Sports Connections Hints: Dec 20, 2025

This page shows spoiler‑layered hints for the NYT Sports Connections puzzle published on Dec 20, 2025 (2025-12-20). Step through the hints in order and only reveal the full board when you're ready.

Meta: Sports puzzle #661

Puzzle #661 · 2025-12-20 · 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 #661 for 2025-12-20, 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: X'S AND O'S, TEAMS WITH COLORFUL NICKNAMES, LEBRON JAMES TEAMS 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.

X'S AND O'S
TEAMS WITH COLORFUL NICKNAMES
LEBRON JAMES TEAMS
MEMBERS OF THE DETROIT LIONS

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.

X'S AND O'S

PLAYBOOK

SCHEME

STRATEGY

TACTIC

TEAMS WITH COLORFUL NICKNAMES

TULANE

ALABAMA

TEXAS TECH

COLUMBUS

LEBRON JAMES TEAMS

ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY

MIAMI

CLEVELAND

LOS ANGELES

MEMBERS OF THE DETROIT LIONS

ST. BROWN

MONTGOMERY

READER

BRANCH

Reveal full answer

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