Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 24, No. 488.
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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one, particularly that purple group, which wants you to find hidden words inside four of the words in the puzzle. 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: Smack!
Green group hint: Collectibles.
Blue group hint: Puck pros.
Purple group hint: Toss it.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Hit.
Green group: Sports memorabilia.
Blue group: Former NHL teams, in singular form.
Purple group: Ends in a synonym for throw.
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 Jan. 24, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is hit. The four answers are deck, punch, slug and strike.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is sports memorabilia. The four answers are autograph, jersey, poster and trading card.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is former NHL teams, in singular form. The four answers are Coyote, Nordique, Thrasher and Whaler.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ends in a synonym for throw. The four answers are blob (lob), shuffling (fling), surpass (pass) and woodchuck (chuck).
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