NYT Connections · Sports Edition · #657
NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#657) — 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".
Traps & Misdirects for July 12, 2026
The decoys built into this puzzle — and why each one bites.
BURRED Decoy
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.
KOOZIE Decoy
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.
PERISH Decoy
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.
SQUEEZE Decoy
You're probably thinking of pressure or a tight situation — but here it's a specific on-field play, not a general concept.
SACRIFICE Decoy
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.
Sports Connections Word Clues for July 12, 2026
Spoiler-free meaning for every name in the grid.
ALAN
Looks like a plain first name — sounds like Ray Allen, the Celtics shooting guard famous for one of the greatest shots in Finals history.
BURRED
Sounds rough and textured on the page — say it aloud and you get Larry Bird, the Celtics forward and three-time NBA champion.
CHAIR
The seat a player collapses into the moment the whistle blows — easy to overlook as timeout-specific.
CUP
Think Stanley or World — a trophy by another name, and the most likely word to make you hesitate here.
DELAYED STEAL
The baserunner waits a beat after the pitch before breaking for the next base — timing is everything.
DRY ERASE BOARD
The coach draws the play, the players nod — this item barely exists outside of timeout moments.
HIT AND RUN
The runner goes on the pitch and the batter must make contact — a coordinated two-part play.
KOOZIE
Looks like the foam drink sleeve — sounds like Bob Cousy, the Celtics point guard who defined the position in the 1950s.
MEDAL
Hung around the neck at the podium — the Olympic version of this group's theme.
PERISH
Reads as a word meaning to die — sounds like Robert Parish, the Celtics center who played 21 seasons in the NBA.
PLAQUE
Mounted on a wall rather than held aloft — the Hall of Fame staple.
SACRIFICE
Sounds like a noble gesture — in baseball it's a bunt or fly ball that trades an out for a run.
SQUEEZE
Looks like pressure or a tight spot — here it's a bunt designed to score a runner from third.
TOWEL
Handed to a player to wipe sweat during the break — a sideline staple.
TROPHY
The most generic award word of the four — no hidden twist, just the obvious reading.
WATER BOTTLE
Squeezed into a player's mouth the instant play stops — hydration on the clock.
Sports Connections Hints for July 12, 2026
Reveal exactly what you need — a hint, the group name, or a single word.
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Sports Connections Answers for July 12, 2026
Full spoilers — all four groups revealed.
Yellow group
Award
- 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.
Green group
Baseball tactics
- 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.
Blue group
Used during a timeout
- 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.
Purple group
Homophones of celtics all-time greats
- 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.