This is the archived NYT Connections puzzle for Friday, July 12, 2024, game #397—not a later puzzle that also fell on July 12. The grid and hints are below; full category names and answers appear after a spoiler warning.
The 16 words in game #397
Try grouping these words before opening the hints or solutions:
ODD, LIBRARY, CHOCOLATE, SOAP, PIGEON, MOTHER, RED, LAB, BLACK, GREY, GYM, PEACE, GOLDEN, EVEN, SILLY, AUDITORIUM.
Hints, from least to most revealing
- Yellow: Not the classroom, but the…
- Green: Spin the wheel.
- Blue: White bird link.
- Purple: blank water bird.
For a different nudge, the categories point to places found on campus, a game popular in casinos, words with associations to the same word, and words that share a second word.
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How the connections work
| Group | Connection mechanism | What links the words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Place or facility | Each is a school facility. |
| Green | Roulette bet | Each is a roulette wager. |
| Blue | Association with a word | Each is associated with “dove.” |
| Purple | Shared-word completion | Each can precede “goose.” |
This describes how each connection works; it is not a measured ranking of puzzle difficulty. TechRadar’s writer, Marc McLaren, called this puzzle “Moderate,” a personal rating. McLaren also wrote: “I should definitely have got the green ROULETTE BETS group, but instead got hung up on colors.”
Spoiler warning: full category names and answers
The solutions below are confirmed by TechRadar’s July 11, 2024 guide and Parade’s July 12, 2024 guide.
- Yellow — SCHOOL FACILITIES: AUDITORIUM, GYM, LAB, LIBRARY.
- Green — ROULETTE BETS: BLACK, EVEN, ODD, RED.
- Blue — ASSOCIATED WITH “DOVE”: CHOCOLATE, PEACE, PIGEON, SOAP.
- Purple — ___ GOOSE: GOLDEN, GREY, MOTHER, SILLY.
The purple set completes phrases with “goose”; it is a word-completion category, not a set of literal bird types.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A quick note on the game
Connections presents 16 words to sort into four groups of four. The groups are color-coded; yellow is usually easiest, while purple is typically hardest and often relies on wordplay. Four incorrect guesses end the game, according to Forbes’ description. TechRadar’s 2024 guide said the game could be played free on NYT Games on desktop or mobile; access can change, so check the current NYT Games page for availability.
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