Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle is kind of tough I spotted words like “doink” and “clank” and were thinking there might be a category for “things you don’t want to happen to your team,” but it was actually a simpler category title than that. Read on for hints and the answers.

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group hint: Listen to the ref.

Green group hint: Words that suggest their sounds.

Blue group hint: Where football teams play.

Purple group hint: ____ your heart.

Read more: We Need to Talk About That One Doggone Connections Puzzle

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Soccer referee decisions after a foul.

Green group: Onomatopoeias.

Blue group: First words in NFL stadium names.

Purple group: Can be preceded by “cross.”

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is soccer referee decisions after a foul.

The four answers are advantage, card, free kick and penalty.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is onomatopoeias.

The four answers are bloop, clank, doink and swish.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is first words in NFL stadium names.

The four answers are bank, Lincoln, Lucas and Raymond.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is can be preceded by “cross.”

The four answers are bar, checking, country and over.

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.

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