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The blue group in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle played on my Gen X heart. If you know your classic video games, you’re golden here. 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: Not lose.
Green group hint: A baseball out.
Blue group hint: Glass Joe.
Purple group hint: Think Chicago.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Win
Green group: Strike out
Blue group: Classic sports video games
Purple group: Associated with Michael Jordan.
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 18, 2025.
NYT/Screenshot by CNET
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is win. The four answers are dub, triumph, victory and W.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is strike out. The four answers are fan, K, ring up and whiff.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is classic sports video games. The four answers are NBA Jam, NFL Blitz, Punch-Out and Tecmo Bowl.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is associated with Michael Jordan. The four answers are 23, 6 rings, His Airness and Last Dance.
