NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints for January 27, 2026, Puzzle No. 491

For enthusiasts of word puzzles and sports trivia alike, today marks another installment in The New York Times' popular Connections: Sports Edition. Puzzle No. 491, released for January 27, 2026, presents a moderate challenge, rated at 3 out of 5 for difficulty. Players seeking a strategic edge or a nudge in the right direction can find assistance, including a key insight from each of the four categories, directly from the official source.

Navigating Connections: Sports Edition No. 491

The latest iteration of Connections: Sports Edition, accessible via The New York Times, challenges players to identify common threads among a grid of words. This particular puzzle, No. 491, is designed to be moderately difficult, suggesting a need for careful consideration and perhaps a few strategic hints to uncover the hidden categories. The game is available for play for 24 hours, with a new puzzle set to be released at midnight in each player’s respective time zone.

Strategic Hints for Today's Puzzle

The official source for Connections: Sports Edition offers specific guidance without fully revealing the entire solution, adhering to the challenge of the game. For puzzle No. 491, one answer from each of the four distinct categories has been disclosed. Players are advised to attempt the puzzle on their own first if they wish to solve it without any direct hints, as these partial answers can significantly guide their approach.

Category Reveals for January 27, 2026

For those who have reached a mental block or simply wish to confirm their suspicions, the provided hints offer concrete starting points for each category. The revealed answers are as follows:

• Yellow Category: FADE
• Green Category: CURL
• Blue Category: CALIFORNIA
• Purple Category: LONG ISLAND

These answers serve as singular examples within their broader categories, requiring players to deduce the overarching theme that connects "FADE," "CURL," "CALIFORNIA," and "LONG ISLAND" with other words on the puzzle board. This structure encourages analytical thinking, a hallmark of the Connections game.

Engaging with the Connections Community

Beyond the individual solving experience, Connections: Sports Edition fosters community engagement. Players are encouraged to share their scores and discuss their strategies in the comments section of the official article. This collaborative aspect allows participants to compare their performance and gain insights into different problem-solving approaches for puzzle No. 491 and future editions. The next puzzle will be available globally at midnight in players' local time zones, ensuring a fresh challenge daily.

About the Connections: Sports Edition Team

The development and curation of the Connections: Sports Edition puzzles are overseen by dedicated professionals. Mark Cooper, the managing editor for the college sports team, plays a key role in bringing these engaging challenges to players. Based in Boston, Cooper's extensive background includes roles as a features writer for theScore and a staff writer for the Tulsa World. He is a graduate of Syracuse University and hails from outside Albany, N.Y. His insights and contributions ensure the continued quality and integrity of the puzzles, which are designed to entertain and challenge a broad audience of sports and puzzle enthusiasts. Players can follow Mark Cooper on Twitter @mark_cooperjr for further engagement and updates.