Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle is a toughie. Hope you’ve been paying attention to baseball trades! If you’re struggling with the puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group hint: Do some acting.

Green group hint: Like Cher or Elvis, but for sports.

Blue group hint: Get that ball!

Purple group hint: They were traded.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Fake a foul.

Green group: Mononymic athletes.

Blue group: Comes before “catch.”

Purple group: Pitchers dealt ahead of this year’s MLB trade deadline.

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is fake a foul.

The four answers are act, dive, embellish and flop.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is mononymic athletes.

The four answers are Ichiro, LeBron, Serena and Tiger.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is comes before “catch.”

The four answers are basket, contested, fair and shoestring.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pitchers dealt ahead of this year’s MLB trade deadline.

The four answers are Early, Ray, Skubal and Weaver.

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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