The Monday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #686, serving up a grid that spans individual point outcomes, loud contact, one athlete's résumé, and a crisp phrase-building finish.
What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick
For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.
Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.
Today's Grid at a Glance
Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #686:
CRUSH | 4 | COMBO | WINNER
OFFENSIVE | QUARTERBACK | COWBOYS | BARREL
SMOKE | DOUBLE FAULT | NOSE | UNFORCED ERROR
ACE | LACE | MISSISSIPPI STATE | MOUTH
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Look toward the results a racket-sport broadcast tracks after a point, including successful shots and costly mistakes.
Green Category Clue: Think about the vivid verbs a play-by-play announcer uses when a batter squares the ball up.
Blue Category Hint: Build a compact player profile from a position, professional team, college, and jersey identifier.
Purple Category Teaser: Treat each candidate as the opening half of a familiar two-part sports or protective term.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Tennis Stat): ACE, DOUBLE FAULT, UNFORCED ERROR, WINNER
WINNER, ACE, UNFORCED ERROR, and DOUBLE FAULT are all TENNIS STATS. The first pair records successful play, while the latter pair records mistakes that surrender a point.
WINNER is the mild red herring because it reads as a generic sports result until the more specialized tennis terms establish the intended frame.
Green (Make Good Contact (in Baseball)): BARREL, CRUSH, LACE, SMOKE
CRUSH, SMOKE, BARREL, and LACE can all mean MAKE GOOD CONTACT IN BASEBALL. Each evokes a batter striking the ball cleanly and forcefully.
BARREL is the technical anchor through the idea of barreling the ball, while CRUSH, SMOKE, and LACE supply the punchier broadcast language.
Blue (Associated With Dak Prescott): 4, COWBOYS, MISSISSIPPI STATE, QUARTERBACK
4, COWBOYS, MISSISSIPPI STATE, and QUARTERBACK are all ASSOCIATED WITH DAK PRESCOTT. They identify his jersey number, professional team, college program, and position.
OFFENSIVE is the sharp red herring because it fits the football territory surrounding COWBOYS and QUARTERBACK, but its exact role lies in the final phrase set.
Purple (_____ Guard): COMBO, MOUTH, NOSE, OFFENSIVE
COMBO, OFFENSIVE, MOUTH, and NOSE each complete _____ GUARD: combo guard, offensive guard, mouth guard, and nose guard.
The trick mixes basketball, football, and protective equipment, so recognizing one phrase does not immediately reveal the full set.
The Verdict
The tennis set should fall first because ACE, UNFORCED ERROR, and DOUBLE FAULT establish a precise statistical vocabulary.
The real trap sits in the football overlap: OFFENSIVE and NOSE can hover near QUARTERBACK and COWBOYS, even though the first pair belongs with GUARD phrases.
Purple is the streak-deciding group because its shared ending has to outweigh the tempting football cluster.
Reset and Repeat
Today's standout move was separating football associations from the four GUARD phrases. Reset the grid instincts and come back tomorrow for another round of sports knowledge and wordplay.
For now, puzzle #686 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.
