Looking for the answer to today's Connections puzzle, #382, from June 27, the difficulty level for this puzzle from Connections Companion was 2.2 out of 5, down from yesterday's solution.

We update our Connections clues and hints daily. And if the hints aren't enough, you can see all four solutions along with the category title and related words. In addition, for those of you reading this in a different time zone, I have included a reflection on yesterday's puzzle, #381.

There are spoilers for connection #382. Only those who want to know the answer to today's connection should read on.

Alternatively, see our NYT Connections How to Play Guide for tips on how to solve the puzzle without our help.

While today's wordle solution guide recommends the best wordle starting words as a strategy, the Connections solution depends on identifying the categories that are connected from the 16 words. The difficulty of each category is represented by a color, with yellow being the easiest grouping and purple the most difficult. Hints are helpful as the answer is displayed after four wrong guesses.

If you need a hint to solve the groupings, here are each theme in order of difficulty:

If you read these hints, you should at least find the answer to today's connection. If not, please continue reading for larger hints. Also, if you only want the answer, scroll down further.

Here's a bigger hint: Today's puzzle starts out a bit romantic, gets partisan, and then settles into either old age or San Francisco history. Take your pick.

Now for the answer to today's game #382, Connections.

Drum roll, please.

When I started today's puzzle, I thought Connections was in a romantic mood because I solved the first two categories right away. In fact, I solved the green category, always, kisses, love, and yours first.

Maybe I wrote too many emails, but I quickly erased the letter signatures. I'll be honest, because I overthink how I sign off on any email or letter. I am not saying love or kisses to my colleagues.

Following the bellicose mood, the yellow Pursuit category was easily connected with chase, hunt, quest, and search. Nevertheless, romance may not be the right word when one immediately recalls Pepe le Pew, the most problematic of the Looney Tunes.

You would not believe how long I took from the last eight words. In my mind, the connection was "right." Right-wing, right-side, right-wing. I knew those were right, but I couldn't find another "right" word. I understood the connection of group within a group, but I couldn't find it. I guessed at camp. Perhaps subconsciously I knew the answer.

Purple was perfunctory, but once I saw it, it made sense. Indeed, I was trying to make a musical connection with Rush and Bond; Leaf and Mine were a fun way to close out.

I'm reading this late in the day. According to the Connection Companion, the difficulty level was 3.3 out of 5.

I am from a Navy town (Yale to 757), so the yellow category of today's puzzle should have been easy. However, something must have short-circuited in my brain when I saw the word "private" alongside "public" and "audience." It took me hours to find the fourth answer after "general," "captain," and "major.

Purple was a surprisingly easy decision, as "pop-up" was the crucial clue. As I began to think about advertising, "attack" seemed obvious, and "personal" and "want" followed nicely.

Green really confused me. At first I thought it was related to tools like "jack" and "socket." "But it finally hit me when I realized that "outlet" or "port" has nothing to do with "audience" or "market": this has to do with plugs. It is not a person.

That leaves only blue. Since I had already connected the aforementioned "audience" and "market," the only things left were "appetite" and "demand," and it became clear that the advertising theme of today's puzzle was deeper than I had expected.