Today’s Connections Sports Edition #567 leans heavily into baseball — from the diamond itself to the stadiums that no longer stand. If you grew up watching America’s pastime, you’ll find this puzzle more forgiving than most. If not, read on for the hints, category names, and full answers below.
What Is NYT Connections Sports Edition?
New York Times Connections Sports Edition is a daily word puzzle developed in partnership with The Athletic. Each puzzle presents 16 words that players must sort into four groups of four, with each group sharing a sports-themed connection. The categories are color-coded by difficulty: 🟨 Yellow is the easiest, 🟩 Green is moderate, 🟦 Blue is harder, and 🟪 Purple is the most challenging. You have four chances to make mistakes before the game ends, so guessing carefully matters.
How to Play
- Choose four words you believe share a common sports connection and submit them as a group.
- If all four are correct, the group is removed from the board.
- A wrong guess counts as one of your four allowed mistakes.
- You can shuffle the board at any time to help spot patterns you might be missing.
Category Hints for April 13, 2026
Not ready for the answers yet? Here are vague hints to point you in the right direction without giving anything away:
- 🟨 Yellow: Think about what a fielder does when the ball comes their way.
- 🟩 Green: These words all describe putting in serious effort — no slacking here.
- 🟦 Blue: These names were once home to Major League Baseball teams, but those teams have since moved on.
- 🟪 Purple: Each of these words can precede a common word meaning a 24-hour period.
Category Names for April 13, 2026
Still working it out but need a nudge? Here are the actual category names — no answers yet:
- 🟨 Yellow: FIELD A BASEBALL
- 🟩 Green: WORK HARD
- 🟦 Blue: FORMER MLB STADIUMS
- 🟪 Purple: ____ DAY
Full Answers for Connections Sports Edition #567
Ready for the complete solution? Here it is:
- 🟨 FIELD A BASEBALL — CATCH, FIELD, PICK, SCOOP
- 🟩 WORK HARD — GRIND, LABOR, STRAIN, TOIL
- 🟦 FORMER MLB STADIUMS — POLO, SHEA, TURNER, VETERANS
- 🟪 ____ DAY — DRAFT, GAME, OPENING, RYAN
What Made Today’s Puzzle Tricky
The trickiest part of puzzle #567 is the overlap between the Yellow and Green categories. Words like FIELD, PICK, and SCOOP all sound like they could describe hard physical effort — the kind you’d associate with GRIND or TOIL — but they belong specifically to baseball fielding actions. Similarly, STRAIN could tempt players into the Yellow group if they’re thinking about the physical stress of catching a hard-thrown ball.
The Purple category is the real trap, though. DRAFT, GAME, OPENING, and RYAN all precede “Day,” but only if you know your sports culture. RYAN Day is the football coach at Ohio State, OPENING Day is baseball’s season opener, GAME Day is a common sports broadcast term, and DRAFT Day refers to the NFL or NBA draft. Without that knowledge, OPENING and GAME could easily seem like they belong in the Yellow baseball-actions group.
VETERANS in the Blue category might also cause a pause — it refers to Veterans Stadium, the former home of the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies, which was demolished in 2004. POLO (Polo Grounds), SHEA (Shea Stadium), and TURNER (Turner Field) round out a category that rewards MLB history buffs.
Tips for Today’s Puzzle
- Start with Yellow. The baseball fielding actions — CATCH, FIELD, PICK, SCOOP — are the most intuitive group if you have any familiarity with the sport. Locking these in early clears the board significantly.
- Don’t let FIELD fool you. It appears in the category name AND as one of the answers. That’s not a coincidence — the puzzle is testing whether you can recognize FIELD as a fielding verb, not a location.
- For the Purple category, think proper nouns. RYAN Day is a real person, and knowing that clue unlocks the whole group. If a word feels oddly specific, it might be a “_____ Day” reference.
- Use shuffling strategically. If GRIND, LABOR, STRAIN, and TOIL are giving you trouble distinguishing from the Yellow group, shuffle and look for the words that only describe physical exertion in a general sense — not specific baseball actions.
More Daily Puzzle Answers
Looking for more help with today’s puzzles? Check out these recent posts:
- April 12, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #566 Hints and Answers
- April 11, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #565 Hints and Answers
- April 10, 2026 NYT Connections Sports Edition #564 Hints and Answers
- April 12, 2026 NYT Connections Puzzle #1036 Hints and Answers
- April 12, 2026 NYT Strands Hints and Answers
- April 12, 2026 Wordle #1758 Hint and Answer
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.
