Today’s Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know collegiate sports.

As we’ve shared in previous hints stories, this is a 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, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some 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 the publication’s sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they 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 wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Baseball nicknames

• Green: Cyclist clothing

• Blue: Geographically specific

• Purple: Same word, different meanings

Here are today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: New York Yankees, informally

• Green: Tour de France jerseys

• Blue: Locations of Big 12 Schools

• Purple: What “boot” might mean

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

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 #635 is…

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• New York Yankees, informally: BRONX BOMBERS, EVIL EMPIRE, PINSTRIPES, YANKS

• Tour de France jerseys: GREEN, POLKA DOT, WHITE, YELLOW

• Locations of Big 12 schools: BOULDER, FORT WORTH, MANHATTAN, WACO

• What “boot” might mean: CLEAT, EJECT, KICK, MISHANDLE

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to the latest Connections.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Saturday, June 20, 2026:

Across

The “I” of TGIF

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

“Psych!”

Batman villain played by Aaron Eckhart in “The Dark Knight”

Repressive governments

Folding art

Opposite direction of NNW

Streaming issue caused by slow wi-fi

Raggedy ___ (doll)

Down

Icebreakers, e.g.

“The Two ___” (second installment of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy)

Cigar, informally

Presidential candidate Harris

2026 #1 album for Drake

Word after “interior” or “intelligent”

Kind of tree that the Buddha is said to have meditated under

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you’re stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you’ve ever played dominoes, you’ll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we’ve shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don’t necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you’ll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 20 Pips

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 20 Pips

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 20 Pips

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (7): Everything in this space must be less than 7. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.