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The March 11, 2025, Connections Sports Edition puzzle is #169—not #168. If you came for the March 11 answers, use the hints and solution below; #168 was the March 10 puzzle.
Hints for March 11, 2025 (#169)
Connections Sports Edition asks you to group 16 words into four sets of four that share a sports-related connection. These clues reveal the categories before the answers.
- Yellow: Terms you might see on a tennis scoreboard.
- Green: Different ways to describe a made shot in basketball.
- Blue: Numbers, names, and moments connected with a baseball legend.
- Purple: Words that can come before “draft.”
For the March 11 puzzle’s categories and answers, see Parade’s March 11 guide.
March 11 answers
Here are the four completed groups for #169:
- Yellow — Scoring in Tennis: 15, 40, DEUCE, LOVE
- Green — A Score in Basketball: BASKET, BUCKET, FIELD GOAL, MAKE
- Blue — Associated With Willie Mays: 24, GIANTS, SAY HEY KID, THE CATCH
- Purple — _____ Draft: EXPANSION, FANTASY, MOCK, NFL
Why the title’s puzzle number is incorrect
The date and number refer to consecutive but different games: Parade labels March 10, 2025, as #168 and March 11, 2025, as #169. The March 10 answer groups were work at one’s skills (DRILL, EXERCISE, PRACTICE, TRAIN), leader of a team (COACH, GAFFER, MANAGER, SKIPPER), Pennsylvania colleges (DREXEL, PENN, PITT, TEMPLE), and timeout equipment (CHAIR, TOWEL, WATER BOTTLE, WHITEBOARD). See Parade’s March 10 guide for that puzzle.
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A simple way to approach the puzzle
- Scan for obvious clusters. Look first for terms that clearly belong to a sport, team, athlete, or familiar phrase.
- Test a possible connection against all four words. A plausible link between two or three terms is not enough; the set must account for exactly four.
- Watch for overlapping meanings. Words such as “make” or “love” can mean different things in ordinary speech and in a sport, so consider the sports context before locking in a group.
- Use category clues before opening the answer key. The category names can help distinguish a near-match from the intended connection.
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