This guide covers the New York Times Connections puzzle for Wednesday, July 10, 2024, which was game #395. Hints come first. The full answers are in a separate section further down, so you can stop reading before the spoilers.
Hints for Connections #395 (spoiler-safe)
The puzzle has 16 words. Your job is to sort them into four groups of four. The hints below go from gentle to specific, and each color matches a difficulty level.
- Yellow (easiest): “It could happen”
- Green: “Watch your mouth”
- Blue: “Watery life”
- Purple (trickiest): “Spectacle bits”
If you are stuck, the yellow hint points at a single idea, and the purple hint is a good reason to check whether some words are being used in an unusual sense.
Full solution (spoilers below)
The answers are listed in the table below. Stop here if you want to solve the puzzle first.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
- Two teams race to identify their agents from a 5×5 grid, guided by a spymaster who knows each card’s identity
- Spymasters give one-word clues and a number to link multiple cards, encouraging creative thinking
- Teammates guess words matching the clue while avoiding the other team’s agents, bystanders, and the assassin
- Revealing the assassin ends the game instantly, adding high-stakes tension
- Teams may guess up to the clue number plus one, allowing strategic risks or revisiting old clues
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Future likelihood | CHANCE, FORECAST, OUTLOOK, PROSPECT |
| Green | Back talk | ATTITUDE, CHEEK, LIP, SASS |
| Blue | Fish | BASS, FLUKE, PERCH, PIKE |
| Purple | Components of eyeglasses | BRIDGE, LENS, RIM, TEMPLE |
Why the purple group is hard
BRIDGE, LENS, RIM and TEMPLE are all parts of eyeglasses, but none of them is used in that sense in the rest of the grid. Each one also has an everyday meaning, such as a bridge over water or a rim on a cup, so it is easy to place them with the wrong group. Solve the fish and back-talk groups first. Once those are gone, the four remaining words that look like they belong together usually are the purple set.
The yellow group is a similar trap. CHANCE, FORECAST, OUTLOOK and PROSPECT all describe what might happen next. The word PROSPECT is easy to overlook because it can also mean a potential candidate or a view across land, so it is worth checking the other groups before you commit to it.
Rank #2
- The Password Is…: As seen on The Tonight Show, it’s the beloved classic word association game with a party twist. Get on the same wavelength as your team with single-word clues to crack the Password
- Fast Card Game: On your turn, give a 1-word clue to your team to get them to guess the hidden word on the decoder – anything goes, except the Password. Keep playing until all 4 words are uncovered
- Party Game: With 25 subject cards for regular gameplay, plus the bonus Lightning Round, play the Late Night viral game & make unforgettable memories at the next family game night or adult game night
- Funny Random Stuff For Adult Games Night: Throw the best party ever with more party games for adults & families: Decodables, Tell Me Without Telling Me, Would You Rather?, Dumb Ways to Die & more
- Spin Master Games & Toys: Looking for kids games, yard games & card games for adults, kids or teens? Find family favorite puzzles & games for family game night, travel games, kids puzzles & more
How Connections works and when the puzzle appears
According to The New York Times Help Center, Connections is a word game in which each puzzle has exactly one solution. Some words may fit more than one category, which is why a wrong guess is often a near miss rather than a random one. Players can see the difficulty levels by color, with yellow the easiest and purple the trickiest.
The Help Center says the daily puzzle is released at midnight in your own time zone. That means a player in another time zone may see a different date for the same release. If you are looking for the July 10, 2024 puzzle specifically, check the date on the puzzle board rather than relying on the time of day.
Rank #3
- The game where _______ minds think alike!
- Prepare yourself for Blank Slate, a game of addicting predictions! How well can you put your finger on what everyone's thinking?
- Pick a Word Cue card, write the word you think best completes the phrase, and try to match it to anther player's word without giving a single hint
- Easy to learn, quick to play, and fun for the whole family; just grab a slate, write a word, and get ready to make a match. Great for large groups or small gatherings!
- Includes: Scoreboard, 8 dry-erase slates, 250 doubled-sided word cue cards, rules
Where to play and what it costs
The Help Center lists the Games app, the Connections page on NYTimes.com, NYTimes.com and The Athletic, and the NYT News app as places to play. As of October 2026, the Help Center says Connections is free to play without registration. It recommends creating an account so your progress carries across devices.
Archive access is a subscriber feature. The Help Center says archived puzzles go back to June 12, 2023. Because access rules can change, check the current Help Center page before you rely on archive access to reach an older puzzle such as #395.
Rank #4
- Viral on TikTok: Inspired by the popular TikTok trend, ChainLink is the ultimate battle of quick thinking and word association, where players race to connect words before their minds go blank.
- Whether you're linking "Coffee" to "Date" or "Dog" to "Bite," the challenge gets trickier with each turn and the pressure is on to keep up!
- Race to Complete the Chain: Players take turns guessing the missing links in the word chain. Grab your friends and your family and begin your race to the bottom, ChainLink is ideal for anyone who loves word games, fast paced games, and board games.
- WHAT'S IN THE BOX: 450 Cards With 900 Unique Words, Rulebook
- Why You'll Love It: Easy to play, fast paced party game, great for big groups and family game nights
Sources for this puzzle
The answers above are consistent across two guides published on July 9, 2024: TechRadar, by Marc McLaren, and Forbes, by Kris Holt. Both list the same word set and the same four category names. Game rules and access details come from The New York Times Help Center.
The NYT does not publish a difficulty rating or solve rate for individual daily puzzles in the sources reviewed here, so no statistic is given for how many players solved #395.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- GAME OF THE YEAR: Voted Dice Tower’s Party Game of the Year for 2023 - The Same Game is one of the best family board games for parties, group play, and unforgettable game night fun!
- THINK ALIKE TO WIN: Strengthen teamwork and quick thinking as you work to uncover common connections and the one thing that doesn’t belong - a perfect gift for fans of cooperative board games!
- HOURS OF REPLAY VALUE: Enjoy hundreds of word clues and reusable dry-erase boards, making this a popular choice for family game night and endless fun for all!
- FUN FOR ALL AGES: As one of the top party board games for adults, teens and kids, this creative guessing game sparks laughter, teamwork, and surprising “aha!” moments no matter the age or skill level!
- CONVERSATION SPARKING GAMEPLAY: Discover how your friends and family think with hundreds of word clues that lead to funny and unexpected answers every round in this fan favorite for party games!
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
