Looking for Connections: Sports Edition hints for November 4, 2026? Puzzle #772 mixes sporting vocabulary with wordplay. A broad association with a sport may suggest a starting point, but each completed set needs a rule that explains all four cards.
Start with the gentle clues, then read the stronger group hints if you need more help. Optional two-word reveals, complete answers and detailed explanations begin in closed panels so you can choose how much to uncover.
Start with a gentle clue. Two-word hints, answers and explanations stay hidden until you open them.
Playing the regular word puzzle? Regular Connections guide — a different puzzle
Gentle Hints for Puzzle #772
Try one clue for the group you are working on. You do not need to read all four.
- Yellow
Think of a batter collecting different kinds of hits in one game.
- Green
Look in the short-game end of a golfer's bag.
- Blue
Try one shared word in front of all four tiles.
- Purple
The opening character is hiding each card's sporting identity.
Stronger Group Hints
These clues narrow the theme without listing the four words. Stop here if a theme clicks.
- Yellow
These four hit types complete a particular baseball batting feat.
- Green
Each tile names a type of wedge when paired with the club's shared name.
- Blue
Put LINE first to make sporting expressions across several games.
- Purple
Replace only the first letter of each tile to recover a baseball pitch name.
Two-Word Hints — Partial Answers
Still stuck on one color? Reveal two words that belong together in that group. This gives away part of the answer, so open only the color you need.
Yellow Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- SINGLE
- DOUBLE
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Green Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- GAP
- LOB
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Blue Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- CHANGE
- DRIVE
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Purple Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- GLIDER
- TINKER
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Connections Sports Answers for November 4, 2026
Ready to check your solution? Opening this panel reveals all four category names and all 16 words for #772.
Reveal all four answer groups for #772
Yellow
PARTS OF A CYCLE
- SINGLE
- DOUBLE
- TRIPLE
- HOME RUN
Green
GOLF WEDGES
- GAP
- LOB
- PITCHING
- SAND
Blue
LINE _____
- CHANGE
- DRIVE
- JUDGE
- OUT
Purple
BASEBALL PITCHES, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED
- GLIDER
- TINKER
- BUTTER
- CORKBALL
Why These Groups Work
This section explains each word and a possible wrong turn. It contains spoilers even if the answer panel above is closed.
Reveal the explanations and possible traps
Yellow
PARTS OF A CYCLE
A batter hits for the cycle by recording a SINGLE, DOUBLE, TRIPLE and HOME RUN in the same game. The four cards are the required hit types, not stages of a bicycle or a pitching motion. An ordinary cycle can happen in any order; the specific ascending sequence is called a natural cycle.
How each word fits
- SINGLE
-
SINGLE is the one-base hit in the cycle. A walk to first base does not replace this required hit.
- DOUBLE
-
DOUBLE is the two-base hit. Read it as a batting result here, rather than a reference to doubles competition in another sport.
- TRIPLE
-
TRIPLE is the three-base hit needed for the cycle. Its number describes the hit's base value, not a three-point shot.
- HOME RUN
-
HOME RUN is the four-base hit that completes the set of hit values. It need not be the last hit chronologically in an ordinary cycle.
Green
GOLF WEDGES
GAP, LOB, PITCHING and SAND form GAP WEDGE, LOB WEDGE, PITCHING WEDGE and SAND WEDGE. Titleist lists all four club families, and Callaway explains their uses. The gap wedge fills the space between pitching and sand wedges; the lob wedge offers a high-loft option. The connection is the club names, without requiring a particular loft for every manufacturer's model.
How each word fits
- GAP
-
GAP completes GAP WEDGE, also called an approach wedge. It fills the club-selection gap between pitching and sand wedges.
- LOB
-
LOB completes LOB WEDGE, a high-loft short-game club. The tile names equipment here rather than a lofted throw or stroke.
- PITCHING
-
PITCHING completes PITCHING WEDGE. The golf-club reading fits its three partners; the baseball delivery reading does not.
- SAND
-
SAND completes SAND WEDGE. Bunker shots are one use, but the club can also handle other short-game shots.
Blue
LINE _____
Place LINE before CHANGE, DRIVE, JUDGE and OUT: LINE CHANGE, LINE DRIVE, LINE JUDGE and LINEOUT. These refer, respectively, to hockey substitutions, a baseball batted-ball flight, an official such as a volleyball line judge, and a rugby restart. LINEOUT is conventionally written as one word; the puzzle's shared-prefix rule still applies.
How each word fits
- CHANGE
-
CHANGE forms LINE CHANGE, a substitution of players in ice hockey. IIHF terminology allows the change during play or a stoppage; it is not a changed-letter instruction for this group.
- DRIVE
-
DRIVE forms LINE DRIVE, a sharply hit baseball traveling directly from the bat without first bouncing. The phrase describes its flight, not how many bases a hit earns.
- JUDGE
-
JUDGE forms LINE JUDGE. In volleyball, this official uses flags to signal decisions including whether a ball near a watched line is in or out.
- OUT
-
OUT forms LINEOUT, the rugby restart using a throw between lines of players after the ball goes into touch. Joining the two parts gives the conventional spelling.
Purple
BASEBALL PITCHES, WITH THE FIRST LETTER CHANGED
Replace the first letter while keeping every remaining letter in place: GLIDER becomes SLIDER, TINKER becomes SINKER, BUTTER becomes CUTTER, and CORKBALL becomes FORKBALL. MLB's glossary identifies all four results as pitch types. This is spelling substitution, not an anagram or a requirement that the original words themselves name pitches.
How each word fits
- GLIDER
-
GLIDER becomes SLIDER when G is replaced by S. The unchanged ending is LIDER; SLIDER is a breaking pitch.
- TINKER
-
TINKER becomes SINKER when T is replaced by S. The unchanged ending is INKER; SINKER is a fastball type.
- BUTTER
-
BUTTER becomes CUTTER when B is replaced by C. The unchanged ending is UTTER; CUTTER names a fastball variant.
- CORKBALL
-
CORKBALL becomes FORKBALL when C is replaced by F. The unchanged ending is ORKBALL; FORKBALL is a pitch with downward break.
Connections Sports Edition FAQ
Which Sports Edition do these hints cover?
These hints cover Connections: Sports Edition #772 for November 4, 2026. All four category titles and all 16 tiles match the official dated puzzle data.
Does a baseball cycle have to happen in a particular order?
No. A cycle requires a single, double, triple and home run by the same batter in one game, in any order. Achieving them in that ascending order is specifically a natural cycle.
Why does PITCHING belong with GAP, LOB and SAND?
Each makes a golf-club name with WEDGE: pitching wedge, gap wedge, lob wedge and sand wedge. PITCHING's baseball meaning is a distraction on this board.
What does LINEOUT mean in the blue group?
LINEOUT is a rugby restart after the ball goes into touch, using a throw between lines of players. It is normally one word, formed here by putting LINE before OUT.
How do the four purple spellings become pitch names?
Change only the initial letter: GLIDER to SLIDER, TINKER to SINKER, BUTTER to CUTTER, and CORKBALL to FORKBALL. The rest of each word stays in the same order.
Why is DRIVE outside the group about a cycle?
LINE DRIVE describes the flight of a batted ball. A cycle instead requires the four hit values: single, double, triple and home run. DRIVE therefore completes the blue LINE group.
Sources and Verification
Official puzzle data and references for this edition.
View the sources used for this edition
The official dated puzzle data verifies November 4, #772, all four group titles and all 16 tiles. SABR and MLB sources support the baseball terminology; Titleist and Callaway verify the wedge names. IIHF terminology, FIVB rules and World Rugby explain the cross-sport LINE expressions. The purple spellings were checked letter by letter against MLB's pitch glossary. This records source review, with no claim of completing the official game.
- The Athletic — official Connections: Sports Edition puzzle
- SABR — hitting for the cycle and natural cycles
- MLB — single
- MLB — double
- MLB — triple
- MLB — home run
- Titleist — wedge family specifications
- Callaway — golf wedge buying guide
- IIHF — ice hockey terminology, line change
- MLB — Official Baseball Rules, definitions of terms
- FIVB — Official Volleyball Rules 2025–2028, section 29
- World Rugby — the lineout
- MLB — slider
- MLB — sinker
- MLB — cutter
- MLB — forkball
Connections Solved is an independent guide and is not affiliated with The Athletic or The New York Times.