Today’s NYT Connections Sports Edition: Clues and Solutions for May 16, 2025

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans. Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, with each new set of words getting trickier—so we’ve provided some hints and tips to help you along the way. If you’d like to skip directly to today’s puzzle, feel free to jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you prefer to solve it yourself, keep reading for clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections Sports Edition? The NYT’s latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words, with each grouping split into four categories. These sets could include anything from book titles to software and country names. While multiple words may seem to fit together, there’s only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess incorrectly, and it counts as a mistake—players can make up to four mistakes before the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded, with yellow indicating the easiest group, followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to Wordle, players can share their results with friends on social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections Sports Edition categories. If you’re looking for a hint about the categories without being told what they are, try these:

Here are today’s Connections Sports Edition categories. Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories: Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions. Drumroll, please! The solution to today’s Connections Sports Edition #235 is…

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today?
– In front of – AHEAD, LEADING, ON TOP, UP
– ACC schools – DUKE, LOUISVILLE, PITTSBURGH, VIRGINIA
– French star athletes, past and present – HENRY, PARKER, WEMBANYAMA, ZIDANE
– Last four WNBA No. 1 picks – BOSTON, BUECKERS, CLARK, HOWARD

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. New Connections will be available tomorrow, and we’ll be back with more helpful hints for you.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands. If you’re looking for more puzzles, explore our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more. Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.