The latest New York Times Connections puzzle, the Sports Edition for December 26th (#459), presents a mix of straightforward and challenging categories. This edition, published by The Athletic, requires players to identify four groups of four words linked by a common theme. If you’re stuck, here’s a breakdown of the hints and solutions.
Understanding the Puzzle
Connections challenges players to think laterally. The difficulty stems from the sometimes-obscure relationships between words. The puzzle is designed to test pattern recognition and vocabulary skills, with the purple category being the most difficult, often requiring a less obvious connection.
Hints by Category
The puzzle is divided into color-coded categories: Yellow (easiest), Green, Blue, and Purple (hardest). Here’s a breakdown of hints for each:
- Yellow: Think New York sports teams.
- Green: These are events in college football.
- Blue: Consider elements associated with traveling teams.
- Purple: The connection here is a shared verb ending, but it’s hidden within the words themselves.
The Solutions
Here are the complete solutions for today’s Connections puzzle:
- Yellow Group: The theme is a New York athlete. The answers are Islander, Net, Ranger, and Yankee. These represent prominent sports teams based in New York City.
- Green Group: The theme is bowl games. The answers are Alamo, Gator, Liberty, and Pinstripe. These are all named college football bowl games.
- Blue Group: The theme is associated with a team road trip. The answers are bus, flight, hotel, and visiting locker room. These words relate to the logistics of traveling sports teams.
- Purple Group: The theme is words that end in a movement verb. The answers are foxtrot (trot), newsprint (sprint), terrace (race), and thunderbolt (bolt). The trick here is recognizing the verb hidden within each word.
Solving Connections requires both general knowledge and a willingness to explore unconventional connections. The Sports Edition, in particular, tests familiarity with athletic terms and events.
