The New York Times has partnered with The Athletic to create a sports-focused version of the popular word puzzle game Connections. Today’s edition presents players with 16 words they must organize into four distinct categories that share a common theme. For August 11, 2026, the puzzle will appeal particularly to football enthusiasts.
Connections Sports Edition operates similarly to the original game, with players tasked to identify the underlying link between sets of four words. The interface allows users to shuffle the board layout and includes a color-coding system ranging from yellow for easier groupings to purple for more challenging ones. Each incorrect guess counts as a mistake, with players allowed up to four wrong answers before the game concludes.
Today’s puzzle, numbered 687, features categories related to football team members, professional athletes, entertainment programs, and rule violations. The categories include staff positions, running backs from the NFL, sports television programs, and types of penalties. Solvers can share their results on social media once completed, continuing the tradition established by similar daily puzzle games.
Players seeking assistance can access hints organized by difficulty level before revealing the complete answers. A new puzzle becomes available each day after midnight, providing returning players with fresh challenges to solve.
Originally reported by Mashable →
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