NYT Connections Sports Edition · #685

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#685) — August 9, 2026

By Sneha Rajput·August 9, 2026

“Watch out for words that share a body part or a common noun — the puzzle uses that overlap to pull you toward the wrong group.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for August 9, 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 CITGO SIGNA large illuminated triangle sign visible beyond the left-field wall — a Boston landmark since 1965.

2 CITY GROUNDSounds like a generic urban pitch, but it's the historic home of Nottingham Forest on the banks of the River Trent.

3 GREEN MONSTERThe towering 37-foot left-field wall at Fenway, painted green and one of baseball's most iconic features.

4 HIP POINTERA bruise or tear at the top of the hip bone, most common in contact sports like football.

5 ICE SKATEA bladed boot that only makes sense when you have two — one per foot.

6 LANSDOWNE STREETThe street running behind the Green Monster — lined with bars and part of the Fenway game-day experience.

7 OLD TRAFFORDManchester United's famous stadium, known as the Theatre of Dreams — the most recognisable name in this group.

8 PESKY'S POLESounds like equipment, but it's the right-field foul pole at Fenway, nicknamed after Red Sox infielder Johnny Pesky.

9 SHIN GUARDPlastic protection strapped to each leg in soccer or hockey — always sold as a pair.

10 SHIN SPLINTSPain along the shinbone from overuse — the 'shin' here is a symptom location, not a piece of kit.

11 SKI POLEOne of two thin poles a skier plants in the snow to push off — useless without its partner.

12 SOCCER CLEATA studded boot worn on each foot — the left one is just as important as the right.

13 STADIUM OF LIGHTSunderland AFC's ground in the northeast of England, built on the site of a former colliery.

14 STAMFORD BRIDGESounds like a historic crossing, but it's Chelsea FC's home ground in west London.

15 TENNIS ELBOWInflammation of the tendons on the outside of the elbow — common in racket sports but also in anyone who overuses their forearm.

16 TURF TOEA sprain of the big toe joint caused by jamming it on artificial turf — the name tells you exactly where and why.

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

You always buy two of these, never one.

See Group

EQUIPMENT THAT COMES IN PAIRS

See Word

SKI POLE

See Word

SHIN GUARD

See Word

SOCCER CLEAT

See Word

ICE SKATE

See Hint

What the physio diagnoses after you push too hard.

See Group

INJURIES

See Word

TENNIS ELBOW

See Word

HIP POINTER

See Word

SHIN SPLINTS

See Word

TURF TOE

See Hint

A Boston baseball fan could point to each of these.

See Group

FENWAY PARK SIGHTS

See Word

GREEN MONSTER

See Word

CITGO SIGN

See Word

PESKY'S POLE

See Word

LANSDOWNE STREET

See Hint

Each one is where a different English club calls home.

See Group

PREMIER LEAGUE VENUES

See Word

CITY GROUND

See Word

OLD TRAFFORD

See Word

STADIUM OF LIGHT

See Word

STAMFORD BRIDGE

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 PESKY'S POLE Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading 'pole' as sports equipment — like something you'd carry or plant in the ground — but here it's a proper nickname for a specific structure inside a ballpark.

2 CITY GROUND Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading it as a generic description of an urban playing field, but it's actually the official name of a specific club's stadium.

3 SHIN SPLINTS Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably grouping it with another shin-related word on the grid, but one of those is something you wear and the other is something you suffer.

4 STAMFORD BRIDGE Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably picturing a historic English bridge or street crossing, but it's the home ground of one of England's most famous football clubs.

NYT Sports Connections answers for August 9, 2026

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

Y EQUIPMENT THAT COMES IN PAIRS · Yellow · easiest

SKI POLE
SHIN GUARD
SOCCER CLEAT
ICE SKATE

SKI POLE, SHIN GUARD, SOCCER CLEAT and ICE SKATE are all pieces of sports equipment that come in pairs — you need one for each side of your body. ICE SKATE is the sneakiest entry because you might picture a single skate, but no one ever buys just one.

G INJURIES · Green · easy

TENNIS ELBOW
HIP POINTER
SHIN SPLINTS
TURF TOE

TENNIS ELBOW, HIP POINTER, SHIN SPLINTS and TURF TOE are all named sports injuries. What makes this group satisfying is that each injury is named after the body part it affects and, in most cases, the sport or surface that causes it.

B FENWAY PARK SIGHTS · Blue · medium

GREEN MONSTER
CITGO SIGN
PESKY'S POLE
LANSDOWNE STREET

GREEN MONSTER, CITGO SIGN, PESKY'S POLE and LANSDOWNE STREET are all famous sights at or around Fenway Park in Boston. PESKY'S POLE is the trickiest — it sounds like sports equipment, but it's the nickname for the right-field foul pole, named after Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky.

P PREMIER LEAGUE VENUES · Purple · hardest

CITY GROUND
OLD TRAFFORD
STADIUM OF LIGHT
STAMFORD BRIDGE

CITY GROUND, OLD TRAFFORD, STADIUM OF LIGHT and STAMFORD BRIDGE are all English football stadium names. CITY GROUND is the least well-known outside England — it's the home of Nottingham Forest, while the others belong to Manchester United, Sunderland and Chelsea respectively.

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