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NYT Connections Sports Edition · #652

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#652) — July 7, 2026

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“Lock in the group you can solve on pure memory first, then use what's left to crack the categories that need a second look.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for July 7, 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 BACKSTROKEThe only Olympic stroke where swimmers start in the water, facing the wall.
2 BEEBrentford's nickname is the Bees — strip the S and you have this.
3 BLACK CATSunderland's nickname is the Black Cats — one S removed from the plural.
4 BLUESeveral Premier League clubs go by the Blues — Chelsea and Everton among them — with the S taken off.
5 BREASTSTROKEThe slowest of the four strokes, with a distinctive frog-kick leg motion.
6 BUTTERFLYThe most physically demanding stroke — both arms sweep forward over the water simultaneously.
7 FLOATLooks like a swimming term; here it means a soft, slow pass that hangs in the air.
8 FREESTYLETechnically open to any stroke, but virtually always swum as front crawl in races.
9 GUNNERArsenal's famous nickname is the Gunners — here presented in the singular.
10 KEYSAlicia Keys, who performed at Super Bowl LVIII — not piano keys or a key ring.
11 LOBA high, arcing throw or shot — familiar from tennis and basketball.
12 LOFTTo send the ball high and gently — common in golf and basketball as well as football.
13 PRINCEThe Purple Rain icon whose 2007 halftime show in a downpour is considered the gold standard.
14 STINGThe Police frontman who performed at the Super Bowl — not a wrestling move or a bee's weapon.
15 TOSSA casual, light throw — the gentlest-sounding word in the group.
16 WONDERA single-name Super Bowl halftime performer — confirm which artist this refers to before locking it in.
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 Every competitive pool race is built around one of these.
See Group FOUR MAIN SWIMMING STROKES
See WordBUTTERFLY
See WordBACKSTROKE
See WordBREASTSTROKE
See WordFREESTYLE
See Hint What a quarterback does when he takes no chances.
See Group THROW A SOFT PASS
See WordFLOAT
See WordLOFT
See WordLOB
See WordTOSS
See Hint They each owned the stage at America's biggest game.
See Group PERFORMED AT A SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW
See WordSTING
See WordWONDER
See WordPRINCE
See WordKEYS
See Hint English football fans chant these — but one fan is missing from each crowd.
See Group PREMIER LEAGUE NICKNAMES, MINUS THE S
See WordBEE
See WordBLACK CAT
See WordBLUE
See WordGUNNER
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 FLOAT Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as a swimming term — staying on the surface of water — but here the puzzle uses it as a verb for throwing a soft, hanging pass.
2 KEYS Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably picturing piano keys or a key ring, but here it's a surname — a performer, not an instrument.
3 STING Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably thinking of a bee sting or a wrestling move, but here it's a stage name belonging to a musician.
4 BLUE Tap to see why this word traps.
You're probably reading it as a colour or a musical mood, but here it's a shortened team nickname with the S removed.

NYT Sports Connections answers for July 7, 2026

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

Y FOUR MAIN SWIMMING STROKES · Yellow · easiest
  • BUTTERFLY
  • BACKSTROKE
  • BREASTSTROKE
  • FREESTYLE

BUTTERFLY, BACKSTROKE, BREASTSTROKE and FREESTYLE are the four recognised competitive swimming strokes. FREESTYLE is the loosest of the four — technically it means any stroke, but in competition it almost always means front crawl.

G THROW A SOFT PASS · Green · easy
  • FLOAT
  • LOFT
  • LOB
  • TOSS

FLOAT, LOFT, LOB and TOSS all describe throwing a ball gently and without much force. FLOAT is the sneakiest — most solvers place it with the swimming strokes before realising it describes a soft, hanging pass.

B PERFORMED AT A SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW · Blue · medium
  • STING
  • WONDER
  • PRINCE
  • KEYS

STING, WONDER, PRINCE and KEYS are all performers — known by a single name — who headlined a Super Bowl halftime show. PRINCE's 2007 performance in the rain at Super Bowl XLI is widely considered the greatest halftime show ever.

P PREMIER LEAGUE NICKNAMES, MINUS THE S · Purple · hardest
  • BEE
  • BLACK CAT
  • BLUE
  • GUNNER

BEE, BLACK CAT, BLUE and GUNNER are Premier League team nicknames with the S removed — Bees (Brentford), Black Cats (Sunderland), Blues (Chelsea or Everton) and Gunners (Arsenal). The 'minus the S' twist is easy to miss, making this the hardest group even for football fans.

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