NYT Connections Sports Edition · #657

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#657) — July 12, 2026

By Sneha Rajput·July 12, 2026

“Lock in the group you are most certain about first, then use what remains to pressure-test the words that feel out of place.Today's puzzle has PERISH, which also appeared in Connections #847 (Jun 15, 2025). It was part of words that follow "or".”

NYT Sports Connections hints for July 12, 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 ALANLooks like a plain first name — sounds like Ray Allen, the Celtics shooting guard famous for one of the greatest shots in Finals history.

2 BURREDSounds rough and textured on the page — say it aloud and you get Larry Bird, the Celtics forward and three-time NBA champion.

3 CHAIRThe seat a player collapses into the moment the whistle blows — easy to overlook as timeout-specific.

4 CUPThink Stanley or World — a trophy by another name, and the most likely word to make you hesitate here.

5 DELAYED STEALThe baserunner waits a beat after the pitch before breaking for the next base — timing is everything.

6 DRY ERASE BOARDThe coach draws the play, the players nod — this item barely exists outside of timeout moments.

7 HIT AND RUNThe runner goes on the pitch and the batter must make contact — a coordinated two-part play.

8 KOOZIELooks like the foam drink sleeve — sounds like Bob Cousy, the Celtics point guard who defined the position in the 1950s.

9 MEDALHung around the neck at the podium — the Olympic version of this group's theme.

10 PERISHReads as a word meaning to die — sounds like Robert Parish, the Celtics center who played 21 seasons in the NBA.

11 PLAQUEMounted on a wall rather than held aloft — the Hall of Fame staple.

12 SACRIFICESounds like a noble gesture — in baseball it's a bunt or fly ball that trades an out for a run.

13 SQUEEZELooks like pressure or a tight spot — here it's a bunt designed to score a runner from third.

14 TOWELHanded to a player to wipe sweat during the break — a sideline staple.

15 TROPHYThe most generic award word of the four — no hidden twist, just the obvious reading.

16 WATER BOTTLESqueezed into a player's mouth the instant play stops — hydration on the clock.

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

What gets handed to the winner at the ceremony.

See Group

AWARD

See Word

CUP

See Word

MEDAL

See Word

PLAQUE

See Word

TROPHY

See Hint

The manager signals from the dugout and the batter adjusts.

See Group

BASEBALL TACTICS

See Word

SQUEEZE

See Word

SACRIFICE

See Word

HIT AND RUN

See Word

DELAYED STEAL

See Hint

The coach calls time and the bench springs into action.

See Group

USED DURING A TIMEOUT

See Word

CHAIR

See Word

TOWEL

See Word

WATER BOTTLE

See Word

DRY ERASE BOARD

See Hint

Say each word aloud and think Boston basketball royalty.

See Group

HOMOPHONES OF CELTICS ALL-TIME GREATS

See Word

BURRED

See Word

KOOZIE

See Word

PERISH

See Word

ALAN

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 BURRED Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably picturing something rough-edged or covered in plant burrs — but the puzzle is using it as a sound-alike for a famous athlete's surname, not a texture term.

2 KOOZIE Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably thinking of the foam sleeve that keeps your drink cold — but here it's standing in for a Hall of Famer's name that sounds nearly identical.

3 PERISH Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading it as a verb meaning to die — but the puzzle is using it as a phonetic stand-in for a player's last name, not a word about destruction.

4 SQUEEZE Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably thinking of pressure or a tight situation — but here it's a specific on-field play, not a general concept.

5 SACRIFICE Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading it as giving something up in a noble sense — but the puzzle means a very specific type of at-bat, not a selfless act.

NYT Sports Connections answers for July 12, 2026

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

Y AWARD · Yellow · easiest

CUP
MEDAL
PLAQUE
TROPHY

CUP, MEDAL, PLAQUE and TROPHY are all physical awards given to recognize achievement in sport. This is the most straightforward group — the only real risk is second-guessing CUP, which has so many sport-specific uses it can feel like it belongs elsewhere.

G BASEBALL TACTICS · Green · easy

SQUEEZE
SACRIFICE
HIT AND RUN
DELAYED STEAL

SQUEEZE, SACRIFICE, HIT AND RUN and DELAYED STEAL are all offensive plays called in baseball. Each requires the batter or baserunner to execute a pre-planned move on the pitch, making them strategic calls rather than spontaneous reactions.

B USED DURING A TIMEOUT · Blue · medium

CHAIR
TOWEL
WATER BOTTLE
DRY ERASE BOARD

CHAIR, TOWEL, WATER BOTTLE and DRY ERASE BOARD are all things that appear or get used when a timeout is called. The DRY ERASE BOARD is the most timeout-specific — it exists almost exclusively for drawing up plays in those brief stoppages.

P HOMOPHONES OF CELTICS ALL-TIME GREATS · Purple · hardest

BURRED
KOOZIE
PERISH
ALAN

BURRED, KOOZIE, PERISH and ALAN are homophones of Boston Celtics legends: Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, Robert Parish and Ray Allen. The double layer — knowing the players AND hearing the sound-alikes — makes this the hardest group in the puzzle.

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