The New York Times’ daily word game, Connections, has a new edition, and today’s puzzle draws its categories from the world of sports. The game, which launched in association with The Athletic, the Times’ sports publication, puts players through four categories: Maryland Teams, former NHL cities, NFL rookie wide receivers, and sports terms in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
Each puzzle features 16 words, grouped into four categories — yellow, green, blue, and purple — with each color marking a different degree of difficulty, from yellow as the easiest to purple as the hardest. Players get up to four wrong answers before the game ends. The categories for today’s puzzle are:
- Yellow: Maryland Teams
- Green: Former NHL Cities
- Blue: NFL Rookie WRs
- Purple: Sports Terms in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
The Categories at a Glance
| Category | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Maryland Teams | MIDSHIPMEN, ORIOLES, RAVENS, TERRAPINS |
| Former NHL Cities | ATLANTA, HARTFORD, PHOENIX, QUEBEC CITY |
| NFL Rookie WRs | BOSTON, LEMON, TATE, TYSON |
| Phonetic Alphabet | GOLF, UNIFORM, VICTOR, YANKEE |
How the Game Works
Connections works just like the original NYT game: players find the common thread between four words. Unlike Wordle, which resets after midnight and gets harder over time, Connections resets with a fresh set of words each day. Players can rearrange the board and shuffle words to make spotting connections easier. Each correct set of four words removes them from the board; a wrong answer counts as a mistake.
If a player reaches four wrong answers, the game ends. The color-coding helps players choose which sets to tackle first. Yellow is easiest, green is next, then blue, and purple is the hardest.
Hints for Today’s Puzzle
The hints section offers a quick way into the categories without giving away the words. For players who want to solve the puzzle themselves, the hints point toward the sports context without naming the specific words.
Players who want to check their work before revealing the solution can refer to the hints for additional clues. The full solution is revealed at the end of the article.
What to Play Next
For players who want more, the post points to today’s Wordle answer, hints and answers for today’s NYT Strands, and Mashable’s games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, and crosswords. It also links to the solution for yesterday’s Connections.
The full solution to today’s puzzle, Connections: Sports Edition #727, is already out there for anyone who did not manage to guess it on their own. The official guide notes that there will be new puzzles tomorrow, and we will be back again with more helpful hints.
The game is free to play on web browsers and mobile devices. The official guide notes that the Sports Edition is easier for people who’ve lived in Maryland, though the source does not tie that ease directly to the yellow category.
Source material: “NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 20, 2026,” Mashable.
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