NYT Connections Sports Edition · #701

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#701) — August 25, 2026

By Sneha Rajput·August 25, 2026

“Before you lock in any group, test whether a word could be a surname — several words here that read as everyday nouns or adjectives are actually people's last names, and mixing them up will cost you.Today's puzzle has BROWN and DART, both carrying history. BROWN appeared in Connections #665 (Jul 20, 2026) as part of players drafted first overall by a Cleveland team. DART appeared in Connections #681 (Aug 5, 2026) among things you throw.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for August 25, 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 →

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 AJAXDutch giants who won the European Cup four times, most recently in 1995.

2 BENGALThe singular of Cincinnati's striped AFC North franchise, named after the big cat.

3 BROWNLooks like a colour or surname; here it's the singular form of a Cleveland AFC North franchise.

4 BURNSReads as a verb or a common surname with no obvious football link — it's a New York Giants roster name.

5 DARTReads as something you throw; here it's a Giants player's surname.

6 HOLLANDReads as a European country; here it's a New York Giants player's surname.

7 JUVENTUSItalian club whose most recent Champions League title came in 1996 — solvers often second-guess this one and try to swap in MILAN.

8 LIKELYReads as an everyday adverb; here it's a Giants player's last name, nothing to do with probability.

9 LONDONHosted the 2012 Summer Olympics — its third time staging the Games overall.

10 MILANCo-hosted the 2026 Winter Olympics — easy to misread as a Champions League club city.

11 PARISHosted the 2024 Summer Olympics, with the Eiffel Tower as its backdrop.

12 PORTOPortuguese club that won the Champions League in 2004 under José Mourinho.

13 RAVENBaltimore's AFC North identity, named after Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poem.

14 REAL MADRIDThe most decorated club in Champions League history, with over a dozen titles.

15 STEELERA Pittsburgh AFC North player — named after the city's steel industry heritage.

16 TURINHosted the 2006 Winter Olympics in northern Italy.

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

Each one names a creature or identity tied to a division rival.

See Group

AN AFC NORTH PLAYER

See Word

BROWN

See Word

STEELER

See Word

BENGAL

See Word

RAVEN

See Hint

Athletes have competed for gold in each of these places this century.

See Group

EUROPEAN CITIES TO HOST OLYMPICS, SINCE 2000

See Word

MILAN

See Word

LONDON

See Word

TURIN

See Word

PARIS

See Hint

These clubs know what it feels like to win in May in a neutral stadium.

See Group

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS

See Word

AJAX

See Word

PORTO

See Word

JUVENTUS

See Word

REAL MADRID

See Hint

These surnames all belong to players on the same NFL roster.

See Group

NEW YORK GIANTS

See Word

DART

See Word

LIKELY

See Word

BURNS

See Word

HOLLAND

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 MILAN Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably thinking of AC Milan or Inter Milan — both Champions League clubs — which makes this feel like a blue answer, but the puzzle is using it as a host city, not a football club.

2 BROWN Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading it as a colour or a common surname that could belong anywhere, but the puzzle is using it as a team identity, not a person's name.

3 LIKELY Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading it as an ordinary adverb meaning 'probably' — but the puzzle is using it as a surname, not a qualifier.

4 DART Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably picturing the pub game or something you throw — but the puzzle is using it as a player's last name, not a projectile.

NYT Sports Connections answers for August 25, 2026

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

Y AN AFC NORTH PLAYER · Yellow · easiest

BROWN
STEELER
BENGAL
RAVEN

BROWN, STEELER, BENGAL and RAVEN are all singular-form identities for players in the AFC North — the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens. The AFC North is one of the most physically punishing divisions in the NFL, and all four franchises have deep playoff histories.

G EUROPEAN CITIES TO HOST OLYMPICS, SINCE 2000 · Green · easy

MILAN
LONDON
TURIN
PARIS

MILAN, LONDON, TURIN and PARIS have all hosted the Olympics since 2000 — Turin hosted the 2006 Winter Games, London the 2012 Summer Games, Paris the 2024 Summer Games, and Milan co-hosted the 2026 Winter Games. MILAN is the sneakiest — most solvers immediately think football club, not Olympic host.

B CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS · Blue · medium

AJAX
PORTO
JUVENTUS
REAL MADRID

AJAX, PORTO, JUVENTUS and REAL MADRID have all won the UEFA Champions League. JUVENTUS is the one most likely to trip solvers — they have reached the final multiple times but their last win came in 1996, and MILAN (not in this group) is often confused as a CL winner here instead.

P NEW YORK GIANTS · Purple · hardest

DART
LIKELY
BURNS
HOLLAND

DART, LIKELY, BURNS and HOLLAND are all current or recent New York Giants players. This is the hardest group — none of these words signals football on the surface, and LIKELY in particular reads so naturally as an adverb that many solvers never think to test it as a name.

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