NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle #117, dated January 18, 2025, groups its 16 words into MLS teams, NFC East teams, F1 Grand Prix locations, and reigning champions in their respective leagues. The complete answers are below, with the categories revealed in order.
Hints for Connections: Sports Edition #117
Use these clues if you want to solve the board before seeing the answers:
- Four entries are clubs in Major League Soccer.
- Four are teams from the same division of the NFL.
- Four name places that host Formula 1 Grands Prix.
- The final four are reigning champions, each in a different league.
Answers for January 18, 2025
The date-matched answer guide identifies this puzzle as #117 and gives the following four groups. The source is a secondary guide published January 18, 2025; it is not an official NYT archive. Read the guide.
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| MLS teams | DYNAMO, GALAXY, SOUNDERS, UNION |
| NFC East teams | COMMANDERS, COWBOYS, EAGLES, GIANTS |
| F1 Grand Prix | MEXICO CITY, MIAMI, MONACO, SINGAPORE |
| Reigning champions in their respective leagues | CHIEFS, DODGERS, LIBERTY, MANCHESTER CITY |
How to approach the groupings
The groups use different kinds of sports connections: membership in a league division, a shared sport and competition, race locations, and championship status across separate leagues. For the last set, keep the category wording in mind: it refers to champions in their respective leagues, not champions of one sport.
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How Connections: Sports Edition works
The same answer guide describes the game as a 16-word puzzle in which players sort entries into four groups of four based on a common connection. It also says players can make up to four mistakes before the game ends. These mechanics are reported by that secondary guide and are not independently verified here against current NYT rules.
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