Need a nudge before seeing the answers? Puzzle #408, published July 23, 2024, is built around a word for a fake, things that can be heard or said, show-offs, and Looney Tunes names missing a letter. The four hints below get progressively more revealing; the full groups are in the spoiler-marked section.
Hints for Connections #408
Try each clue before moving on to the next. The first points toward a broad idea; the fourth reveals the wordplay.
- Think of someone pretending to be something they are not.
- Look for something that can be heard or said.
- Consider people who enjoy drawing attention to themselves.
- Each word in the last group is one letter short of a Looney Tunes character name.
What makes this puzzle tricky?
Watch for tempting overlaps
TWEET might look like it belongs with words related to sounds or speech, but it is part of the cartoon-character wordplay group. PORK can also pull attention toward HAM and HOT DOG; those two instead belong with PEACOCK and SHOWBOAT as show-offs. Some players discussed the blue group and the HOT DOG usage in a July 23 Reddit thread, but those comments are individual reactions, not a measure of how difficult the puzzle was overall: Reddit discussion.
Spoilers: Connections #408 answers
Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle yourself. The category names and all 16 answers follow.
#1 Best Overall
Yellow — IMPOSTER
CHARLATAN, FRAUD, QUACK, SHAM
Green — UTTERANCE
NOISE, PEEP, SOUND, WORD
Blue — ONE WHO LIKES SHOWING OFF
HAM, HOT DOG, PEACOCK, SHOWBOAT
Purple — LOONEY TUNES CHARACTERS MINUS A LETTER
BUG, PORK, SPEED, TWEET. Add a final letter to make BUGS, PORKY, SPEEDY, and TWEETY.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the answer set is corroborated
Parade’s dated July 23 guide and TechRadar’s guide agree on the groups and answers. Connections+ independently archives puzzle #408 under July 23, 2024, with the same word bank; it notes that it is not affiliated with The New York Times. No direct NYT puzzle page was among the sources used for this answer, so the date, word list, and solution are cross-checked secondary reporting rather than direct official verification.
Quick Recap
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