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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle for Saturday, December 28, 2024 is puzzle #96. The only hint I can attribute with reasonable confidence is the Green group clue, “Grappler vocabulary.” This guide does not list the four category names or the 16 tiles, because I could not verify them against a complete reveal. What follows explains what is confirmed, how to work through this puzzle with the clue you have, and where to find the full answers.
Which puzzle this is
Connections Sports Edition for December 28, 2024 is labeled puzzle #96 in community discussion, and a separate forum post matches the same number to the same date. If you searched for “Connections #96,” you are looking at the right puzzle. Check the date and number on the puzzle page before you compare any hint against a reveal, because the Sports Edition numbering is separate from the main Connections numbering.
The one confirmed hint
An indexed reveal snippet from NewsATW gives the Green group hint as “Grappler vocabulary.” I could not open the full page, so treat that wording as a snippet-level hint rather than an official label.
If you are using it, look for words that a grappling sport would use: terms from wrestling, judo, or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, such as positions, holds, throws, or techniques. Test each candidate against the other words in the grid. A word that fits grappling vocabulary but also belongs to a second, stronger theme is a likely trap, so set it aside until the other groups are clearer.
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How to solve a Sports Edition Connections grid
The puzzle uses the standard Connections format: 16 tiles, sorted into four groups of four. The method below works for any day in the Sports Edition series.
- Read all 16 tiles once before selecting anything. Note every word that could belong to two or three themes.
- Start with the most certain group. Look for four words that share a specific, narrow meaning rather than a broad one such as “sports” or “games.”
- Count overlaps. A word that fits two candidate groups is usually the key to which group is real. Decide where it belongs by checking which group still works without it.
- Use the hint as a filter, not a finish line. The Green clue narrows the field, but it does not identify the four words. Build the group from the grid.
- Leave the last four tiles for last. When only twelve tiles remain, the remaining group is often clear by elimination. Verify it against the theme before submitting.
What this guide does not establish
- The four official category names for December 28, 2024.
- The complete list of 16 tiles and their group assignments.
- Any official hint sequence beyond the single Green clue above.
Those gaps are the reason this guide stops at the confirmed hint instead of listing a full answer key.
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Where to check the full reveal
For the complete solution, use the official reveal in the NYT Games archive, which lists past Connections puzzles by date, and confirm that the puzzle you open is the Sports Edition for December 28, 2024, labeled #96. Community threads are useful for cross-checking the date and number, and for comparing your reasoning with other solvers, but treat individual posts as unofficial unless they quote the official reveal.
If you have already solved the puzzle and are checking your work, compare each of your four groups against the reveal one group at a time. If one group is wrong, the error is usually a single shared word swapped between two groups, so swap that word first.
Quick Recap
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