The Athletic · Connections: Sports Edition #774

Connections Sports Hints for November 6, 2026

By Connections Solved

Puzzle date
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Looking for Connections: Sports Edition hints for November 6, 2026? Puzzle #774 makes familiar sporting associations tempting, but a convincing pair is not enough. Check whether the same reading works for all four tiles before committing to a group.

Start with the gentle hints, then move to the stronger group clues. Two-word reveals, complete answers and detailed explanations begin in closed panels, so you can choose how much help 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 #774

Try one clue for the group you are working on. You do not need to read all four.

  • Yellow

    Think about what belongs in a sportswear drawer.

  • Green

    These are familiar names you might hear on a football broadcast.

  • Blue

    Look at club soccer on the North American side of the Atlantic.

  • Purple

    Try placing the same word after each tile.

Stronger Group Hints

These clues narrow the theme without listing the four words. Stop here if a theme clicks.

  • Yellow

    The same clothing noun follows all four tiles.

  • Green

    Expand the given names of four quarterbacks from the same NFL conference.

  • Blue

    These footballers' surnames belong to Major League Soccer players.

  • Purple

    Complete four names that share a six-letter game name as their ending.

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
  • BASKETBALL
  • COMPRESSION

These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.

Green Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
  • JORDAN
  • BAKER

These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.

Blue Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
  • MESSI
  • SON

These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.

Purple Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
  • ICE
  • FIELD

These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.

Connections Sports Answers for November 6, 2026

Ready to check your solution? Opening this panel reveals all four category names and all 16 words for #774.

Reveal all four answer groups for #774

Yellow

TYPES OF SHORTS

  • BASKETBALL
  • COMPRESSION
  • BIKE
  • GYM

Green

NFC QBS, FAMILIARLY

  • JORDAN
  • BAKER
  • DAK
  • KYLER

Blue

MLS STARS

  • MESSI
  • SON
  • DE PAUL
  • LEWANDOWSKI

Purple

_____ HOCKEY

  • ICE
  • FIELD
  • AIR
  • FLOOR

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

TYPES OF SHORTS

Add SHORTS after BASKETBALL, COMPRESSION, BIKE and GYM: basketball shorts, compression shorts, bike shorts and gym shorts. The shared link is a familiar garment phrase. The labels describe activities or a type of fit, so they do not need to identify four different sports.

How each word fits

BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL becomes basketball shorts. Read the tile as a clothing modifier here, rather than using its connection to JORDAN to build a player-name group.

COMPRESSION

COMPRESSION becomes compression shorts, a close-fitting type of athletic shorts. It describes the garment's fit rather than a separate sport.

BIKE

BIKE becomes bike shorts. This familiar clothing name also appears in training and casual-wear ranges; the phrase does not require every wearer to be cycling.

GYM

GYM becomes gym shorts, clothing for exercise. Keep the clothing ending consistent instead of joining GYM to FLOOR from another group.

Green

NFC QBS, FAMILIARLY

JORDAN, BAKER, DAK and KYLER identify Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray. In this November 6, 2026 setting, their teams are Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Minnesota, respectively. All four are quarterbacks in the National Football Conference, abbreviated NFC.

How each word fits

JORDAN

JORDAN identifies Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers quarterback. Use his given name rather than a basketball association.

BAKER

BAKER identifies Baker Mayfield, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback. The tile names a person here, not a job.

DAK

DAK identifies Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback. It is the familiar name used in the football context.

KYLER

KYLER identifies Kyler Murray. Minnesota's official roster lists him as a Vikings quarterback in the 2026 season; this explanation uses that current context.

Blue

MLS STARS

MESSI, SON, DE PAUL and LEWANDOWSKI identify Lionel Messi, Son Heung-Min, Rodrigo De Paul and Robert Lewandowski. All four are MLS players in the puzzle's 2026 setting: Messi and De Paul with Inter Miami, Son with Los Angeles FC and Lewandowski with Chicago Fire. The category concerns their league, not one national team or a shared playing position.

How each word fits

MESSI

MESSI identifies Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF. His surname supplies one of the four MLS player names.

SON

SON identifies Son Heung-Min of Los Angeles FC. Read it as the footballer's surname, rather than as a family relationship.

DE PAUL

DE PAUL identifies Rodrigo De Paul, an Inter Miami CF midfielder. Both words form the surname on this single tile.

LEWANDOWSKI

LEWANDOWSKI identifies Robert Lewandowski of Chicago Fire FC. Chicago's June 29, 2026 acquisition announcement verifies why he fits an MLS group at this puzzle's date.

Purple

_____ HOCKEY

Put HOCKEY after ICE, FIELD, AIR and FLOOR: ice hockey, field hockey, air hockey and floor hockey. The connection is the completed phrase. AIR names a table game, while the other phrases include games played on larger surfaces; the set does not require identical equipment or rules.

How each word fits

ICE

ICE completes ice hockey. It provides the first part of the game name, with HOCKEY supplying the shared ending.

FIELD

FIELD completes field hockey. Keep the word before HOCKEY, in the same order used for all four answers.

AIR

AIR completes air hockey, the table game in which players strike a disk toward goals. Air blown through the table creates a low-friction playing surface.

FLOOR

FLOOR completes floor hockey, a family of hockey games played on flat floor surfaces. Its link is the game name, rather than the separate phrase gym floor.

Connections Sports Edition FAQ

Which Sports Edition do these hints cover?

These hints cover Connections: Sports Edition #774 for November 6, 2026. Its four category titles and all 16 tiles match the official dated puzzle data.

Why does JORDAN belong with BAKER, DAK and KYLER?

Read all four as quarterbacks' familiar given names: Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray. The shared conference is the NFC.

Which team does KYLER refer to in this edition?

KYLER is Kyler Murray. The Minnesota Vikings' official 2026 roster verifies the team context used here; the puzzle's category is NFC quarterbacks.

Why is LEWANDOWSKI in an MLS group?

Robert Lewandowski joined Chicago Fire FC in 2026. The club's June 29 acquisition announcement supports his inclusion alongside Messi, Son and De Paul at this puzzle's November date.

Must the four types of shorts be completely different garments?

No. Basketball shorts, compression shorts, bike shorts and gym shorts are valid clothing phrases, even where their uses or designs overlap. The common ending is what connects the tiles.

How can AIR and FLOOR belong to the same hockey group?

AIR and FLOOR both form game names when followed by HOCKEY. Air hockey is a table game; floor hockey is played on flat floor surfaces. A shared phrase ending does not require identical rules.

Sources and Verification

Official puzzle data and references for this edition.

View the sources used for this edition

The official dated puzzle data confirms November 6, #774, the four category titles and all 16 tiles. NFL, MLS and club records verify the player identities and the 2026 club context, including Kyler Murray with Minnesota and Robert Lewandowski with Chicago. Apparel references, Merriam-Webster and Special Olympics support the clothing phrases and hockey terminology.

Connections Solved is an independent guide and is not affiliated with The Athletic or The New York Times.

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