The New York Times released the Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, challenging sports fans to sort 16 terms into four distinct thematic categories. Mashable reported the hints and complete solutions for the daily word game, which is produced in association with The Athletic.
Solving the Sports Grid
- Players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.
- Categories range from yellow (easiest) to green, blue, and purple.
- The edition includes specific nods to football history and basketball.
Categories and Solutions for Puzzle Number 757
The puzzle covers a mix of football terminology, collegiate athletic conferences, franchise history, and basketball statistics. The yellow category, Rejects a Shot, consists of BLOCKS, DENIES, STUFFS, and SWATS.
The green category focuses on Mountain West Schools, featuring HAWAII, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, and WYOMING. Meanwhile, the blue grouping highlights 49ers Career Passing Leaders, pulling together BRODIE, GARCIA, MONTANA, and YOUNG.
The purple category ties together terms Associated with Russell Westbrook. Those four answers are 0, OKLAHOMA CITY, TRIPLE-DOUBLES, and UCLA.
| Category Color | Category Theme | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Rejects a Shot | BLOCKS, DENIES, STUFFS, SWATS |
| Green | Mountain West Schools | HAWAII, NEVADA, NEW MEXICO, WYOMING |
| Blue | 49ers Career Passing Leaders | BRODIE, GARCIA, MONTANA, YOUNG |
| Purple | Associated with Russell Westbrook | 0, OKLAHOMA CITY, TRIPLE-DOUBLES, UCLA |
Recent Puzzle Variations Across the Weekend
The sports-focused puzzle follows a string of recent daily boards across the main game and companion guides. CNET noted that Monday, October 19, 2026 featured puzzle No. 1,226 with a difficulty rating of 2.3 out of 5, covering expressions of anger, empty talk, McDonald’s menu items, and hidden bird names.
A separate guide covered Sunday, October 18, 2026, puzzle No. 1,224, which grouped places to store clothes, things that come in sticks, famous perfumes, and words beginning with terms associated with things that cloud the air. The New York Times resets all versions after midnight, with companion guides published according to Eastern Standard Time.
