Here are spoiler-safe hints and the complete solution for NYT Connections puzzle #390, published Friday, July 5, 2024. Start with the clues, then open the answer groups only when you’re ready.
Hints for Connections #390
The puzzle asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. These clues move from a broad theme toward the exact category, without giving away the words.
- Yellow: Think about craving or wanting something.
- Green: Think of publication titles you might flip through.
- Blue: Think of characters associated with the James Bond films.
- Purple: Each word can come before the same word used in a music genre.
Answers for Connections #390
Spoilers below: The four groups and their category labels are revealed here.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | YEARN | DESIRE, LONG, PINE, YEN |
| Green | MAGAZINES | FORTUNE, MAD, NATURE, O |
| Blue | CHARACTERS IN BOND MOVIES | BOND, M, MONEYPENNY, Q |
| Purple | WORDS THAT PRECEDE “POP” IN MUSIC GENRES | BUBBLEGUM, EURO, K, POWER |
How the trickiest connections work
O, M, and Q are the short magazine and Bond entries
In the green group, O is the magazine title, alongside FORTUNE, MAD, and NATURE. In the blue group, M and Q are Bond-film character names, grouped with BOND and MONEYPENNY.
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The purple group completes four music genres
Add “pop” after each word: bubblegum pop, Euro pop, K-pop, and power pop. The connection is the shared second word, not that the entries themselves are all complete genre names.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the puzzle date
This is game #390 from Friday, July 5, 2024. Checking both the year and puzzle number helps distinguish it from another Connections game published on a July 5 in a different year. Parade’s published hints and answers identify the puzzle as #390 on July 5, 2024 (Parade); TechRadar also identifies the Friday, July 5 puzzle as #390 (TechRadar).
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