Today's NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle #598 (May 14, 2026) is live! Whether you're breezing through or completely stuck, we've got you covered with progressive hints and full answers for all four categories. Scroll down at your own pace — no accidental spoilers here.
Quick Answer: Today's four categories are Combat Sports (🟨), Types of Basketball Passes (🟩), LPGA (🟦), and Members of the Baltimore Orioles (🟪).
What Is NYT Connections Sports Edition?
Connections: Sports Edition is the sports-focused spin-off of the viral NYT Connections word puzzle. Each day, you're given 16 sports-related words and must sort them into 4 groups of 4. Categories are color-coded by difficulty — Yellow (easiest) to Purple (hardest) — and you only get 4 mistakes before the game ends.
🔍 Today's Hints — May 14, 2026 (Puzzle #598)
Try solving with as few hints as possible! Hints go from vague to specific for each category.
🟨 Yellow Category (Easiest)
- Theme Hint: Time to fight — these are all ways people compete physically one-on-one.
- One Word Hint: One answer is an Olympic martial art from Korea.
- Two Word Hint: BOXING and JUDO are in this group.
🟩 Green Category (Moderate)
- Theme Hint: Think about moving the ball down the court to a teammate.
- One Word Hint: One answer shares its name with another sport entirely.
- Two Word Hint: BOUNCE and CHEST are in this group.
🟦 Blue Category (Tricky)
- Theme Hint: Fore! These words spell out a women's golf organization.
- One Word Hint: One answer is PROFESSIONAL.
- Two Word Hint: LADIES and GOLF are in this group.
🟪 Purple Category (Hardest)
- Theme Hint: The O's — think Baltimore's MLB roster.
- One Word Hint: One answer is a first baseman who previously played for the Mets.
- Two Word Hint: ALONSO and MAYO are in this group.
📋 Full Answers — NYT Connections Sports Edition #598
⚠️ Spoiler warning! Full solutions for all four categories are below.
🟨 Combat Sports
BOXING, JUDO, TAEKWONDO, WRESTLING
The easiest group today features four combat sports, all of which are Olympic sports. Boxing, judo, taekwondo, and wrestling have all been staples of the Summer Olympics — making this a solid starting point for most solvers.
🟩 Types of Basketball Passes
BASEBALL, BOUNCE, CHEST, OVERHEAD
This group names four fundamental basketball passes taught at every level of the game:
- Baseball pass — a long, one-handed throw resembling a baseball throw
- Bounce pass — the ball bounces once before reaching the teammate
- Chest pass — a two-handed pass thrown from the chest
- Overhead pass — thrown from above the head, often used to pass over defenders
The tricky word here is BASEBALL — it could easily mislead you into thinking about the sport itself rather than a type of basketball pass.
🟦 LPGA
ASSOCIATED, GOLF, LADIES, PROFESSIONAL
Today's Blue category is a clever one — the four words combine to spell out the full name of the LPGA: Ladies Professional Golf Association. Instead of grouping related terms, you're assembling the words of an acronym. If you didn't know what LPGA stands for, this one was tough.
🟪 Members of the Baltimore Orioles
ALONSO, BAZ, BEAVERS, MAYO
The hardest category today requires knowledge of the current Baltimore Orioles roster:
- Pete Alonso — first baseman, formerly of the New York Mets
- Shane Baz — right-handed pitcher
- Jake Beavers — utility player
- Coby Mayo — top prospect and third baseman
Unless you closely follow the O's, this group was likely solved through process of elimination.
Difficulty Rating & Strategy Tips
Today's puzzle rates as moderate difficulty overall, but with a steep jump from Blue to Purple. Here's the optimal solve order:
- Start with Yellow: Combat Sports is the freest of free squares today. BOXING, JUDO, TAEKWONDO, and WRESTLING are instantly recognizable as fighting disciplines.
- Green next: Once you realize BASEBALL refers to a type of pass (not the sport), the basketball passes group clicks into place. BOUNCE, CHEST, and OVERHEAD confirm the pattern.
- Blue requires the "aha" moment: The LPGA category is a classic Connections trick — you're looking for words that form an acronym, not words with a shared theme. If you know LPGA = Ladies Professional Golf Association, you can grab all four instantly.
- Purple by elimination: The Baltimore Orioles roster category is niche. Most solvers will get here through elimination rather than recognition — and that's perfectly fine.
Key trap word today: BASEBALL. It sits at the crossroads of multiple categories — it's a sport (combat? no), it relates to golf (LPGA? no), and it could seem like an Orioles connection. But it's actually a type of basketball pass.
How Today's Puzzle Compares
Puzzle #598 showcases what makes the Sports Edition special — categories that blend straightforward sports knowledge (combat sports, basketball fundamentals) with clever wordplay (LPGA acronym) and deep roster knowledge (Orioles players). The BASEBALL misdirect in the Green category is especially well-designed.
Want more sports puzzles? Try our free Sports Connections game for unlimited play, or explore our themed editions: MLB Connections, NBA Connections, and Golf Connections!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are today's NYT Connections Sports Edition answers for May 14, 2026?
Puzzle #598's answers are: Combat Sports (Boxing, Judo, Taekwondo, Wrestling), Types of Basketball Passes (Baseball, Bounce, Chest, Overhead), LPGA (Associated, Golf, Ladies, Professional), and Members of the Baltimore Orioles (Alonso, Baz, Beavers, Mayo).
What does the LPGA category mean in today's puzzle?
The four words — Ladies, Professional, Golf, Associated — combine to form the full name of the LPGA: the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Instead of a shared theme, the category is an acronym assembled from its component words.
Why is BASEBALL in the basketball passes category?
A "baseball pass" is a real basketball technique — a long, one-handed throw that resembles a baseball throw. It's commonly used for fast-break outlet passes. The word is intentionally placed to mislead solvers into thinking about the sport.
What time does NYT Connections Sports Edition reset?
A new puzzle drops every day at midnight Eastern Time (ET). We publish hints and answers as soon as the new puzzle is available.
Where can I play more sports word puzzles?
Visit ConnectionsSports.com for unlimited free sports-themed Connections puzzles! Play daily, browse our full archive, or create your own custom puzzles.
