If you are stuck on today’s puzzle, you aren’t alone. Connections: Sports Edition —the specialized spin-off from The Athletic —offers a unique challenge by blending general knowledge with deep-dive sports trivia. Unlike the standard New York Times version, this edition is tailored for sports enthusiasts and is hosted within The Athletic app.
Below, we provide progressive hints and the full solution to help you navigate today’s groupings, ranging from the straightforward to the highly abstract.
💡 Hints for Today’s Groups
If you want to solve the puzzle yourself but need a nudge, use these hints. They are ordered from the easiest category (Yellow) to the most difficult (Purple).
- Yellow Hint: Common nicknames used for professional baseball teams.
- Green Hint: Related to the university in Los Angeles.
- Blue Hint: Terms that frequently follow the word “Minnesota.”
- Purple Hint: Words that begin with a hidden anatomical term.
✅ Today’s Full Answers
If you have given up or simply want to check your work, here are the official groupings for April 11.
🟡 Yellow: MLB Teams (Colloquial)
These are the shortened, common names used by fans and broadcasters to refer to Major League Baseball clubs.
* D-Backs (Arizona Diamondbacks)
* Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
* Phils (Philadelphia Phillies)
* Sox (Red Sox or White Sox)
🟢 Green: UCLA
This group focuses on the components and location associated with the University of California, Los Angeles.
* Angeles
* California
* Los
* University
🔵 Blue: Follows “Minnesota”
These terms represent the various professional sports franchises and entities located in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”
* Lynx (WNBA)
* United (Soccer/Various)
* Vikings (NFL)
* Wild (NHL)
🟣 Purple: Starts with a Body Part
The most difficult category relies on wordplay, where the beginning of each word is a part of human anatomy.
* Army (Arm)
* Earthquakes (Ear)
* Legacy (Leg)
* Liverpool (Lip)
Summary
Today’s puzzle required a mix of regional knowledge (Minnesota sports teams), academic trivia (UCLA), and linguistic pattern recognition (hidden body parts). Mastering these puzzles requires not just a love for sports, but an eye for how words are constructed.
