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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallConnections: Sports Edition #456 for Tuesday, December 23, 2025, groups words about recovery, basketball hoops, people named Jordan, and NBA-player homophones. Start with the spoiler-free hints below, then reveal the category names and full groups when you’re ready.
Hints for Connections: Sports Edition #456
These clues move from a gentle nudge to a more direct hint. Stop before the next section if you want to solve the groups yourself.
- Yellow: Stop for a bit.
- Green: Where you might dunk.
- Blue: This name is also a river.
- Purple: Sounds like…
Category names
The four themes, from the easiest color group to the trickiest, are:
- Yellow: A pause for recovery
- Green: Parts of a basketball hoop
- Blue: Jordans
- Purple: Homophones of NBA players
Full answers for December 23
Yellow — A pause for recovery
BREAK, BREATHER, RESPITE, REST
Each word can describe a pause or interval for recovery.
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- Variety puzzles/game books assorted
Green — Parts of a basketball hoop
BASE, GLASS, NET, RIM
These are parts of a basketball hoop setup; “glass” refers to the backboard.
Blue — Jordans
CHILES, LOVE, POOLE, SPIETH
The names point to athletes whose first name is Jordan: Jordan Chiles, Jordan Love, Jordan Poole, and Jordan Spieth.
Rank #2
- Sports Heroes: A celebration of legendary athletes, this puzzle captures moments of triumph, resilience, and dedication, evoking the inspiration and admiration sports heroes bring to fans everywhere.
- 1,000 Pc Large: This puzzle features larger, simple to pick up pieces that are also easier to see, creating a fun activity for family and friends.
- Artist: James Mellett brings this collection of iconic sports heroes to life with vibrant details, showcasing athletes from diverse sports in a colorful, nostalgic tribute to athletic greatness.
- USA: We take pride in our puzzles so all of them are manufactured in America. They also come with the Happiness Guarantee. We will replace your puzzle for free if you are not happy.
- Quality: White Mountain is known for our precision cutting technique so each piece fits just right. Our puzzles measure 24”x30” when finished. Visit our store page to see a wide variety of puzzles.
Purple — Homophones of NBA players
BARNS, FLAG, HEART, QUICKLY
Read aloud, these sound like the surnames Barnes, Flagg, Hart, and Quickley.
About the spelling of POOLE
The answer reports differ on this tile: Parade’s December 23 report renders it as “POOL,” while Mashable’s report republished by AOL gives “POOLE.” The latter fits the Jordan Poole name and the category pattern, so this answer key uses POOLE; the original game board has not been independently checked here.
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Rank #3
- I Love Football: Relive the excitement of game day with this puzzle, where every piece brings you closer to the thrilling action, passionate fans, and unforgettable memories that make football a beloved tradition.
- 1,000 Pc Large: This puzzle features larger, simple to pick up pieces that are also easier to see, creating a fun activity for family and friends.
- Artist: Charlie Girard’s energetic design captures the essence of football fandom, combining vintage football memorabilia, iconic moments, and bold graphics to celebrate the sport's rich history.
- USA: We take pride in our puzzles so all of them are manufactured in America. They also come with the Happiness Guarantee. We will replace your puzzle for free if you are not happy.
- Quality: White Mountain is known for our precision cutting technique so each piece fits just right. Our puzzles measure 24”x30” when finished. Visit our store page to see a wide variety of puzzles.
How the Sports Edition groups work
The New York Times Help Center describes Connections as a 16-word puzzle in which players sort the words into four groups of four based on a shared theme. Yellow is the easiest group and Purple the trickiest, but apparent overlaps can make a set look plausible even when it is not the intended match. Sports Edition uses the same rules and is associated with The Athletic.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- BANNED BOOKS COLLAGE: Knowledge is power! Featuring nostalgic imagery of iconic book covers, this jigsaw puzzle is crisp and colorful. It features classic and retro covers of banned books, like “The Color Purple,” “Of Mice and Men,” “The Glass Castle,” “Bad Kitty,” and so many more.
- A PUZZLE FOR EVERYONE: This pop-culture design includes 1,000 high-quality puzzle pieces and measures 26 3/4" x 19 1/4" when assembled. Made in the USA, this deluxe package includes a mini poster of the finished image. The pieces fit together smoothly, making this book puzzle perfect for the whole family.
- DIGITAL TIME-OUT: Take a time-out from TVs, phones, and other electronic devices. Our unique puzzle is both enjoyable and engaging, giving you an activity to enjoy for hours! Put it together by yourself, or have a puzzle night with friends and family.
- QUALITY MATERIALS: We pride ourselves on our high-quality puzzle materials. We use resource-efficient materials to create our products, including sturdy reusable puzzle boxes and die-cut puzzle pieces that are crisply made using powerful machinery and are made in the USA.
- RE-MARKS, A STEP ABOVE: We believe that there is no end to the demand for fun, tactile, inspiring designs that encourage time away from digital clutter. Our customer service team is dedicated to answering your questions so you can keep learning!
Rank #4
- Kids Puzzle
- Box size: 8" x 8" x 2.37"
- Finished Puzzle Size: 13" x 19"
- Manufactured using the highest quality blue board
- Made in the USA using the highest quality blueboard
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