Looking for the answer to today's Connections puzzle, the Connections answer to puzzle #387 for July 2 is more accelerated than yesterday's answer. The Connections companion rated this puzzle 2.7 out of 5 for difficulty.

We update our Connections hints and tips daily. And if the hints aren't enough, you can see all four answers along with the category title and related words. In addition, for those of you reading this in a different time zone, I've included a reflection on yesterday's puzzle, #386.

There are spoilers for Connections #387. 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 tricky, but it's all about the adjectives. If you struggle with this puzzle. Don't worry.

Now, the answer to today's game #387 Connection.

Drum roll please.

There are a few traps in today's puzzle.

Last week, we had a puzzle where the same two letter combination of words made up the connection. Squirrel, Liquid, Quid, and Squid, so today's puzzle seemed to play with that idea, but it was a trap. Fortunately, I was able to avoid it.

Unfortunately, that was my only smart move today. It should have been easier than yesterday's puzzle, but today it was a struggle.

I got the yellow category first, and stash, store, and stow were quickly picked off. For some reason, I didn't see the word squirrel. For some reason I sat on liquid for a long time until I saw the squirrel.

Then I started from a fixed place and froze, trying to force a connection in my mind that things would stay the same. Embarrassingly, the only reason I chose the blue category next was 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.

I was right that fixed and frozen fit together, but I wasn't sure if I could find a combination of liquid and toxic.

More caffeine or more sleep tomorrow for mental stimulation. With a baby on the way, sleep is not an option. Caffeine.

I'm reading this late in the day. According to Connections Companion, the difficulty level was 3.2 out of 5.

With the 4th of July right around the corner, I figured there would be at least one US-themed category this week. And I was right. But the folks at Connections went a step further and prepared a category about our neighbor to the north.

To solve the purple category, I had to dig deep into my brain what I had learned in high school geography class. I was not able to immediately think of Nova Scotia because where I come from, Nova is a common acronym for Northern Virginia. But once I realized that Northwest did not refer to the Pacific Northwest, it all came together.

The other categories were fairly easy: Usher and Direct seemed related, and once I started picking up the thread, the words Lead and Guide also fit.

Similarly, Con and Racket stood out as obvious, and Sting and Hustle were not far behind.

The blue category was the only one that confused me. At first I could not figure out whether the seal referred to an animal or an emblem. The pyramid and the eagle could be connected as symbols of different countries, but with Washington also on the board, it definitely seemed to be related to the United States.