Looking for today's Connections answer for puzzle #388 on July 3, which functionally has the same difficulty level as yesterday's answer, the Connections Companion has a difficulty level of 2.8 out of 5 for this puzzle. Yesterday's difficulty was 2.7

We update our Connections clues and hints daily. And if the hints aren't enough, see the four answers below, along with the category name 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 (#387).

There are spoilers for Connections #388. Only those who want to know the answer to today's Connections 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 help you 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 clue: Today's puzzle is trying to trick you with baseball and maybe a toddlerish meltdown. Don't let them. You may be tempted by mind games and sweet desserts.

Now for the answer to today's game #388 Connection.

Drum roll please.

I shouldn't have fallen for the two traps in today's puzzle, but I did.

Maybe baseball was on my mind as I watched the Arizona Diamondbacks just continue to exist in the NL West. But I quickly caught on to curveballs and spitballs. Like Arizona's season this year, it led nowhere (no way they're making it to the World Series again, right?).

Anyway, once I got past that, I saw Brainstorm, Idiate, and Spitball. It took me a little while to see the workshops, but that was the end of the yellow category.

To me, Connections is like a magic eye 3D puzzle. Perhaps I should look at every word, but I like to see what pops into my brain and how I can connect the connections.

I was still playing baseball, so I got the purple category next to curves. Also, I may have just watched "Dodgeball" the other night. So throwing a spanner in the works was on my mind. Then I learned that I could party and throw tantrums. Sure, you can do those things in a figurative sense, but I think you can also do it in a literal sense.

After entering the blue category, I wanted to eat cake. The choices were Birthday, Crumb, Marble, and Pound, but I could have chosen Black Forest Cake. They are all great cakes.

The green category was solid, concrete, material, and, shall we say, authentic.

I'm reading this late in the day. According to Connections Companion, the difficulty level was 2.7 out of 5.

There are several traps in today's puzzle.

Last week, a puzzle featured the same two letter combination of words that make up Connections. Squirrel, Liquid, Quid, and Squid, so today's puzzle seemed to play with that idea, but it was a trap. Fortunately, I avoided it.

Unfortunately, that was my only brainy move today. Today's puzzle was a struggle for me, even though it should have been easier than yesterday's grid.

I got the yellow category first, with stash, store, and stow grabbing quickly. For some reason, I couldn't see the word squirrel. For some reason I was immersed in the liquid all the time until I saw the squirrel.

Then I started with the fixed ones and froze in my mind trying to force the connection that things never change. Embarrassingly, I chose the blue category next because I thought the four words caveat, ergo, quid, and vox didn't fit into anything else. Latin did not enter my brain.

The purple category then suddenly became very easy. Arcade games, blame games, number games, and certainly squid games.

You were right that fixed and frozen go together, but I wonder if you can find a combination of liquid and toxic.

More caffeine or more sleep tomorrow to keep my brain active. With a baby on the way, sleep is not an option. Caffeine.