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The puzzle asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. For #872, the easiest connection is a set of affectionate nicknames, while the hardest groups involve bird collective nouns and famous people whose first names are U.S. cities.
Hints for Connections #872
Here are the four category clues, arranged approximately from easiest to hardest:
- Yellow: Nicknames or phrases used to express affection.
- Green: Labels commonly found in a bookstore’s fiction section.
- Blue: Words for groups of birds.
- Purple: People whose first names are also U.S. city names.
Try to identify four words for each clue before continuing. The blue and purple categories are especially easy to miss because their answers can look like ordinary words or surnames rather than members of an obvious group.
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Helpful solving tips
Look for the most familiar relationship first
The affectionate- nickname group is the cleanest entry point. Several words can be used as warm forms of address, but the intended set is made up of common endearments rather than general compliments.
Think like a bookseller
For the fiction category, do not look for words describing the emotional tone of a story. Think of the labels you would see on a bookstore shelf or in a library’s fiction catalog.
Test unusual collective nouns against birds
The bird group is not made up of bird species. Instead, each answer completes a phrase such as “a ___ of crows” or “a ___ of owls.” Some of the words have much more familiar everyday meanings, which is the trap.
Supply first names for the purple group
The purple answers are not connected by their surnames alone. Imagine adding the first name of a well-known person to each tile. Those first names are also names of U.S. cities.
Answers for Connections #872
Spoiler section: The complete grid and explanations appear below.
Yellow: TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
ANGEL, LOVE, PUMPKIN, SUGAR
Each word can be used as an affectionate form of address. Someone might be called “angel,” “love,” “pumpkin,” or “sugar.” This is the most straightforward group in the puzzle.
Green: FICTION GENRES
FANTASY, HORROR, MYSTERY, ROMANCE
These are standard fiction categories used by bookstores, libraries, publishers, and readers. The category is more specific than simply identifying words associated with stories: all four are recognizable genre labels.
Blue: COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR BIRDS
CHARM, GAGGLE, MURDER, PARLIAMENT
These words form traditional collective-noun expressions for different birds:
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- A gaggle of geese
- A murder of crows
- A parliament of owls
This group is difficult because the four words do not appear related in their ordinary meanings. “Charm” can mean attractiveness, “gaggle” can describe a disorderly group, “murder” is a crime, and “parliament” is a legislative body. Their connection becomes clear only when they are paired with birds.
Purple: PEOPLE WHOSE FIRST NAMES ARE U.S. CITIES
BLOOM, BUTLER, GUTHRIE, LEVY
The tiles are surnames. Add the first names of these well-known people:
- Orlando Bloom — Orlando, Florida
- Austin Butler — Austin, Texas
- Savannah Guthrie — Savannah, Georgia
- Eugene Levy — Eugene, Oregon
The trick is to recognize the famous people and then notice that Orlando, Austin, Savannah, and Eugene are also U.S. city names. This indirect relationship makes purple the most deceptive category.
Why this puzzle was tricky
Connections often includes words that could plausibly fit more than one category. In #872, the strongest misdirection comes from the blue group. The bird collective nouns are grammatically unrelated on the surface, so a solver may spend too long trying to find a shared everyday meaning for them.
The purple group uses a different kind of misdirection. The visible tiles are surnames, but the actual connection appears only after identifying the people and retrieving their first names. That extra step separates this group from a simple category of names or occupations.
A reliable solving approach is to lock in the most certain group first, then remove those words and reconsider the remaining tiles. If four words seem connected in a broad way, check whether the connection is precise enough to be a category label. Connections is looking for the intended relationship, not merely any relationship that can be defended.
More puzzles to try offline
If you enjoy the daily game and want screen-free practice, an official Connections book or another New York Times Games puzzle book can provide additional word puzzles in print. Check the edition’s description before buying: the book should be treated as a separate collection, and there is no claim here that it includes this exact puzzle, #872.
For future daily puzzles, Connections is available through NYT Games on the web and through relevant news or games applications, subject to the New York Times’ current access arrangements. The game also provides features such as result sharing and Connections Bot for reviewing performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer to Connections #872?
The four groups are TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: ANGEL, LOVE, PUMPKIN, SUGAR; FICTION GENRES: FANTASY, HORROR, MYSTERY, ROMANCE; COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR BIRDS: CHARM, GAGGLE, MURDER, PARLIAMENT; and PEOPLE WHOSE FIRST NAMES ARE U.S. CITIES: BLOOM, BUTLER, GUTHRIE, LEVY.
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What date was Connections #872 released?
Connections #872 was the New York Times puzzle for Thursday, October 30, 2025.
Why are BLOOM, BUTLER, GUTHRIE, and LEVY in the same group?
They are surnames of Orlando Bloom, Austin Butler, Savannah Guthrie, and Eugene Levy. Orlando, Austin, Savannah, and Eugene are all names of U.S. cities.
What are the bird collective nouns in Connections #872?
CHARM, GAGGLE, MURDER, and PARLIAMENT: a charm of hummingbirds, a gaggle of geese, a murder of crows, and a parliament of owls.
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Connections #872 is solved with four terms of endearment, four fiction genres, four bird collective nouns, and four surnames that become U.S. city names when paired with the famous people’s first names.
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