Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteNYT Connections #388, published for July 3, 2024, has a moderate difficulty rating. The spoiler-safe hints are below first, followed by the four categories and all 16 answers.
Spoiler-safe hints for Connections #388
Try the hints before revealing the answers:
- Yellow: Creative thinking.
- Green: It exists.
- Blue: Let them eat it.
- Purple: You can throw them into a sentence.
How to approach this puzzle
- Look for the most direct group first. Words describing something physically existing point toward the green set.
- Separate literal cake terms from words that can describe idea generation.
- After the obvious groups are removed, read the remaining words as phrases. Purple depends on expressions formed with “throw.”
- Use the game’s limit of four mistakes carefully: a plausible synonym can still be a deliberate red herring.
Connections #388 answers
The complete board is divided into these four groups:
| Color | Category | Tiles | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Develop, as ideas | BRAINSTORM, IDEATE, SPITBALL, WORKSHOP | Each can describe generating, developing or refining ideas. |
| Green | Tangible | CONCRETE, MATERIAL, REAL, SOLID | Each indicates something physically existing or substantial. |
| Blue | Kinds of cake | BIRTHDAY, CRUMB, MARBLE, POUND | Each is a cake type or a standard cake descriptor. |
| Purple | Things you can throw, in metaphors | CURVEBALL, PARTY, TANTRUM, WRENCH | You can throw a curveball, throw a party, throw a tantrum or throw a wrench in the works. |
Why the categories are tricky
The yellow and green groups are both broad meaning-based sets, so several tiles may initially look interchangeable. “Workshop,” for example, can be a physical place as well as a verb for developing ideas, while “concrete” can refer either to a building material or something definite. The purple group becomes clear only when each word is paired with “throw.”
Difficulty and game details
TechRadar rated this puzzle Moderate and recorded a Perfect score for its author. In that guide, Global Editor in Chief Marc McLaren described it as “another moderately tough Connections puzzle; not impossibly difficult, but hardly easy either.” The guide was published July 2, 2024.
#1 Best Overall
Connections is the New York Times word game in which you sort 16 tiles into four groups of four. The color order indicates rising difficulty: green is generally easiest, followed by yellow, blue and purple. You can make up to four incorrect guesses. The game is available free on desktop or mobile through the NYT Games site.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.
