs.
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. 9, 2025, #320.
The yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is baseball pitching arm slots. The four answers are overhand, sidearm, submarine and three-quarters.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is hockey penalties. The four answers are boarding, cross-checking, hooking and interference.
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is PWHL teams. The four answers are Charge, Fleet, Frost and Sirens.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is former Alabama QBs. The four answers are Namath, Stabler, Starr and Young.
Quick tips for Connections: Sports Edition
#1: Don't grab for the easiest group. For each word, think about other sports categories it might fit in – is this a word that can be used in football, or to describe scoring options?
#2: Second meanings are important. The puzzle loves to use last names and even college names that mean other things, to fool you into thinking they are words, not names.
#3: And the opposite is also true. Words like HURTS might seem like a regular word, but it's also the last name of at least one pro athlete.
