The New York Times Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Monday, October 12, 2026, is number 749. This daily challenge requires players to find the common threads between 16 sports-related terms by organizing them into four distinct groups.
Hints for Today’s Connections
If you are looking for a nudge in the right direction without seeing the full solution, these hints break down the themes for puzzle #749.
Broad Group Hints
- Yellow: These organizations all call the same U.S. capital city home.
- Green: All four individuals share a common first name, spanning boxing, basketball, football, and baseball.
- Blue: These are distinctive monikers given to elite defensive backs in the NFL.
- Purple: Each word can be paired with a specific basketball action to form a common term.
Stronger Clues
- Yellow: One is a hockey team, one is a football team, one is a women’s soccer team, and one is a basketball team.
- Green: Think of the “Iceman” or the man behind the famous grill.
- Blue: You will need to know the nicknames of players like Ahmad Gardner or Patrick Surtain II.
- Purple: Focus on different ways a player might move the ball up the court or protected it from a defender.
SPOILER WARNING: The full solution for Connections: Sports Edition #749 follows below. Do not read further if you want to keep solving on your own.
Connections: Sports Edition Answers for October 12, 2026
Yellow: DC Sports Teams
Capitals, Commanders, Spirit, Wizards
This group features professional teams based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals represent the NHL, the Commanders are in the NFL, the Spirit play in the NWSL, and the Wizards are members of the NBA.
Green: Georges
Foreman, Gervin, Kittle, Springer
These four athletes are all famous “Georges.” This category includes boxing legend George Foreman, NBA Hall of Famer George “Iceman” Gervin, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, and MLB outfielder George Springer.
Blue: Nicknames of NFL Cornerbacks
Kool-Aid, PS2, Sauce, Spoon
These are specific nicknames used for current NFL cornerbacks. “Kool-Aid” refers to Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry (Saints), “PS2” is Patrick Surtain II (Broncos), “Sauce” is Ahmad Gardner (Jets), and “Spoon” is Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks).
Purple: ____ Dribble
Crossover, Double, Seal, Speed
Each of these words precedes “dribble” to describe a basketball move or a violation. A crossover and speed dribble are common maneuvers, a double dribble is a rule violation, and a seal dribble is used to shield the ball from an opponent.
For more daily puzzle assistance, you can find further strategy guides and community discussions on Parade.
