Spoiler warning: This guide covers the hints and complete solution for Connections game #389, published Thursday, July 4, 2024. The sixteen-word grid splits into four groups of four. If you are still solving, start with the spoiler-light clues below and stop before the answer table.
Spoiler-light hints for Connections #389
Look for a category that can be read emotionally, another involving information a browser may keep, a group describing one complete movement around something, and a phrase-completion set.
Yellow hint
Think about feelings or sensations associated with romantic interest.
Green hint
Think of information or files a web browser may retain.
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Blue hint
Think of one complete trip around a track, circuit, circle or axis.
Purple hint
Add the same word to the end of each entry. Every result becomes a familiar phrase involving “bell.”
The complete 16-word grid
The grid for July 4, 2024, was:
FIREWORKS · LIBERTY · COOKIES · DINNER · HISTORY · CHEMISTRY · REVOLUTION · TINKER · DATA · BAR · SPARKS · LAP · CYCLE · CACHE · TURN · ATTRACTION
Connections #389 answers
| Color | Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Romantic rapport | ATTRACTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS, SPARKS | Attraction means romantic or physical interest; chemistry describes an appealing connection between people. Fireworks and sparks are figurative ways to describe sudden romantic excitement. |
| Green | Information stored by a web browser | CACHE, COOKIES, DATA, HISTORY | Browsers can retain cached files, cookies, browsing history and other site or session data. |
| Blue | A single rotation | CYCLE, LAP, REVOLUTION, TURN | Each word can describe one complete trip around a circuit, circle or axis. |
| Purple | Words before “BELL” | BAR, DINNER, LIBERTY, TINKER | They form barbell, dinner bell, Liberty Bell and Tinker Bell. |
How to understand the trickiest groups
Yellow: figurative romance, not a fireworks category
The date creates a strong distraction. FIREWORKS and LIBERTY invite Independence Day associations, but FIREWORKS belongs with ATTRACTION, CHEMISTRY and SPARKS because all four can describe romantic excitement. The category depends on figurative meaning rather than the holiday context.
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CACHE, COOKIES, DATA and HISTORY are all things a browser or website environment may store. “Data” is broad, so it becomes convincing only when the other three browser-specific terms are considered alongside it.
Blue: different words for one complete circuit
A LAP is one trip around a track, a REVOLUTION is one turn around an axis, and a CYCLE or TURN can describe a complete rotation or circuit. Their exact use varies by context, but the shared idea is one full passage around something.
Purple: a phrase-completion category
The last group is not based on a shared definition. Appending BELL produces four established expressions: barbell, dinner bell, Liberty Bell and Tinker Bell. LIBERTY is especially deceptive because it also evokes July 4, while TINKER may look unrelated until the phrase is completed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical solving path
- Separate obvious holiday references. FIREWORKS and LIBERTY look like they might form a July 4 group, but do not lock them together without two more words that fit the same precise idea.
- Test the browser cluster. CACHE, COOKIES and HISTORY strongly suggest stored browsing information. DATA supplies the fourth member.
- Check movement words. CYCLE, LAP, REVOLUTION and TURN all support the idea of one complete rotation.
- Reassess the remaining words semantically. ATTRACTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS and SPARKS share a romantic, figurative sense.
- Use phrase completion to verify the last set. BAR, DINNER, LIBERTY and TINKER each precede BELL, confirming the purple category.
Connections rewards checking all four words together. A word can fit several loose themes, but a correct group should give one clear category with no leftover mismatch.
Best Value
What made this puzzle difficult
- Literal versus figurative readings: FIREWORKS and SPARKS can be physical phenomena, yet here they signal romantic excitement.
- Broad holiday associations: FIREWORKS and LIBERTY encourage a plausible but incorrect Independence Day grouping.
- Uneven category types: three groups rely mainly on meaning, while the purple group uses a shared phrase ending.
- Broad vocabulary: DATA and TURN have many possible uses, so they become reliable only after the tighter words establish a pattern.
About the July 4 puzzle
This was game #389, released on Thursday, July 4, 2024. It is distinct from Connections puzzles published on July 4 in later years. The official print follow-up is Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay, a collection of more than 100 puzzles.
Quick Recap
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