NYT Connections Sports Edition · #720

NYT Connections Sports Edition Hints & Answers (#720) — September 13, 2026

By Sneha Rajput·September 13, 2026

“Before you lock in any group, say each word out loud and listen for a shorter name hiding at the front of it — that habit will crack the hardest category here.Today's puzzle has SERENA, which also appeared in Connections #688 (Aug 12, 2026). It was part of a group of athletes known by a single name.”

NYT Sports Connections hints for September 13, 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 ACRISUREThe insurance company whose name sits atop the Pittsburgh Steelers' stadium.

2 CADILLACLooks like a luxury car — actually Cadillac Williams, former NFL running back turned head coach.

3 CALEBCaleb Williams, the Bears quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner.

4 CHASERReads like a generic English word; CHASE at the start is Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase.

5 DCThe American outlier — DC United is Washington's MLS club.

6 EVANSTONThe Illinois city is a red herring; the front spells EVAN — the intended WR name, though solvers may debate exactly which Evan the puzzle has in mind.

7 EVERBANKThe Florida bank that put its name on EverBank Stadium, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

8 HARD ROCKThe hospitality brand naming the Miami Dolphins' South Florida home.

9 LAMBORGHINIStrip away '-orghini' and you have CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys' star wide receiver.

10 LEEDSYorkshire club with a passionate fanbase and a storied United history.

11 LONDONERNothing to do with English soccer — LONDON at the front points to Falcons WR Drake London.

12 MANCHESTERHome of arguably the most famous United club on the planet.

13 MERCEDES-BENZThe German automaker whose name is on the Atlanta Falcons' home.

14 NEWCASTLENortheast England club whose United side plays at St. James' Park.

15 SERENASerena Williams, the tennis icon with 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

16 TEDTed Williams, the Red Sox legend and last MLB player to hit .400 in a season.

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

Each city has a club that adds the same word after its name.

See Group

"UNITED" SOCCER CLUBS

See Word

MANCHESTER

See Word

NEWCASTLE

See Word

LEEDS

See Word

See Hint

Corporate money renamed these buildings where NFL teams play.

See Group

NFL STADIUMS

See Word

MERCEDES-BENZ

See Word

EVERBANK

See Word

HARD ROCK

See Word

ACRISURE

See Hint

One surname connects a tennis legend, a TV character, and two NFL names.

See Group

WILLIAMSES

See Word

CADILLAC

See Word

SERENA

See Word

TED

See Word

CALEB

See Hint

Peel back the first few letters and you'll find someone who catches passes.

See Group

STARTS WITH AN NFL WR

See Word

LAMBORGHINI

See Word

EVANSTON

See Word

LONDONER

See Word

CHASER

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 CADILLAC Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably reading it as a luxury car brand and pairing it with the other vehicles — but the puzzle is using it as a first name, not an automobile.

2 LAMBORGHINI Tap to see why this word traps.

You're almost certainly thinking Italian supercar, and that's the bait — but the puzzle is using it as a container hiding a shorter name at the front, not as an automobile.

3 LONDONER Tap to see why this word traps.

You're probably picturing English soccer culture, which makes it feel like it belongs with the football clubs — but the puzzle is using it for what its first few letters spell out, not where it points geographically.

4 EVANSTON Tap to see why this word traps.

You're likely reading it as a Chicago-area city and hunting for a stadium connection — but it's hiding a player's name at the start, not a venue.

NYT Sports Connections answers for September 13, 2026

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

Y "UNITED" SOCCER CLUBS · Yellow · easiest

MANCHESTER
NEWCASTLE
LEEDS
DC

MANCHESTER, NEWCASTLE, LEEDS and DC are all cities with a soccer club that carries 'United' in its name — Manchester United, Newcastle United, Leeds United and DC United. DC United is the sneakiest; the others are English Premier League giants, while DC United plays in MLS.

G NFL STADIUMS · Green · easy

MERCEDES-BENZ
EVERBANK
HARD ROCK
ACRISURE

MERCEDES-BENZ, EVERBANK, HARD ROCK and ACRISURE are all naming-rights sponsors of current NFL stadiums. Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts the Falcons, EverBank Stadium the Jaguars, Hard Rock Stadium the Dolphins, and Acrisure Stadium the Steelers.

B WILLIAMSES · Blue · medium

CADILLAC
SERENA
TED
CALEB

CADILLAC, SERENA, TED and CALEB are all famous people with the last name Williams — Cadillac Williams (NFL coach), Serena Williams (tennis champion), Ted Williams (baseball Hall of Famer) and Caleb Williams (NFL quarterback). CADILLAC is the biggest trap because most solvers see a car brand first.

P STARTS WITH AN NFL WR · Purple · hardest

LAMBORGHINI
EVANSTON
LONDONER
CHASER

LAMBORGHINI, EVANSTON, LONDONER and CHASER each begin with an NFL wide receiver's name — LAMB (CeeDee Lamb), EVAN (Evan Engram is a tight end, so the puzzle likely intends a lesser-known WR named Evan, or this is the category's one rough edge), LONDON (Drake London) and CHASE (Ja'Marr Chase). CHASER is the most disarming — it reads as a plain English word with no sports feel at all, making it easy to overlook.

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