NYT Connections Sports Edition #470: Hints and Answers for January 6, 2026

NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle #470 for Tuesday, January 6, 2026, groups 16 words into four sets of four. Read the color-coded hints below, then continue to the spoiler section for the categories and answers.

Hints for Connections Sports Edition #470

• Yellow: Go the other way.
• Green: Nothing but net.
• Blue: Fire it in there.
• Purple: Not front.

Spoilers: Categories and answers

The four categories and their words are:

• CHANGE DIRECTION: PIVOT, TURN, VEER, ZIG
• BASKETBALL SHOT TYPES: ALLEY-OOP, FADEAWAY, FLOATER, LAYUP
• ACTIVE MLB PITCHERS: CEASE, CROCHET, WHEELER, WOO
• BACK ____: BOARD, FIELD, STOP, STRETCH

How the Sports Edition puzzle works

Connections Sports Edition is a daily sports-themed word puzzle created through a New York Times and The Athletic partnership. Each puzzle presents 16 words to sort into four groups of four, with each group sharing a common thread.

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1		Big Book of Large Print Word Search Puzzles: 5000 Words - 224 Themed Puzzles - For Adults, Seniors,...	$4.99	Buy on Amazon
2		Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! (New York Times Games Books)	$26.10	Buy on Amazon
3		The Ultimate Book of Mixed Puzzles: More than 450 Puzzles for Adults Including Word Searches,...	$9.89	Buy on Amazon
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5		Huge Book of Large Print Word Search: 9000 Words - 224 Puzzles - Varied Themes - Big Print Word...	$6.99	Buy on Amazon

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