Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has kind of a July 4 flavor. But come on, New York Times puzzle makers, is the blue category really a sport? Read on for hints and the answers. And pass the mustard.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: What you won.

Green group hint: Lone Star State sports.

Blue group hint: Chow down.

Purple group hint: Not cold.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: A monetary reward.

Green group: A Texas basketball player.

Blue group: Nathan’s hot dog contest eating winners.

Purple group: Hot ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is a monetary reward. The four answers are prize, purse, stakes and winnings.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is a Texas basketball player. The four answers are Maverick, Rocket, Spur and Wing.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Nathan’s hot dog contest eating winners. The four answers are Bertoletti, Chestnut, Kobayashi and Sudo.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is hot ____. The four answers are corner, dog, hand and stove.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle was a fairly simple one, I thought. Maybe it was a July 4 gift from the puzzle-makers. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Round and round.

Green group hint: Salute.

Blue group hint: Turn the air on.

Purple group hint: Threw away your shot.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Parts of a wheel.

Green group: Military clothing descriptors.

Blue group: Used in ventilation.

Purple group: Fail to take advantage of, as an opportunity.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is parts of a wheel. The four answers are hub, rim, spoke and tire.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is military clothing descriptors. The four answers are camo, drab, fatigue and khaki.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is used in ventilation. The four answers are duct, exhaust, hose and pipe.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is fail to take advantage of, as an opportunity. The four answers are blow, lose, miss and waste.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is upon us and with it a huge array of bargains to be had. If you’ve been thinking about a new Android phone, Motorola is having a big sale on its most popular devices, making these already affordable options even more attainable. With savings of up to $650 on phones in the Razr, Edge and Moto G families, there’s something for every style and budget. Just keep in mind that these deals are likely to fade as fast as fireworks in the sky. We don’t have an exact end date, but «limited time» means if you see something you like, don’t wait.

The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is the company’s competitively priced foldable phone. You can pick one up with 1TB of storage for $1,300, which is $200 off the regular price and available in a variety of colors and finishes. If you prefer the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 model instead, you’ll find that starting at $799, again $200 less than the typical retail price. We spotted this same deal at Amazon right now as well, if you prefer to shop there.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

If the Motorola Edge lineup is more your style for a limited time, you can get the Motorola Edge 2024 for just $350 and the Motorola Edge Plus 2023 for $400, both deals reflecting a $400 savings. We also spotted the Edge 2024 for the same price of $350 at Best Buy.

And for the most wallet-friendly phones, the Moto G phones make a great option. These already super-affordable phones are now even less, including the Moto G Power 5G 2024, which is $210 at Amazon or at Motorola, a price that falls $90 below the regular cost.

More Motorola July 4th phone deals:

• Motorola Razr 2024: $550 (save $150)
• Motorola Razr Plus 2023: $350 (save $650)
• Motorola Razr 2023: $300 (save $400)
• Motorola Moto G 5G 2024: $170 (save $30)
• Motorola Moto G Play 2024: $130 (save $10)

Why this deal matters

Concerns over the rising cost of tech because of tariffs may have you feeling more urgent about getting a new phone before there’s a further price increase. Between the Fourth of July discounts and forthcoming Prime Day offers, it’s a great time to stock up on tech. Motorola is already known for making some of the more affordable Android phones on the market, including foldable options, so if you’ve been wanting to upgrade or try one out, this July 4th sale is the time to do it.