Today’s NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle (#496) is all about aquatic sports and speed! The answer categories include water-based activities, fast-paced terms, collectible card brands, and tennis legends.
Quick Answer for February 1, 2026
Here are today’s Connections Sports Edition #496 solutions:
🟨 Yellow – Aquatic Sports Verbs (Easiest)
KAYAK, ROW, SAIL, SWIM
🟩 Green – Speed
MUSTARD, POP, VELOCITY, ZIP
🟦 Blue – Sports Card Brands
LEAF, PANINI, TOPPS, UPPER DECK
🟪 Purple – Tennis Grand Slam Winners, Minus A Letter (Hardest)
ASH, KIN, NADA, WILLIAM
Helpful Hints
Yellow Category: Think about actions you do in water sports
Green Category: Different words that all mean “fast”
Blue Category: If you collect sports memorabilia, you’ll recognize these names
Purple Category: Famous tennis champions with one letter removed from their names
Tips for Solving
The yellow category is your best starting point today if you know water sports. The purple category is the trickiest—those are tennis Grand Slam winners with a letter missing (Ashe, King, Nadal, Williams).
Come back tomorrow for more hints and solutions!