Today's NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle #597 (May 13, 2026) is here! If you're stuck on today's sports-themed word puzzle, you've come to the right place. Below you'll find progressive hints for each category — from vague clues to full answers — so you can get exactly the help you need without spoiling everything.
Quick Answer: Today's four categories are Hone one's skills (🟨), Utah teams (🟩), Hall of Fame baseball managers (🟦), and Starts with a golf scoring term (🟪).
What Is NYT Connections Sports Edition?
Connections: Sports Edition is a daily spin-off of the popular NYT Connections puzzle, created by The New York Times. Instead of general trivia, each puzzle features 16 sports-related words that must be sorted into 4 groups of 4. Categories are color-coded by difficulty — Yellow (easiest) through Purple (hardest). You get 4 mistakes before the game ends.
🔍 Today's Hints — May 13, 2026 (Puzzle #597)
Try solving with as few hints as possible! We've organized hints from vague to specific for each category.
🟨 Yellow Category (Easiest)
- Theme Hint: Think about getting better at something — what do athletes do every day?
- One Word Hint: One answer is something you do at the gym.
- Two Word Hint: EXERCISE and PRACTICE are in this group.
🟩 Green Category (Moderate)
- Theme Hint: These all belong to the Beehive State.
- One Word Hint: One answer is an NBA franchise.
- Two Word Hint: JAZZ and UTES are in this group.
🟦 Blue Category (Tricky)
- Theme Hint: They led teams from the dugout — and they're in Cooperstown.
- One Word Hint: One answer managed the Philadelphia Athletics.
- Two Word Hint: MACK and STENGEL are in this group.
🟪 Purple Category (Hardest)
- Theme Hint: Look at the beginning of each word — you'll find something from the scorecard.
- One Word Hint: One answer is a high-speed Amtrak train.
- Two Word Hint: ACELA and PARADISE are in this group.
📋 Full Answers — NYT Connections Sports Edition #597
⚠️ Spoiler warning! Full solutions for all four categories are below.
🟨 Hone One's Skills
EXERCISE, PRACTICE, TRAIN, WORK OUT
The Yellow category today is all about ways to improve or sharpen your abilities. All four words are synonyms for practicing or training — a straightforward group to start with.
🟩 Utah Teams
JAZZ, MAMMOTH, ROYALS, UTES
All four answers are sports teams based in the state of Utah. The Jazz (NBA), Utes (University of Utah), Royals (Real Salt Lake/Utah Royals FC), and Mammoth (Utah Mammoth — echl hockey) all call the Beehive State home.
🟦 Hall of Fame Baseball Managers
LEYLAND, MACK, STENGEL, WEAVER
This group features legendary MLB skippers who earned enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown:
- Jim Leyland — managed the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies, and Tigers; won the 1997 World Series
- Connie Mack — managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years; 5 World Series titles
- Casey Stengel — iconic Yankees manager; won 7 World Series championships
- Earl Weaver — longtime Baltimore Orioles manager; known for his fiery temperament
🟪 Starts With a Golf Scoring Term
ACELA, BOGEYMAN, EAGLE-EYED, PARADISE
The trickiest category today! Each word starts with a golf scoring term hidden inside it:
- ACEla — starts with "Ace" (hole-in-one)
- BOGEYman — starts with "Bogey" (one over par)
- EAGLE-eyed — starts with "Eagle" (two under par)
- PARadise — starts with "Par" (expected score)
Difficulty Rating & Strategy Tips
Today's puzzle rates as a moderate-to-tricky challenge. Here's how we'd recommend tackling it:
- Start with Yellow: The "Hone one's skills" group is the most intuitive — EXERCISE, PRACTICE, TRAIN, and WORK OUT are clear synonyms.
- Grab Green next: If you know Utah sports, JAZZ and UTES jump out immediately. MAMMOTH and ROYALS are trickier but become clear through elimination.
- Blue requires baseball knowledge: Casual fans might not recognize all four Hall of Fame managers. STENGEL and MACK are the most famous; LEYLAND and WEAVER are less well-known.
- Purple is the trap: The key insight is that golf terms are hidden at the start of each word. If you tried grouping TRAIN with sports or EAGLE-EYED with birds, the Purple wordplay was designed to mislead you.
Watch out for TRAIN: This word could easily trick you into the Utah/sports category (training) or even the Purple category. It belongs firmly in Yellow.
How Today's Puzzle Compares
Puzzle #597 is a well-balanced entry in the Sports Edition series. The Yellow and Green categories reward general sports knowledge, while Blue tests deeper baseball history expertise. Purple's wordplay mechanic — hiding golf terms at the start of common words — is a classic Connections trick that rewards careful reading over subject-matter knowledge.
If you enjoyed today's puzzle, try our free Sports Connections game for unlimited sports-themed puzzles, or check out our Golf Connections page for more golf-themed challenges!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are today's NYT Connections Sports Edition answers for May 13, 2026?
Today's answers are: Hone one's skills (Exercise, Practice, Train, Work Out), Utah teams (Jazz, Mammoth, Royals, Utes), Hall of Fame baseball managers (Leyland, Mack, Stengel, Weaver), and Starts with a golf scoring term (Acela, Bogeyman, Eagle-eyed, Paradise).
What time does NYT Connections Sports Edition reset?
A new Connections: Sports Edition puzzle is released every day at midnight Eastern Time (ET). We update our hints and answers page as soon as the new puzzle drops.
How is Connections Sports Edition different from regular Connections?
Connections: Sports Edition uses the same 4-groups-of-4 format but focuses exclusively on sports-related themes — teams, athletes, stadiums, rules, and sports terminology. It's a separate daily puzzle from the standard NYT Connections.
What does "Starts with a golf scoring term" mean?
Each word in the Purple category begins with a golf scoring term: ACE (Acela), BOGEY (Bogeyman), EAGLE (Eagle-eyed), and PAR (Paradise). The golf terms are embedded at the start of longer, unrelated words.
Where can I play more sports word puzzles?
Visit ConnectionsSports.com for unlimited free sports-themed Connections puzzles! We offer daily puzzles, a full archive, and the ability to create your own custom puzzles.
