Sports Connections answers for Saturday, July 18, 2026 (#663)
By SportsMonkie Sports Desk · Puzzle #663 · Edited by Mark Cooper · Full spoilers below
Here are the answers to NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle #663, released Saturday, July 18, 2026. The four groups are COMBAT SPORTS SETTINGS, HOCKEY PENALTIES, SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES, ENDS IN A GOLF CLUB. The full sixteen words, sorted into their groups with a short explanation of why each one belongs, are right below. Want to solve it yourself first? Use the progressive hints instead.
The trap to avoid
Watch the "ends in a golf club" group: GRIDIRON each look like they belong with a sports category, which is the misdirection. Sort the wordplay tier last, once the sports groups are locked.
Today's answers, group by group
Tier 1 · Easiest
COMBAT SPORTS SETTINGS
- OCTAGON
- MAT
- CAGE
- RING
Why: All four — OCTAGON, MAT, CAGE and RING — share one link: combat sports settings. The group is knowledge-gated: you either recognise the theme on sight or you don't, so use the hints above rather than trying to reason it out from the words alone.
Tier 2 · Easy
HOCKEY PENALTIES
- TRIPPING
- INTERFERENCE
- FIGHTING
- HIGH-STICKING
Why: Every entry — TRIPPING, INTERFERENCE, FIGHTING and HIGH-STICKING — is a called infraction in ice hockey. If you do not watch the sport, these read as ordinary words, so the group is knowledge-gated rather than a puzzle of language.
Tier 3 · Tricky
SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES
- HOOP DREAMS
- FREE SOLO
- SENNA
- ICARUS
Why: These are all sports films/documentaries — HOOP DREAMS, FREE SOLO, SENNA and ICARUS — connected by medium rather than by a single sport, which spreads them across boxing, motor racing, climbing and more and makes the group easy to overthink.
Tier 4 · Hardest
ENDS IN A GOLF CLUB
- HARDWOOD
- GRIDIRON
- SPUTTER
- RED RIVER
Why: This is the wordplay group: HARDWOOD, GRIDIRON, SPUTTER and RED RIVER are joined by the pattern in the title ("ends in a golf club"), not by any shared sport. It is the classic trap tier — several of these words look like they belong with a sports category above, which is exactly what the puzzle wants you to try first.
If you don't follow US sports
Sports Edition skews American, so a group can be obvious to a US fan and invisible to everyone else. The "why" line under each group is written to close exactly that gap — it names the league, the city or the player so the connection makes sense even if you have never watched the sport.
FAQ
What are today's Sports Connections answers (#663)?
The four groups for Saturday, July 18, 2026 are: COMBAT SPORTS SETTINGS; HOCKEY PENALTIES; SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES; ENDS IN A GOLF CLUB. The full sixteen words and the reason each group fits are laid out above.
What time does the Sports Connections puzzle reset?
A new puzzle unlocks at midnight in your local time, so players in earlier time zones get the next day's grid first. Yesterday's puzzle stays playable on The Athletic's archive.
Do I need to know US sports to solve it?
Often, yes — Sports Edition leans on US leagues (NBA, WNBA, NFL, NCAA), which is why we spell out the connection for each group. If you follow football, cricket or F1 instead, the "why" notes above are written to fill the gap.
How many mistakes can I make?
Four. Every wrong group of four counts as one mistake, and the fourth mistake ends the game and reveals the solution. There is no time limit.
Today's grid leaned on these sports — go deeper on SportsMonkie:
SportsMonkie is an independent site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The New York Times or The Athletic. "NYT Connections Sports Edition" is referenced only to describe the puzzle these hints cover; all trademarks belong to their owners. Play the official puzzle on The Athletic.