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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #679

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#679) — August 3, 2026

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“Group the most obvious team names first while watching for city overlaps that cross sports.Today's puzzle has BLOCK, FITZPATRICK and NETS, all carrying history. BLOCK appeared in Connections #664 (Jul 19, 2026) as part of prevent a goal. FITZPATRICK appeared in Connections #646 (Jul 1, 2026) as part of ryans. NETS appeared in Connections #668 (Jul 23, 2026) as part of eastern conference nba teams.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for August 3, 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 BLOCKThe word that can follow trade in deal-making contexts.
2 BRAVESAtlanta's team that rounds out this division group.
3 DEADLINEThe cutoff date tied to trade activity.
4 FITZPATRICKEnglish golfer whose name appeared before in a different context.
5 FLEETWOODOne of England's top-ranked players on the tour.
6 KNICKSThe classic NBA team from New York City.
7 LIBERTYThe WNBA team that shares the Knicks' arena.
8 METSThe New York baseball team that belongs with other NL East clubs.
9 NATIONALSWashington's MLB team in the same division.
10 NETSLooks like fishing gear; here it's the Brooklyn NBA team.
11 OFFERA proposal that often comes after the word trade.
12 PHILLIESPhiladelphia's long-running National League franchise.
13 RAIThe English pro whose short name stands out here.
14 ROSEThe major winner from England.
15 RUMORSSpeculation that swirls around trade season.
16 ST. JOHN'SThe college team whose name hides behind a saint reference.
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 Four squads that play in the same metro area.
See Group NEW YORK BASKETBALL TEAMS
See WordKNICKS
See WordLIBERTY
See WordNETS
See WordST. JOHN'S
See Hint Baseball clubs that share one National League division.
See Group NL EAST TEAMS
See WordMETS
See WordPHILLIES
See WordNATIONALS
See WordBRAVES
See Hint Golfers who all learned the game in England.
See Group ENGLISH GOLFERS
See WordFLEETWOOD
See WordFITZPATRICK
See WordROSE
See WordRAI
See Hint Words that finish a common business exchange term.
See Group TRADE _____
See WordBLOCK
See WordOFFER
See WordDEADLINE
See WordRUMORS
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 METS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a New York baseball team that might fit with basketball clubs, but here the puzzle is using it as part of a league division instead.
2 NETS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing fishing gear or webs, but here the puzzle is using it as a team name.
3 ST. JOHN'S Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a university or religious reference, but here the puzzle is using it as a college sports team name.

NYT Sports Connections answers for August 3, 2026

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

Y NEW YORK BASKETBALL TEAMS · Yellow · easiest
  • KNICKS
  • LIBERTY
  • NETS
  • ST. JOHN'S

KNICKS, LIBERTY, NETS and ST. JOHN'S are all New York basketball teams. ST. JOHN'S is the one most solvers might read as a university before the sports link appears.

G NL EAST TEAMS · Green · easy
  • METS
  • PHILLIES
  • NATIONALS
  • BRAVES

METS, PHILLIES, NATIONALS and BRAVES are all NL East teams. METS is the trap that tempts solvers to mix it with New York basketball names instead.

B ENGLISH GOLFERS · Blue · medium
  • FLEETWOOD
  • FITZPATRICK
  • ROSE
  • RAI

FLEETWOOD, FITZPATRICK, ROSE and RAI are all English professional golfers. FITZPATRICK is the one that may feel familiar from a prior puzzle about names.

P TRADE _____ · Purple · hardest
  • BLOCK
  • OFFER
  • DEADLINE
  • RUMORS

BLOCK, OFFER, DEADLINE and RUMORS can all follow TRADE. BLOCK is the one that previously appeared in a sports context about stopping goals.

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