NYT Connections Sports Edition Today: Hints and Answers for December 1, 2025

The New York Times has rolled out a dedicated Connections Sports Edition, giving fans of daily puzzles yet another brain-teasing challenge. Similar to the standard Connections game, this sports-centric version refreshes at midnight EST and presents 16 words that must be grouped into four themed categories—each containing four words.

If you're struggling with today’s puzzle for Monday, December 1, 2025, here are the hints and full answers.

What Is NYT Connections Sports Edition?

Connections Sports Edition works just like the original NYT Connections puzzle but focuses exclusively on sports terminology. Developed in collaboration with The Athletic, the game asks players to identify the common thread linking groups of sports-related words.

Each round includes:

16 words

4 hidden categories

4 words per category

Your task is to correctly match them based on their shared sports theme.

Hints for Today’s NYT Connections Sports Edition (December 1, 2025)

Use these clues to steer your guesses:

• Yellow Category Hint: Think sand and swings.
• Green Category Hint: A card table essential.
• Blue Category Hint: Not just men named Jim.
• Purple Category Hint: Look closely at the endings.

Today’s Categories Revealed

If you want the actual category names, here they are:

• Yellow: Volleyball Terms
• Green: Poker Terms
• Blue: Jameses
• Purple: Ends in an NWSL Team Name

NYT Connections Sports Edition Answers for December 1, 2025 (#434)

Here are the correct groupings:

Volleyball Terms

Dig

Serve

Set

Spike

Poker Terms

Blind

Flop

River

Turn

Jameses

Cook

Harden

Shields

Worthy

Ends in an NWSL Team

Balderdash

Concurrent

Foreign

Microwave

If you didn’t crack today’s puzzle, don’t worry—sports-themed Connections can get tricky. Check back daily for fresh hints and answers.