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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one. If you’re struggling 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 show up in the NYT Games app but appears 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: Expertise.
Green group hint: Nike is one.
Blue group hint: Pete Carroll is one.
Purple group hint: Not winter.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Special ability.
Green group: Running shoe brands.
Blue group: NFL head coaches.
Purple group: Summer ____.
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 Nov. 18, 2025.
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is special ability. The four answers are flair, gift, skill and talent.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is running shoe brands. The four answers are ASICS, Brooks, Hoka and Saucony.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is NFL head coaches. The four answers are Harbaugh, Payton, Ryans and Vrabel.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is summer ____. The four answers are league, McIntosh, Olympics and Sanders.
Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories
The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.
That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing recently.
#1: Series A Clubs, Jan. 11. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.
#2: WNBA MVPs, Jan. 21. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.
#3: Premier League team nicknames, Jan. 17. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.
#4: Homophones of NBA player names, Jan. 26. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.
