Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for Aug. 13, 2026, puzzle No. 689

August 13, 2026 - 08:59

If you want to solve it yourself, stop reading after the first hint section. For those who just need a nudge, we break the clues down by category color. The yellow group is usually the easiest, focusing on common sports terms. The green group often involves team names or player positions. The blue group can be trickier, sometimes mixing in nicknames or equipment. The purple group is the wordplay trap, so be careful there.

Today's puzzle has a bit of a throwback feel. One category involves legendary coaches from different eras. Another group is all about things you might see on a scoreboard, but not the obvious ones. And there is a sneaky group where the words all sound like something else in the sports world.

For the full solution, scroll to the bottom. The answers for puzzle No. 689 are: the yellow group is "Terms for a tied game" (deadlock, draw, stalemate, standoff). The green group is "Baseball fielding positions" (catcher, first base, shortstop, third base). The blue group is "Olympic host cities in the 2000s" (Athens, Beijing, London, Sydney). The purple group is "Words with 'court' hidden backward" (truoc, tnuoc, etuc, etruoc... just kidding, it is "Things that can be 'served'" (ace, ball, warrant, time).

Check back tomorrow for puzzle No. 690.