Are you on the hunt for the most up-to-date and reliable solutions to the latest *Connections* puzzle? If so, you’re in exactly the right place. By following the provided link, you can access today’s comprehensive *Connections* hints along with a wealth of additional daily guidance and answer explanations for several other popular New York Times puzzles—among them, the *Mini Crossword*, *Wordle*, and *Strands*. Each of these games presents a unique mental challenge, offering a perfect balance of logic, cultural knowledge, and linguistic intuition.

For today’s featured edition—*Connections: Sports Edition*—players are in for an especially demanding puzzle. Interestingly, despite the general convention that the purple category tends to be the most challenging of the four, I personally found it to be the most straightforward this time. If you’re finding yourself stuck but still want to approach the solution methodically rather than surrendering immediately to curiosity, continue reading below for carefully structured hints and, should you wish, the final confirmed answers.

This particular version, *Connections: Sports Edition*, is an offering from *The Athletic*, the well-known subscription-based platform specializing in in-depth sports journalism and insightful analysis, now operated under the umbrella of *The New York Times*. Notably, this special edition does not appear within the standard NYT Games application, but rather is integrated within *The Athletic’s* own app ecosystem. However, for those who prefer quick and open access, it is also available to play online at no cost, ensuring that anyone—subscriber or not—can enjoy the experience.

If you’d like to delve further into the background and development of the game, you can explore the article *“NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta”* for additional context on its evolution and launch details. For those focused on solving today’s puzzle, below you’ll find a set of four specifically tailored hints designed to provide subtle guidance toward identifying the groupings used in today’s edition. These hints are arranged in order from the most accessible—the yellow category—to the most complex and occasionally enigmatic—the purple one.

**Yellow group hint:** “Old Line State.”
**Green group hint:** “Hoops legend.”
**Blue group hint:** “Robert Redford movie.”
**Purple group hint:** “Vroom-vroom.”

Each clue provides a concise thematic nudge pointing toward the shared connection among four distinct words. The yellow hint references Maryland, famously nicknamed the Old Line State; the green evokes one of basketball’s all-time greats; the blue suggests a cinematic classic centered on America’s pastime; and the purple, with its playful onomatopoeia, directs solvers toward something fast, powered, and likely related to driving.

Now, for those who wish to confirm their guesses, here are the full solutions for each category in today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* puzzle:

**Yellow group:** The unifying concept is *Maryland teams*. The four terms grouped here—*Midshipmen*, *Orioles*, *Ravens*, and *Terrapins*—each represent a major sports team based in Maryland, ranging from collegiate to professional franchises.

**Green group:** This set centers on *Shaquille O’Neal nicknames*, highlighting the larger-than-life personality and legacy of the NBA star known for collecting numerous monikers throughout his career. The four answers—*Big Aristotle*, *Diesel*, *Shaq*, and *Superman*—each evoke his powerful playing style and charismatic public image.

**Blue group:** The theme here is *Associated with “The Natural,”* the beloved film starring Robert Redford that celebrates baseball’s mythic quality and heroism. The four associated terms—*baseball*, *Hobbs*, *Knights*, and *Wonderboy*—collectively capture the central elements of the story: the sport itself, the protagonist’s name, the team he plays for, and the iconic bat that symbolizes his gifted talent.

**Purple group:** Finally, the toughest category, often the most intellectually elusive, unites *sports that have a driver.* The selections—*bobsled*, *F1*, *golf*, and *water polo*—may initially seem disparate, yet each involves an element of guidance, control, or literal driving, whether it’s steering a vehicle, propelling a ball, or directing the pace of play.

For an even broader look at word patterns and puzzle-solving strategy, you can continue reading through the feature *“Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words,”* which sheds light on frequency trends and language insights valuable for all word-based games. The completely solved version of today’s *NYT Connections: Sports Edition* puzzle, dated February 21, 2026, is visually displayed in accompanying materials for quick reference.

To recap today’s color groups at a glance:
– **Yellow (Maryland teams):** Midshipmen, Orioles, Ravens, Terrapins.
– **Green (Shaquille O’Neal nicknames):** Big Aristotle, Diesel, Shaq, Superman.
– **Blue (Associated with “The Natural”):** baseball, Hobbs, Knights, Wonderboy.
– **Purple (Sports with a driver):** bobsled, F1, golf, water polo.

Together, these categories demonstrate the game’s elegant blend of linguistic precision, cultural knowledge, and deductive reasoning. Whether you’ve already solved the puzzle or simply enjoy understanding the logic behind it, today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* stands out as both a thoughtful challenge and an homage to sports culture in all its dynamic diversity.

Sourse: https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/todays-nyt-connections-sports-edition-hints-and-answers-for-feb-21-516/