NYT Connections: Sports Edition for Dec. 1, 2025 (#434)

Written by Anish – TechBoltX | Updated: December 1, 2025

Overview

Connections: Sports Edition #434 for December 1, 2025 is a fun blend of beach-ready terms, poker strategy, sports legends named James, and one of the trickiest purple categories the game uses: hidden endings. Today, the purple group requires you to look inside each word, specifically the final syllables, and match them to NWSL team names. If you’re stuck or want to confirm your answers, here’s the complete breakdown.

Hints (No Spoilers Yet)

Yellow Group Hint

Maybe on the beach.
Think of terms used frequently in beach or indoor volleyball.

Green Group Hint

Deal me in.
Straight out of poker gameplay.

Blue Group Hint

Not necessarily Jim.
These are surnames of people named James — not “James the first name.”

Purple Group Hint

Look at the final part of the words.
All end with syllables that match NWSL teams.

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Answers (Dec. 1, 2025)

Yellow Group — Volleyball Terms

• dig
• serve
• set
• spike

Classic actions used every rally, whether you’re on the beach or on the hardwood.

Green Group — Poker Terms

• blind
• flop
• river
• turn

All essential components of Texas Hold ’Em and other poker formats.

Blue Group — Jameses

• Cook
• Harden
• Shields
• Worthy

All are notable athletes or public figures whose last name is James — rather than first name.

Examples:

• James Cook (NFL)
• James Harden (NBA)
• James Shields (MLB)
• James Worthy (NBA legend)

Purple Group — Ends in an NWSL Team

This is today’s trickiest set — each word ends with a syllable that matches an NWSL team name:

• balderdash → Houston Dash
• concurrent → Kansas City Current
• foreign → Seattle Reign
• microwave → San Diego Wave

These hidden endings make the purple group a classic Sports Edition brain-twister.

Solving Tips for NWSL Hidden-End Groups

• Look at the last 3–4 letters of each word.
• Think of teams ending in Dash, Current, Reign, Wave, as these appear often in Sports Edition puzzles.
• Solve the first three groups first — the purple group usually falls into place by elimination.

FAQ — Connections: Sports Edition #434 (Dec. 1)

Q: What was the hardest group today?

The purple group, because the NWSL team names are hidden inside the endings of unrelated words.

Q: Does Sports Edition appear in the NYT Games app?

No — it’s available in The Athletic app and on The Athletic’s website.

Q: When does the puzzle refresh?

It resets daily at midnight Eastern Time.