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#681

Connections: Sports Edition hints & answer

Connections: Sports Edition is the sports spinoff of NYT Connections, produced with The Athletic. Sort 16 sports terms into four hidden groups of four, ranked yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest), with a limit of four mistakes.

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✅ Updated August 5, 2026

Compiled by the AAH7 Editorial Team · checked against the sources below · last checked August 5, 2026 · how we test

Hints — one at a time

Hint 1 of 5

Today's grid mixes objects that get thrown in different sports, a run of recent NFL Draft No. 1 picks, jargon used to grade trading cards, and a set of words that all attach to a common scorekeeping term.

Hint 2 of 5

The most familiar group names things you'd actually throw, whether on a diamond, a track, a lawn, or a bar dartboard.

Hint 3 of 5

Another group lines up the players selected first overall in each of the last four NFL Drafts, going back to a Heisman-winning Alabama quarterback.

Hint 4 of 5

A trickier group collects terms collectors use to describe special features found on modern trading cards, from a certified signature to a scrap of game-worn fabric.

Hint 5 of 5

The hardest group all pairs with a word for tracking points in a contest — think a live graphic overlay, a running tally, a paper record, and the big number display at the arena.

The answer — spoilers!

Reveal the full answer

  • yellow

    Things That Are Thrown

    BASEBALL · DART · FRISBEE · HAMMER

  • green

    Last Four NFL Draft No. 1 Picks

    MENDOZA · WARD · WILLIAMS · YOUNG

  • blue

    Descriptors For Types Of Trading Cards

    AUTOGRAPH · PARALLEL · PATCH · ROOKIE

  • purple

    Can Follow "Score"

    BOARD · BUG · LINE · SHEET

A solved Connections Sports Edition board: sixteen sports word tiles in four coloured groups of four — equipment, venues, golf scores and tennis scoring
Same rules as Connections, sports categories only. Example board, not today’s puzzle.

FAQ

Is this the Connections: Sports Edition answer for today?

Yes — this page always shows our latest Connections: Sports Edition entry (#681), dated 2026-08-05, and it updates every morning. Earlier days are archived and linked below.

Are the hints spoiler-safe?

Hints are progressive and hidden behind a tap — open them one at a time and stop as soon as you've got enough. The full answer stays hidden until you open it separately.

How do you make sure the answer is correct?

We cross-check every daily answer against at least two independently published sources before publishing — see how we test for the full process.

Previous days

Want the strategy, not just today's answer? Read our NYT Connections strategy guide.