Sports fans, get ready—today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition (#432) is here, and it’s all about rivalry, strategy, and a whole lot of game-day spirit. But here’s where it gets tricky: the puzzle might look simple at first glance, yet the Sports Edition can throw even experienced solvers a curveball.
If you’re scratching your head over the latest challenge, don’t worry—here’s a full breakdown of the hints and answers for November 29’s puzzle.
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a CNET editor and pop-culture enthusiast, curates today’s insights. She’s been writing since 1989, covering everything from breaking news to lifestyle stories for outlets like Mpls.St. Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. A proud Gen Xer, she co-authored the nostalgic books Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes, and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s and The Totally Sweet ’90s. Fun fact: if Marathon candy bars ever make a comeback, she’ll be first in line.
Her expertise ranges across entertainment, travel, tech, food, pets, and even generational culture. She’s also a three-time winner of the American Copy Editors Society’s "Headline Writer of the Year" award, plus a first-place honor from the Society for Features Journalism. Basically, she’s been keeping headlines sharp—and readers hooked—for decades.
Want to jump straight to the latest word puzzles? Check out the daily Connections hints and answers on CNET, where you’ll also find updates for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, and Strands.
Rivalry Saturday: Celebrate with Sports Edition
It’s Rivalry Saturday in the sports world, and Connections: Sports Edition—published by The Athletic—is joining the excitement with two categories tied to today’s biggest games. Note that this special Sports Edition doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app but can be found in The Athletic’s own app. The best part? You can also play it for free on their website.
Curious how this version came to life? Read more about how NYT Connections: Sports Edition officially launched out of beta here.
Hints for Today’s Groups
Each Connections: Sports Edition puzzle has four color-coded groups ranked from easiest to hardest. Today’s hints are:
- Yellow group hint: Fire it on in there.
- Green group hint: Buckeyes.
- Blue group hint: Wolverines.
- Purple group hint: Not double.
Answers for Today’s Groups
Now for the revelations—here’s what those colors really mean.
- Yellow group (Baseball pitching feats): immaculate inning, no-hitter, perfect game, shutout.
- Green group (Ohio State): dotting the I, gray, scarlet, The Horseshoe.
- Blue group (Michigan): blue, Hail to the Victors, maize, The Big House.
- Purple group (Triple ____): A, crown, double, play.
For an extra brain break, take a peek at this Wordle cheat sheet to see the most commonly used letters in English.
So, Rivalry Saturday’s puzzle wasn’t just for sports fans—it was for anyone who loves a clever challenge with a competitive twist. But here’s a controversial question to end on: when it comes to brain games, do you think themed puzzles like this make the challenge more fun—or do they unfairly favor sports buffs over casual solvers? Drop your thoughts in the comments—let’s see where the real rivalry lies.
