The New York Times’ The Athletic released today’s edition of the Connections puzzle, a word-association game. If you’re stuck but eager to solve it, here’s a breakdown of the hints and full answers.
Puzzle Overview
Connections challenges players to group sixteen words into four categories based on shared themes. The difficulty increases with each group, ranging from straightforward (yellow) to obscure (purple). This puzzle appears in The Athletic app or on the publication’s website, not the NYT Games app.
Hints by Category
Here’s a tiered guide to help you crack the puzzle:
- Yellow (Easiest): Think defensive gear.
- Green: Consider illegal plays in American football.
- Blue: Focus on sports-themed films released in a specific year.
- Purple (Hardest): This category involves an item commonly carried by athletes.
Solutions Revealed
Here’s how the groupings break down:
Yellow: Catcher’s Equipment
The four words in this group represent protective gear worn by baseball catchers:
- Chest protector
- Mask
- Mitt
- Shin guards
Green: Football Penalties
These words all refer to infractions in football that result in penalties:
- Chop block
- Clipping
- False start
- Holding
Blue: Sports Movies of 2001
This category focuses on sports-related films that debuted in 2001:
- 61
- Ali
- Hardball
- Summer Catch
Purple: ____ Bag
The final, most challenging category centers around types of bags used by athletes:
- Duffel bag
- Heavy bag
- Rosin bag
- Speed bag
The Connections puzzle is a popular daily challenge that tests vocabulary and pattern recognition. Solving it sharpens mental agility, but sometimes, a little help makes all the difference.
