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The key distinction in this puzzle is between two duo-based groups: one contains the second-named members of famous real-life duos, while the other contains the first-named members of cartoon duos.
Today’s Connections words
The 16 tiles in Connections #874 are:
- RAVEN
- PINKY
- CHIP
- JET
- INKY
- ROCKY
- FILE
- CLYDE
- HARDY
- SUE
- TELLER
- CHARGE
- INDICT
- ITCHY
- PITCH
- CHER
Connections asks you to divide all 16 words into four groups of four. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is generally the most straightforward, while purple is usually the most difficult. The puzzle also deliberately includes words that appear to fit more than one possible category.
Gentle hints by color
Try these broad clues before looking at the stronger hints or answers:
#1 Best Overall
- Yellow: Things associated with bringing a legal case or proceeding against someone.
- Green: Words associated with the color black.
- Blue: The second-named person in a well-known real-life duo.
- Purple: The first-named character in a famous cartoon duo, specifically a rodent or rodent-like character.
One-word clues
If the category clues are not enough, these words point toward one member of each group:
- Yellow: CHARGE
- Green: INKY
- Blue: CHER
- Purple: CHIP
Connections #874 categories and answers
Yellow: TAKE TO COURT
CHARGE, FILE, INDICT, SUE
These words can describe legal actions or steps involved in bringing a case, accusation, or proceeding against someone. “Charge,” “file,” and “indict” are particularly effective misdirections because each also has common non-legal meanings.
Green: BLACK
INKY, JET, PITCH, RAVEN
Each word can evoke black: something can be inky black, jet black, pitch black, or raven black. PITCH may initially suggest baseball, while RAVEN may suggest the bird, but both are being used here as descriptions of a very dark color.
Blue: SECOND IN A FAMOUS REAL-LIFE DUO
CHER, CLYDE, HARDY, TELLER
These are the second names in four well-known pairings:
- Sonny and Cher
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Laurel and Hardy
- Penn and Teller
The important detail is the order of the names. The category is not simply “famous people” or “people in duos”; each answer is the second-named member of a recognizable real-life pairing.
Purple: RODENTS WHO ARE FIRST IN A CARTOON DUO
CHIP, ITCHY, PINKY, ROCKY
Each answer is the first-named member of a cartoon pairing:
- Chip ’n’ Dale
- Itchy & Scratchy
- Pinky and the Brain
- Rocky and Bullwinkle
This is the puzzle’s most specific category. It requires noticing both that the characters are rodents or rodent-like and that the tile is the first name in the duo.
Why this puzzle is tricky
The two duo categories mirror each other
The blue and purple groups are designed to compete for your attention. Both contain names associated with famous pairs, but they use opposite rules:
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- Purple: the first-named character in a cartoon duo.
Recognizing CLYDE, HARDY, CHER, or TELLER as part of a famous pairing is not sufficient; they belong together because they are the second names. Likewise, CHIP, ITCHY, PINKY, and ROCKY are the first names in their cartoon pairings.
INKY, PINKY, and CLYDE create extra misdirection
INKY and PINKY rhyme and can both bring Pac-Man imagery to mind. CLYDE is also a Pac-Man ghost name. That shared association does not form a group here: INKY belongs with the words describing black, while CLYDE belongs with the second names of real-life duos. PINKY goes in the cartoon-rodent group.
PITCH and RAVEN have tempting alternate meanings
PITCH can point toward baseball, and RAVEN can point toward an animal. In this board, their useful connection is the color phrase “pitch black” and “raven black.” Looking for a phrase that naturally takes “black” after or before it helps reveal the green group.
Want more puzzles?
For readers who enjoy Connections and want a screen-free collection of related games, Disclosure: this section may contain an affiliate link. The New York Times Games puzzle book The New York Times Games: Puzzle Mania! is described as a 224-page hardcover collection featuring games including Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis, crosswords, and trivia. It is a broader NYT Games collection—not a confirmed print edition of this specific puzzle, #874.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer to NYT Connections #874?
The four groups are TAKE TO COURT — CHARGE, FILE, INDICT, SUE; BLACK — INKY, JET, PITCH, RAVEN; SECOND IN A FAMOUS REAL-LIFE DUO — CHER, CLYDE, HARDY, TELLER; and RODENTS WHO ARE FIRST IN A CARTOON DUO — CHIP, ITCHY, PINKY, ROCKY.
Best Value
When was Connections #874 published?
NYT Connections #874 was published for Saturday, November 1, 2025.
Why are CHER, CLYDE, HARDY, and TELLER together?
They are the second-named members of famous real-life duos: Sonny and Cher, Bonnie and Clyde, Laurel and Hardy, and Penn and Teller.
Why does PINKY belong with CHIP, ITCHY, and ROCKY?
They are the first-named members of cartoon duos involving rodents or rodent-like characters: Chip ’n’ Dale, Itchy & Scratchy, Pinky and the Brain, and Rocky and Bullwinkle.
The Bottom Line
Final grid: CHARGE, FILE, INDICT, SUE = TAKE TO COURT; INKY, JET, PITCH, RAVEN = BLACK; CHER, CLYDE, HARDY, TELLER = second in a famous real-life duo; and CHIP, ITCHY, PINKY, ROCKY = rodents who are first in a cartoon duo.
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