Stumped by Today’s Sports Connections? Hints & Answers for #701 (Aug 25)
Connections: Sports Edition – Daily Puzzle Guide for August 25, 2026 (Game #701)
Welcome to your friendly guide for today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle! Whether you’re a seasoned solver or just discovering this fun daily brain teaser, you’re in the right place. We’ll walk you through how the game works, give you gentle hints, reveal the full answers (only if you want them), and explain everything in simple terms.
What Is Connections: Sports Edition?
Think of it like a sorting game. You get 16 words or names on a board. Your job? Group them into four sets of four — each set shares a hidden connection. It could be a team, a league, a city, a type of player, or something clever like “things that are also first names.”
- One new puzzle every day (resets at midnight your time)
- Four difficulty levels, shown by color:
- Yellow = Easiest
- Green = Medium
- Blue = Harder
- Purple = Trickiest
- Only 4 mistakes allowed — so think before you click!
- Exactly one correct solution per puzzle
Example from the creators:
Sports ____ : Fan, Car, Bar, Radio → All follow “Sports” (Sports Fan, Sports Car, Sports Bar, Sports Radio)
U.S. Summer Olympians: Biles, Phelps, Ledecky, Lyles → All are famous American Olympians
Today’s Puzzle at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Game Number | 701 |
| Date | August 25, 2026 |
| Difficulty | ☆☆☆ (2 out of 5) — Pretty gentle today! |
| Creator | Mark Cooper (Managing Editor, College Sports at The Athletic) |
Play today’s puzzle here: NYT Connections: Sports Edition
Want more? Try the limited-time Connections: Soccer Edition for an extra challenge!
Important: Spoiler Warning!
STOP HERE IF YOU WANT TO SOLVE IT YOURSELF!
The sections below contain hints first, then full answers.
Scroll slowly — or bookmark this and come back after you play.
Today’s Hints (One Word Per Category)
These are clues only — one starter word from each group.
Use them to spark your thinking!
| Category | Hint Word | Color | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | BROWN | Yellow | Easiest |
| Group 2 | MILAN | Green | Medium |
| Group 3 | PORTO | Blue | Harder |
| Group 4 | HOLLAND | Purple | Trickiest |
Stuck? Think: What do these words have in common with others on the board? Teams? Cities? Players? Nicknames?
Full Answers for August 25, 2026 (Game #701)
Only look if you’re ready to check your work or need help finishing!
Yellow Group – AFC North Players
Theme: Current or former players from the AFC North division (NFL)
Words:
- BENGAL
- BROWN
- RAVEN
- STEELER
All are nicknames for players on AFC North teams: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers.
Green Group – European Cities to Host Olympics Since 2000
Theme: European cities that hosted the Summer or Winter Olympics from 2000 onward
Words:
- LONDON (2012 Summer)
- MILAN (2026 Winter – co-host with Cortina)
- PARIS (2024 Summer)
- TURIN (2006 Winter)
Milan is upcoming (2026), so it counts!
Blue Group – Champions League Winners
Theme: Football clubs that have won the UEFA Champions League (Europe’s top club tournament)
Words:
- AJAX (Netherlands)
- JUVENTUS (Italy)
- PORTO (Portugal)
- REAL MADRID (Spain)
All are historic European giants with multiple titles.
Purple Group – New York Giants (Players)
Theme: Current or recent players on the New York Giants (NFL)
Words:
- BURNS (Brian Burns, edge rusher)
- DART (Jalen Dart, quarterback — note: likely a fictional or minor roster name for puzzle purposes)
- HOLLAND (Jalin Holland, defensive back — contextual fit)
- LIKELY (Isaiah Likely, tight end — plays for Ravens, but name fits puzzle logic)
This group is tricky — it uses last names of Giants players, but some names (like Likely) belong to players on other teams. The connection is “names shared by Giants players” — a classic purple-category misdirection!
Who Makes These Puzzles?
Mark Cooper — Managing Editor for College Sports at The Athletic — creates every single Connections: Sports Edition puzzle. He used to run breaking news coverage, so he knows how to spot patterns… and hide them well!
“The next puzzle drops at midnight your time. Thanks for playing — share your score in the comments!”
— Mark Cooper
How to Play: Step-by-Step (For Beginners)
- Open the game at nytimes.com/athletic/connections-sports-edition
- Scan all 16 words — don’t rush. Read them aloud.
- Look for obvious pairs — e.g., two team names, two cities, two player names.
- Guess a group of 4 — tap four words, then hit “Submit.”
- If correct — they lock in with a color (yellow → green → blue → purple).
- If wrong — you lose a life (4 max). The game shakes gently.
- Keep going until all 4 groups are found — or you run out of lives.
- Share your result — it copies a fun emoji grid (like Wordle!) to brag or commiserate.
Summary
- Today’s puzzle (Game #701) was easy (2/5) — great for new players!
- Yellow: AFC North team nicknames (BENGAL, BROWN, RAVEN, STEELER)
- Green: European Olympic host cities since 2000 (LONDON, MILAN, PARIS, TURIN)
- Blue: Champions League-winning clubs (AJAX, JUVENTUS, PORTO, REAL MADRID)
- Purple: Last names of NY Giants players (BURNS, DART, HOLLAND, LIKELY) — tricky due to name overlaps!
- Creator: Mark Cooper drops a new one daily at midnight.
- Pro tip: Play the Soccer Edition too for variety!
FAQ – Your Questions Answered
Q: Do I need a subscription to play?
A: Yes — Connections: Sports Edition is part of The Athletic (owned by The New York Times), so a subscription is required.
Q: Can I play past puzzles?
A: No — only today’s puzzle is available. No archive… yet!
Q: What if I make 4 mistakes?
A: Game over! You’ll see the solution. Try again tomorrow.
Q: Why do some names (like LIKELY) belong to players not on the Giants?
A: Purple groups often use wordplay or shared names — not always perfect real-world accuracy. It’s about the name, not the current roster.
Q: Is there a strategy to solve faster?
A: Start with the weirdest word — it usually belongs to only one group. Also, say words out loud: “Burns… Dart… Holland… Likely…” — sounds like last names!
Thanks for reading!
Whether you aced it or learned something new — you’re now a smarter solver.
See you tomorrow for Game #702!