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Stuck on Sports Connections? Hints & Answers for #685 (Aug 9)
Connections: Sports Edition – Your Friendly Guide to the August 9, 2026 Puzzle
Important Spoiler Alert!
This article contains hints and full answers for today’s puzzle. If you want to solve it yourself without any help, play the game first and then come back!
What Is This Game?
Imagine a box with 16 words scattered inside. Your job is to sort them into 4 secret groups of 4 words each. Each group shares something in common — like "types of fruit" or "things that are blue."
- Goal: Find all four groups without making 4 mistakes.
- Colors tell you difficulty:
Yellow = Easiest
Green = Medium
Blue = Hard
Purple = Trickiest - One puzzle per day — new one appears at midnight in your time zone.
Example from the creators:
- Sports ____: Fan, Car, Bar, Radio → Sports + word = Sports Fan, Sports Car, Sports Bar, Sports Radio
- U.S. Summer Olympians: Biles, Phelps, Ledecky, Lyles
Today’s Puzzle at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Game Number | #685 |
| Date | August 9, 2026 |
| Difficulty | 1.5 out of 5 (Pretty gentle!) |
| Where to Play | Connections: Sports Edition |
| Bonus Challenge | Connections: Soccer Edition |
Hints: One Word from Each Group
Stuck? Here’s a tiny nudge — one answer per category to get you started.
| Color | Hint Word | What It Might Belong To |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | ICE SKATE | Equipment that comes in pairs? |
| Green | TURF TOE | Ouch — sounds like an injury! |
| Blue | LANSDOWNE STREET | A famous spot near a famous ballpark? |
| Purple | CITY GROUND | A stadium in England’s Premier League? |
Pro Tip: Say the words out loud. Sometimes hearing them helps the "click" happen!
Full Answers – All Four Groups
Ready to check your work? Here are the complete solutions.
Yellow – Equipment That Comes in Pairs
You wear or use two of these at once.
- ICE SKATE
- SHIN GUARD
- SKI POLE
- SOCCER CLEAT
Green – Common Sports Injuries
Names of aches and pains athletes know too well.
- HIP POINTER
- SHIN SPLINTS
- TENNIS ELBOW
- TURF TOE
Blue – Sights at Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox)
Iconic landmarks at America’s oldest MLB ballpark.
- CITGO SIGN
- GREEN MONSTER
- LANSDOWNE STREET
- PESKY’S POLE
Purple – Premier League Stadiums (England)
Home grounds of top English soccer clubs.
- CITY GROUND (Nottingham Forest)
- OLD TRAFFORD (Manchester United)
- STADIUM OF LIGHT (Sunderland)
- STAMFORD BRIDGE (Chelsea)
Who Makes These Puzzles?
Mark Cooper — he’s the puzzle creator and a managing editor for college sports at The Athletic. Before that, he ran breaking news. So he knows sports and how to trick your brain!
New puzzle every night at midnight.
Come back tomorrow for Game #686!
Summary – Quick Recap
- Game #685 | Aug 9, 2026 | Difficulty: 1.5/5
- 4 Categories: Pairs Equipment, Injuries, Fenway Park, EPL Stadiums
- Creator: Mark Cooper (The Athletic)
- Play daily at: nytimes.com/athletic/connections-sports-edition
- Try the soccer version too! → Connections: Soccer Edition
FAQ – Your Questions Answered
Q: Do I need a subscription to play?
A: The game is hosted by The Athletic (part of The New York Times). Some puzzles may require a login or subscription — check the site for current access rules.
Q: What if I make 4 mistakes?
A: Game over! The puzzle ends and reveals the answers. You can always try again tomorrow.
Q: Can I play old puzzles?
A: Usually no — it’s a daily game. But sometimes special editions (like Soccer Edition) stick around longer.
Q: Why are some categories purple?
A: Purple = trickiest. They often use wordplay, obscure references, or "fill-in-the-blank" patterns that aren’t obvious at first.
Q: Who picks the words?
A: Mark Cooper hand-crafts every puzzle. He mixes sports history, gear, slang, stadiums, injuries — anything a fan would know.
Great job today! Whether you solved it clean or peeked at hints, you exercised your sports brain. See you tomorrow for Game #686!
— Your Puzzle Coach
