Sports Connections Hints: Dec 16, 2025

This page shows spoiler‑layered hints for the NYT Sports Connections puzzle published on Dec 16, 2025 (2025-12-16). Step through the hints in order and only reveal the full board when you're ready.

Meta: Sports puzzle #657

Puzzle #657 · 2025-12-16 · sports

Step through today’s Connections hints

Start with broad themes, then reveal more detail about the groups and tiles only when you need it. The final button shows today's full group breakdown.

Puzzle reference: Connections #657 for 2025-12-16, edition sports, with a standard four-group board. Spoiler categories and tiles stay collapsed until you open the hint layers below.

Hint 1 – overall theme

There are 4 groups in today’s puzzle.

Themes include: INJURY VERBS, DEFENDS, BASEBALL MATTS and 1 more.

Hint 2 – group titles

Here are the category names for each group. Try matching the tiles in the official game to these themes before you reveal any tiles.

INJURY VERBS
DEFENDS
BASEBALL MATTS
TEAMS IN THE ORIGINAL USFL

Hint 3 – group tiles

Reveal the tiles for each group. If you only want a partial nudge, stop after reading one or two groups and go back to the official puzzle.

INJURY VERBS

PULL

STRAIN

TEAR

FRACTURE

DEFENDS

COVERS

MARKS

GUARDS

BLANKETS

BASEBALL MATTS

HOLLIDAY

CHAPMAN

OLSON

CARPENTER

TEAMS IN THE ORIGINAL USFL

BANDITS

GENERALS

EXPRESS

WRANGLERS

Reveal full answer

This is the full breakdown of today's Connections puzzle: group titles and all tiles, grouped together.