NYT Connections puzzle #389 was published on Thursday, July 4, 2024—not July 4, 2025, which was puzzle #754. Its four groups connect romantic rapport, browser data, one rotation, and words that come before “bell.” If you’re still solving, use the hints below before opening the full answer list.
Hints for Connections #389
- One group is information a web browser may retain.
- Another describes a complete pass around a track or axis.
- Four words can each be followed by the same word to make a familiar phrase or name.
- The last group describes a kind of romantic spark or rapport.
All 16 words from the puzzle
FIREWORKS, LIBERTY, COOKIES, DINNER, HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, REVOLUTION, TINKER, DATA, BAR, SPARKS, LAP, CYCLE, CACHE, TURN, ATTRACTION.
Connections #389 answers
| Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|
| Romantic rapport | ATTRACTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS, SPARKS | Each can describe a feeling or powerful connection between people. |
| Things stored by a web browser | CACHE, COOKIES, DATA, HISTORY | These are forms of information a browser can keep. |
| A single rotation | CYCLE, LAP, REVOLUTION, TURN | Each can refer to one complete circuit or rotation. |
| Words before “BELL” | BAR, DINNER, LIBERTY, TINKER | Barbell, dinner bell, Liberty Bell, and Tinker Bell. |
Why the July 4 words are easy to misread
The holiday-themed clues can pull attention toward a patriotic category: FIREWORKS suggests Independence Day, LIBERTY suggests American history, and REVOLUTION can evoke the American Revolution. But they split across three groups. FIREWORKS belongs with romantic metaphors, LIBERTY comes before “BELL,” and REVOLUTION is a kind of rotation. That red-herring reading is an interpretation of the board, not an official NYT label.
Sources
The answer and groupings are reported by secondary answer guides: TechYorker’s July 4, 2024 guide and MobilesTalk’s #389 guide. The date and puzzle-number distinction is also listed in the Connections archive.
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