Connections: Sports Edition asks you to sort sixteen words into four groups of four. Today’s groups use locations, club names, connections to one athlete, and surnames.
Connections: Sports Edition #773 Puzzle Overview: November 5, 2026
TIDES, JOKER, and MUSE have more than one meaning. Check that a connection accounts for all four entries before submitting a set.
The sixteen words on today’s board are: SPACE COWBOYS, MAURICE, MVP, JOKER, FRENCH ALPS, MUD HENS, LOS ANGELES, UTAH, NUGGETS, CHIHUAHUAS, MUSE, ST. LOUIS, BRISBANE, SERBIA, BRUNETTE, TIDES.
Connections: Sports Edition Hints: November 5, 2026
Each of the four color groups below opens in four steps: hints, one word, the category name, then all four words. Stop at the step that gives enough help.
Yellow group
Step 1 · two hints
- These locations share a scheduled role in international sport.
- Each place has been chosen to stage an upcoming edition of a global sporting event.
Step 2 · one word
LOS ANGELES
Step 3 · category
FUTURE OLYMPIC HOSTS
Step 4 · all four words
LOS ANGELES, FRENCH ALPS, BRISBANE, UTAH
Green group
Step 1 · two hints
- These names belong to clubs in the same sport.
- Look for baseball club names.
Step 2 · one word
SPACE COWBOYS
Step 3 · category
TRIPLE-A BASEBALL TEAMS
Step 4 · all four words
SPACE COWBOYS, TIDES, MUD HENS, CHIHUAHUAS
Blue group
Step 1 · two hints
- These entries point to the same person.
- Treat all four as clues pointing to one athlete.
Step 2 · one word
SERBIA
Step 3 · category
ASSOCIATED WITH NIKOLA JOKIĆ
Step 4 · all four words
SERBIA, NUGGETS, JOKER, MVP
Purple group
Step 1 · two hints
- Read these entries as people’s surnames.
- These surnames belong to people who lead professional hockey clubs.
Step 2 · one word
MAURICE
Step 3 · category
NHL HEAD COACHES
Step 4 · all four words
MAURICE, ST. LOUIS, BRUNETTE, MUSE
Less common words explained
- MUD HENS: Mud hens are birds that live around marshes and other wetlands.
Connections: Sports Edition Answers: November 5, 2026
Step 4 of each group above holds its answer. The full solved grid and notes on today’s tricky words are folded below.
Full solved grid
Tricky words (spoilers)
ST. LOUIS has a place-name meaning that can suggest FUTURE OLYMPIC HOSTS. Here, it belongs to NHL HEAD COACHES alongside MAURICE, BRUNETTE, and MUSE.
SPACE COWBOYS, TIDES, MUD HENS, and CHIHUAHUAS are club names in TRIPLE-A BASEBALL TEAMS. SERBIA, NUGGETS, JOKER, and MVP share an association with Nikola Jokić.
Yesterday’s groups for 4 November 2026
- PARTS OF A CYCLE: SINGLE, DOUBLE, TRIPLE, HOME RUN
- GOLF WEDGES: GAP, LOB, PITCHING, SAND
- LINE _____: CHANGE, DRIVE, JUDGE, OUT
- BASEBALL PITCHES, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED: GLIDER, TINKER, BUTTER, CORKBALL
More Connections Sports Edition: Yesterday’s puzzle · Play Connections Sports Edition on The Athletic
Also today: Wordle · Connections · Strands · Pips · Phrazle · Quordle · Keyword · Colordle · Unwordle · Hurdle · NYT Crossword · NYT Mini · NYT Midi · Jumble · Spelling Bee · Letter Boxed · Parseword · Poeltl
Questions about Connections Sports Edition
How many tries does a player get in Connections Sports Edition?
The game ends after four mistakes.
Where can a person play Connections Sports Edition?
Play Connections: Sports Edition in a web browser on The Athletic’s section of The New York Times website.
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