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Today's Sports Connections hints

This page always carries the current NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle — #663, Saturday, July 18, 2026. The hints reveal one tier at a time so you can take the smallest nudge that gets you unstuck. We verify the puzzle number against the live game every day, so it is never off by one.

Today's puzzle (#663) has four groups. Reveal exactly as much as you need — a nudge, then the category names, then the first letters. The full answers stay on their own page so you don't spoil it by accident.

Hint 1 — a one-word nudge for each group
  • Tier 1 COMBAT SPORTS SETTINGS
  • Tier 2 Rulebook infractions
  • Tier 3 On screen
  • Tier 4 Look at the words themselves
Hint 2 — the four category names
  • Easiest COMBAT SPORTS SETTINGS
  • Easy HOCKEY PENALTIES
  • Tricky SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES
  • Hardest ENDS IN A GOLF CLUB
Hint 3 — first letters of every answer

COMBAT SPORTS SETTINGS: O. · M. · C. · R.

HOCKEY PENALTIES: T. · I. · F. · H.

SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES: H. D. · F. S. · S. · I.

ENDS IN A GOLF CLUB: H. · G. · S. · R. R.

Still stuck? See the full answers for #663, explained group by group →

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