NYT Connections · Sports Edition · #659
NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#659) — July 14, 2026
Lock in the leg injuries first — that group is clean and fast, and it frees up the board so the trickier words become easier to read.
Traps & Misdirects for July 14, 2026
The decoys built into this puzzle — and why each one bites.
BURNS Decoy
You're probably reading it as a physical injury — turf burns, rug burns — which makes it feel at home with the leg injuries group, but here it's a player's surname.
YELLOW Decoy
You're almost certainly reading it as a color, not a team name fragment — but the puzzle is using it as the first word of a college athletic nickname.
DEMON Decoy
You're probably pairing it mentally with DEVILS since both carry that dark-mascot energy, but they belong to completely different groups.
RICE Decoy
You're likely thinking of the food or a famous football player — but here it's a current baseball player's last name.
Sports Connections Word Clues for July 14, 2026
Spoiler-free meaning for every name in the grid.
ACHILLES
The tendon at the back of the ankle — a rupture here can end a season instantly.
ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament — the knee injury that every athlete fears most.
BURNS
Feels like it belongs with injuries, but BURNS is a 2026 MLB All-Star's surname, not a wound.
DEMON
Tempting to pair with DEVILS, but this is the first word of Wake Forest's Demon Deacons.
DEVILS
New Jersey's NHL franchise, based at Prudential Center in Newark.
GOLDEN
Another color word hiding as the start of an ACC team name — Cal's Golden Bears joined the conference in 2024.
GOTHAM
Gotham FC — the NWSL club playing in Harrison, NJ, not Gotham City.
HAMSTRING
The muscle group at the back of the thigh — pulls and tears are a sprinter's nightmare.
MARSH
Reads like a wetland or a surname from another sport — it's a 2026 baseball All-Star.
MENISCUS
The cartilage cushion in the knee, often torn alongside or instead of the ACL.
PAGES
A 2026 MLB All-Star — no surface trick here beyond the plural making it feel like a book term.
RED BULLS
New York Red Bulls in name, but their stadium is in Harrison, New Jersey.
RICE
Looks like a food or a nod to Jerry Rice, but here it's a 2026 MLB All-Star's last name.
SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers University's athletic teams, based in Piscataway, NJ.
TAR
A sticky black substance with no obvious sports link — until you add 'Heels' for UNC.
YELLOW
Reads as a plain color — add 'Jackets' and you have Georgia Tech's ACC nickname.
Sports Connections Hints for July 14, 2026
Reveal exactly what you need — a hint, the group name, or a single word.
See hint
See group
See word
See word
See word
See word
See hint
See group
See word
See word
See word
See word
See hint
See group
See word
See word
See word
See word
See hint
See group
See word
See word
See word
See word
Sports Connections Answers for July 14, 2026
Full spoilers — all four groups revealed.
Yellow group
Common leg injuries in sports
- ACHILLES
- ACL
- MENISCUS
- HAMSTRING
ACHILLES, ACL, MENISCUS and HAMSTRING are all common leg injuries in sports. The ACL and meniscus are both knee structures, while the Achilles tendon and hamstring sit above and behind — four of the most career-disrupting words in any locker room.
Green group
Teams that play in new jersey
- DEVILS
- GOTHAM
- RED BULLS
- SCARLET KNIGHTS
DEVILS, GOTHAM, RED BULLS and SCARLET KNIGHTS all represent teams based in New Jersey. The Devils play NHL hockey in Newark, the Red Bulls play MLS soccer in Harrison, Gotham FC plays NWSL soccer also in Harrison, and the Scarlet Knights are Rutgers University's teams.
Blue group
2026 mlb all-stars
- RICE
- MARSH
- PAGES
- BURNS
RICE, MARSH, PAGES and BURNS are all surnames of 2026 MLB All-Stars. Current sports knowledge is the only way in here — the names carry no shared surface theme to guide you.
Purple group
First words of acc team names
- YELLOW
- DEMON
- TAR
- GOLDEN
YELLOW, DEMON, TAR and GOLDEN are the opening words of four ACC college team names: Yellow Jackets (Georgia Tech), Demon Deacons (Wake Forest), Tar Heels (UNC) and Golden Bears (Cal, which joined the ACC in 2024). TAR is the sneakiest — nothing about the word signals college sports until you attach 'Heels' to it.