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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #689

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#689) — August 13, 2026

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Earlier Aug 12 This puzzle Aug 13 Later Aug 14

“Work out the Super Bowl group first — but double-check which four you pick, because at least one champion will try to pull you the wrong way.WINGS appeared in Connections #680 (Aug 4, 2026) as part of second words in NHL team names. Today it plays a completely different role. SEAHAWKS appeared in Connections #678 (Aug 2, 2026) among teams associated with Sam Darnold. BUCCANEERS appeared in Connections #672 (Jul 27, 2026) among NFL teams whose nicknames start with B.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for August 13, 2026

Three levels of help — a definition for every word, colour-coded group nudges, and a heads-up on the traps. Skip to all answers →

1

Word clues

A spoiler-free definition for every word in the grid. Tap the eye on any card to reveal which colour-group it belongs to.

1 BAKERSPeople who bake — or the LA Lakers with L changed to B.
2 BUCCANEERSThe NFL team that calls Raymond James Stadium home — not in the Super Bowl group today.
3 CHIEFSThe most recent and most frequent Super Bowl winners in this group.
4 EAGLESWon Super Bowl LII, beating the Patriots in a memorable upset.
5 FORTEReads like 'strength' in English; here it's Matt Forte, the NFL running back.
6 HOLLIDAYMatt Holliday — MLB outfielder and seven-time All-Star.
7 LIGHTNINGTampa Bay's NHL franchise and multiple Stanley Cup winners.
8 PAINTERMatt Painter — longtime head basketball coach at Purdue.
9 RACERSChange R back to P and you have the Indiana Pacers.
10 RAMSWon Super Bowl LVI on home turf at SoFi Stadium in 2022.
11 RAYSTampa Bay's MLB team — easy to overlook as just another team nickname, but it's a local franchise.
12 RYANMatt Ryan — NFL quarterback who spent most of his career with the Atlanta Falcons.
13 SEAHAWKSWon Super Bowl XLVIII — their only championship to date.
14 SLIPPERSLooks like footwear; swap S for C and you get the LA Clippers.
15 SOUTH FLORIDALooks like a geographic label, but refers to a sports team in the Tampa Bay market.
16 WINGSAppeared recently as an NHL reference; today it's the Sacramento Kings with K changed to W.
2

Group hints

Four colour-coded groups, easiest → hardest. Every button reveals the hint, the category name, or a single word — tap only what you need.

See Hint These franchises lifted the Lombardi Trophy most recently.
See Group LAST FOUR TEAMS TO WIN A SUPER BOWL
See WordSEAHAWKS
See WordEAGLES
See WordCHIEFS
See WordRAMS
See Hint Pack sunscreen — all four call the same Florida metro home.
See Group TAMPA BAY-AREA TEAMS
See WordBUCCANEERS
See WordLIGHTNING
See WordRAYS
See WordSOUTH FLORIDA
See Hint One first name ties a coach, a running back, a quarterback, and an outfielder together.
See Group MATT _____
See WordPAINTER
See WordFORTE
See WordRYAN
See WordHOLLIDAY
See Hint Swap the first letter and a familiar locker room appears.
See Group NBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED
See WordRACERS
See WordSLIPPERS
See WordBAKERS
See WordWINGS
3

Words the puzzle wants you to mis-group

Read these before you guess — they're the words most likely to break a streak. Tap for the trap.

1 BUCCANEERS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of their Super Bowl win — and they did win one, which is exactly the bait. But the puzzle is using them as a geographic team, not a championship one.
2 RAYS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably grouping it with SEAHAWKS and EAGLES as a team nickname and moving on — but the puzzle is using it as a regional franchise in a geographic category, not a thematic one.
3 FORTE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're almost certainly reading this as the English word meaning a strong suit — but the puzzle is using it as a surname belonging to a well-known athlete named Matt.
4 SLIPPERS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably seeing footwear and moving on — but the puzzle is using it as a disguised sports team name with one letter swapped at the front.

NYT Sports Connections answers for August 13, 2026

All four groups revealed, easiest first. Each card holds the theme, the four words, and why the group works.

Y LAST FOUR TEAMS TO WIN A SUPER BOWL · Yellow · easiest
  • SEAHAWKS
  • EAGLES
  • CHIEFS
  • RAMS

SEAHAWKS, EAGLES, CHIEFS and RAMS are the last four NFL franchises to win a Super Bowl. The Chiefs are the most recent dynasty of the group, having won multiple titles in the 2020s.

G TAMPA BAY-AREA TEAMS · Green · easy
  • BUCCANEERS
  • LIGHTNING
  • RAYS
  • SOUTH FLORIDA

BUCCANEERS, LIGHTNING, RAYS and SOUTH FLORIDA are all professional or major sports teams based in the Tampa Bay area. SOUTH FLORIDA is the sneakiest — it reads like a region, but it refers to a sports franchise operating in that market.

B MATT _____ · Blue · medium
  • PAINTER
  • FORTE
  • RYAN
  • HOLLIDAY

PAINTER, FORTE, RYAN and HOLLIDAY are all last names of famous athletes or sports figures named Matt. FORTE is the trickiest — most solvers read it as the English word for a strong suit before the surname connection clicks.

P NBA TEAMS, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED · Purple · hardest
  • RACERS
  • SLIPPERS
  • BAKERS
  • WINGS

RACERS, SLIPPERS, BAKERS and WINGS are NBA team names with their first letter changed: PACERS→RACERS, CLIPPERS→SLIPPERS, LAKERS→BAKERS, KINGS→WINGS. SLIPPERS is the most disorienting — footwear is such a strong association that the Clippers connection takes a moment to land.

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