Puzzle #565 is live, and today’s New York Times word games board is packing some real misdirection. There are MLB nicknames, a famous university broken into parts, Minnesota sports teams, and a body-part prefix category that could trip you up. Whether you want a nudge or the full solution, this guide walks you through everything — hints first, answers at the end.
What Is NYT Connections: Sports Edition?
Connections: Sports Edition is a daily word puzzle from the New York Times, developed in association with The Athletic. Each puzzle presents 16 words on a grid, and your job is to sort them into four groups of four — each group linked by a shared sports-themed connection.
The four categories are color-coded by difficulty: 🟨 Yellow is easiest, 🟩 Green is moderate, 🟦 Blue is harder, and 🟪 Purple is the trickiest. You get four mistakes total before the game ends. Guessing a group correctly removes those four words from the board, while wrong guesses count against you. Like Wordle, you can shuffle the board to see it fresh — and share your results on social media.
How to Play
- Group four words that share a common sports thread.
- Start with the category you’re most confident about.
- Be alert to red herrings — words that seem to fit multiple groups.
- Use the shuffle button if you feel stuck; a fresh arrangement often reveals patterns.
Category Hints for April 11, 2026 — #565
Not ready for the answers? Here are vague hints to point you in the right direction without giving anything away.
- 🟨 Think about the shortened, casual names fans use for certain baseball teams.
- 🟩 Think about a famous public university in Southern California — and how its full name can be broken apart.
- 🟦 Think about professional and collegiate sports franchises based in a major Midwestern state.
- 🟪 Think about sports teams or clubs whose names begin with a word that is also a part of the human body.
Category Names for April 11, 2026 — #565
Need the category titles without the actual words? Here they are:
- 🟨 MLB TEAMS, COLLOQUIALLY
- 🟩 UCLA
- 🟦 CAN FOLLOW MINNESOTA
- 🟪 STARTS WITH PART OF THE BODY
Full Answers for April 11, 2026 — Connections Sports Edition #565
Ready for the complete solution? Here it is:
- 🟨 MLB TEAMS, COLLOQUIALLY — D-BACKS, JAYS, PHILS, SOX
- 🟩 UCLA — ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, LOS, UNIVERSITY
- 🟦 CAN FOLLOW MINNESOTA — LYNX, UNITED, VIKINGS, WILD
- 🟪 STARTS WITH PART OF THE BODY — ARMY, EARTHQUAKES, LEGACY, LIVERPOOL
What Made Today Tricky
Puzzle #565 had some clever misdirection baked in. SOX could tempt you toward a body-part connection (socks → feet?), but it belongs squarely with the MLB nicknames alongside D-BACKS, JAYS, and PHILS. Similarly, WILD might seem like a standalone adjective or a red herring, but Minnesota Wild is the NHL franchise that completes the blue group.
The purple category — STARTS WITH PART OF THE BODY — is where many players stumbled. ARMY (arm), EARTHQUAKES (ear), LEGACY (leg), and LIVERPOOL (lip) all quietly contain body parts at their start. None of them scream “body part” on sight, which makes this the most satisfying group to crack.
The UCLA category (🟩) is sneaky in a different way. LOS, ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, and UNIVERSITY are all words that make up the university’s full name — University of California, Los Angeles. Seeing ANGELES and LOS sitting separately on the board could easily confuse players who recognize the words without connecting them to the acronym.
Tips for Today
- Lock in the MLB nicknames early. D-BACKS, JAYS, PHILS, and SOX are well-known abbreviations for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, and a team ending in Sox — identifying this group first clears the board.
- Think acronym for the green group. UCLA stands for University of California, Los Angeles — so you’re looking for the four words that make up that full name.
- Don’t let WILD mislead you. It’s Minnesota Wild (NHL), not a descriptor or a trap — place it firmly in the blue group with LYNX, UNITED, and VIKINGS.
- Read the purple words letter by letter. ARMY starts with ARM, EARTHQUAKES starts with EAR, LEGACY starts with LEG, and LIVERPOOL starts with LIP. The body parts are hidden right at the front of each word.
More Daily Puzzle Answers
Looking for help with other puzzles? Check out these recent guides:
- April 8, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #562 Hints and Answers
- April 7, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #561 Hints and Answers
- March 31, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #554 Hints and Answers
- April 9, 2026 NYT Connections Puzzle #1033 Hints and Answers
- April 9, 2026 Wordle #1755 Hint and Answer
- April 9, 2026 NYT Strands Hints and Answers
Shahid Maqsood is a digital entrepreneur and SEO specialist focused on building engaging web experiences. He is the creator of DotWordle, combining creativity with smart, user-friendly design.
