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Today's Connections: Sports Edition is a tricky one, especially the purple category. If you're struggling with today's puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn't appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic's own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: "Yer out!"
Green group hint: They score goals.
Blue group hint: Daddy dearest.
Purple group hint: Home, home on the...
Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Things an umpire calls.
Green group: An attacking player in soccer.
Blue group: MLB father-son duos.
Purple group: ____ range.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 17, 2026.
The yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is things an umpire calls. The four answers are ball, out, safe and strike.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is an attacking player in soccer. The four answers are forward, No. 9, striker and target man.
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is MLB father-son duos. The four answers are Alou, Bonds, Fielder and Griffey.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is ____ range. The four answers are 3-point, driving, long and mid.
