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There is a one-day date mix-up: NYT Connections puzzle #390 was published on Friday, July 5, 2024. The July 4 puzzle was #389. If you searched for “Connections #390 answers,” the hints and solution below are for the correct #390 grid.
Connections #390 date check
TechRadar dates game #390 to July 5, 2024, while Parade’s July 4 entry identifies that day’s puzzle as #389. This page follows the game number and gives the words, hints and answers for #390.
Hints for Connections #390
Try these progressive clues before looking at the solution:
- Yellow: Want.
- Green: Glossy read.
- Blue: The name’s …
- Purple: They go before a music genre.
The 16 words in the #390 grid
The puzzle presented these entries:
YEN, BOND, MAD, POWER, EURO, O, Q, FORTUNE, LONG, M, K, PINE, BUBBLEGUM, NATURE, DESIRE, MONEYPENNY
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Connections #390 answers
| Color | Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Words meaning YEARN | DESIRE, LONG, PINE, YEN | Each word means to yearn or express a strong want. |
| Green | Magazines | FORTUNE, MAD, NATURE, O | Fortune, Mad and Nature are magazine titles; O refers to O, The Oprah Magazine. |
| Blue | Characters in Bond movies | BOND, M, MONEYPENNY, Q | These are James Bond, Moneypenny, Q and the recurring character designation M from the film series. |
| Purple | Words before “POP” in music genres | BUBBLEGUM, EURO, K, POWER | They produce bubblegum pop, Europop, K-pop and power pop. |
How to solve the grid without spoilers
1. Start with the direct synonyms
DESIRE, LONG, PINE and YEN are the cleanest group. All four can describe yearning, leaving the less obvious entries available for the remaining categories.
2. Spot the Bond set
BOND, M, MONEYPENNY and Q are recognizable franchise references. The single letters are deliberate traps: they become much clearer once the Bond connection appears.
3. Recognize publication titles
FORTUNE, MAD and NATURE suggest magazines. The short entry O completes the set because it abbreviates the title O, The Oprah Magazine.
4. Use the remaining compound phrases
The four leftover words pair with “pop”: bubblegum pop, Europop, K-pop and power pop. This final group depends on completing familiar genre names rather than finding synonyms.
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TechRadar editor Marc McLaren described this as a difficult puzzle and reported making three mistakes. The one-letter entries and overlapping associations make it easy to spend guesses before the categories are fully confirmed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Connections works
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to divide them into four groups of four. Groups are color-coded by difficulty, and you can make up to four mistakes before the game ends. It is available on the New York Times website and mobile app. An NYT Games or All Access subscription may also provide access to an archive of previous puzzles; the precise archive terms can vary by subscription.
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