Weekly Sports Word Game Gets Tricky on April 9

A popular word-matching game just dropped a fresh batch of puzzles, and one themed around sports is giving players a run for their money. Today’s challenge tests how well you know both athlete nicknames and sports lingo. If the groupings feel confusing, you’re not alone—some of the harder categories leave even regular players scratching their heads. The game isn’t part of the main New York Times puzzle app, but you can still jump in online for free. It lives in its own app instead, which might surprise players used to everything being in one place. That split adds an extra step for people who just want to try it out.Each round mixes easy to hard word groups. The simplest ones stick to plain roles—like calling someone the star of their team. Mid-level rounds get sport-specific by borrowing terms from combat sports like mixed martial arts. Funny enough, even video game phrases sneak in through old basketball nicknames such as "The Truth" and "The Matrix. " A real head-scratcher was the final set. It throws out regular titles like Mr. and Ms. and asks players to fill in unusual follow-ups. Names like Mr. 3000 and Mr. October don’t scream fame right away, so most people breeze right past them. What makes this puzzle stand out is its mix of background knowledge and wordplay. It’s not just about guessing—it’s about remembering odd sports moments and translating them into four-word clusters. That sharpens both vocabulary and sports trivia in one go.