NYT Connections Sports Edition 29, 2026 – Puzzle #493

NYT Connections: Sports Edition – January 29, 2026 (Puzzle #493) – Hints & Full Answers

Looking for today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition answers for January 29, 2026 (Puzzle #493)? You’ve come to the right place!

We provide clear hints and the complete solution for all four groups — Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple — so you can either get a gentle nudge or see the full answer.

Published: January 29, 2026
Puzzle number: 493
Game: Connections: Sports Edition (by The Athletic / The New York Times)

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Today’s Connections: Sports Edition Categories (Hints)

Here are progressively harder hints for each colour group:

Color	Hint	Difficulty
🟨 Yellow	Checkmate! These are found on a chessboard	★☆☆☆☆
🟩 Green	Think Nadia Comăneci or perfect 10s	★★☆☆☆
🟦 Blue	Soccer stars who’ve won the Premier League Golden Boot	★★★☆☆
🟪 Purple	H₂O … everything after “water”	★★★★☆

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Full Answers – Connections Sports Edition #493 (Jan 29, 2026)

🟨 Yellow – Chess pieces

• BISHOP
• PAWN
• QUEEN
• ROOK

🟩 Green – Gymnastics terms / skills

• HANDSPRING
• ROUND-OFF
• SALTO
• TWIST

🟦 Blue – Premier League Golden Boot winners

• HAALAND
• KANE
• SALAH
• SON

🟪 Purple – Water __

• BOTTLE
• BOY
• HAZARD (Eden Hazard)
• POLO

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Quick One-Word Hints (if you want to keep trying)

• Yellow → chess
• Green → gymnastics
• Blue → EPL top scorers
• Purple → water + word

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How to Play Connections: Sports Edition

1. You get 16 words in a 4×4 grid
2. Group them into four sets of four words that share a common theme
3. Themes become progressively harder (yellow → green → blue → purple)
4. You can make four mistakes before the game ends
5. Play free online at The Athletic website (no subscription needed for the daily puzzle)

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FAQ – NYT Connections Sports Edition January 29, 2026

Q: What are the answers for Connections Sports Edition Puzzle #493?
A: Yellow = chess pieces (bishop, pawn, queen, rook)
Green = gymnastics terms (handspring, round-off, salto, twist)
Blue = Premier League Golden Boot winners (Cole, Henry, Kane, Shearer)
Purple = water __ (bottle, boy, hazard, polo)

Q: Why is “hazard” in the purple group?
A: It completes the phrase “water hazard” (a golf term), just like water bottle, water boy, water polo.

Q: Who are the Premier League Golden Boot winners in today’s puzzle?
A:

• Andy Cole (1993–94 shared)
• Thierry Henry (multiple seasons)
• Harry Kane (2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21)
• Alan Shearer (three times)

Q: Where can I play today’s Connections Sports Edition?
A: Free at theathletic.com/connections or in The Athletic mobile app.

Q: Is Connections Sports Edition different from regular Connections?
A: Yes – it only uses sports-related themes and is published by The Athletic (owned by The New York Times).

Q: How many mistakes can I make?
A: You get four lives (mistakes) before the game ends.

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Happy puzzling! ♟🤸‍♂️⚽🏊‍♂️

Last updated: January 29, 2026