{"id":377551,"date":"2026-10-20T02:58:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T02:58:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377551\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T02:58:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T02:58:24","slug":"nyt-crossword-answers-for-oct-20-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377551\/","title":{"rendered":"NYT Crossword Answers for Oct. 20, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

TUESDAY PUZZLE<\/a> \u2014 One regularly finds clues and entries in the New York Times Crossword that promote good manners and a mirthless demeanor: \u201cThat does it!\u201d \u201cBe polite.\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve had it!\u201d These admonitions do not necessarily represent the opinions of their constructors; in fact, they probably don\u2019t. Still, it can have a dampening effect on the levity of the puzzle.<\/p>\n

The constructor David Falkowski has found a joyful loophole in today\u2019s puzzle, which is also his Times Crossword debut. The theme takes the language of \u201cgetting serious\u201d and turns it into a whole new way to joke around.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Theme<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had ample occasion to use this phrase at 38-Across for [\u201cSeriously, though \u2026\u201d] in Wordplay, since I\u2019m usually cracking wise in one column or another. According to its clue, the expression ALL KIDDING ASIDE serves as a [hint to 17-, 25-, 48- and 58-Across]. How so? The \u201caside\u201d refers to the fact that the cited entries have words for kidding around set to the side, at their ends.<\/p>\n

17A\u2019s [Campfire cookout, informally] may be described as a WEENIE ROAST. The [Old-time winter excursion] in 25A is a SLEIGH RIDE. A [Pugilist\u2019s pain point, perhaps] at 48A \u2014 a boxing injury, in lay terms \u2014 would be a BRUISED RIB. And the [Seattle landmark from which Mount Rainier can be seen] at 58A is the SPACE NEEDLE. To roast, ride, rib or needle are various ways to poke fun. Note: I welcome light versions of these in the comments section, so long as they aren\u2019t at someone else\u2019s expense.<\/p>\n

Tricky Clues<\/p>\n

14A\/27A. These clues are similar, in that they are both adjectives that refer to casualness, in a way. But [Laid back] describes a person\u2019s demeanor, while [Loosey-goosey] describes a state of affairs. The first means AT EASE; the second means LAX.<\/p>\n

34A. I may not be [Susceptible to bribery], but I\u2019m easily misled when it comes to words that look or sound alike: I thought VENAL just meant something related to veins \u2014 that would be \u201cvenous\u201d \u2014 and not to mercenary behavior. It makes sense, though, since the term shares its roots<\/a> with \u201cvend.\u201d<\/p>\n

44A. This [Letter-shaped part of a blueprint] refers, presumably, to a shape made by the ELL-like corners of a building layout. \u201cEll\u201d if I know why!<\/p>\n

1D. I grew up dancing to instructional pop songs like the \u201cCha Cha Slide,\u201d so I assumed that [What\u2019s shaken in the order to \u201cShake!\u201d] referred to one\u2019s \u201cbum.\u201d Imagine my shame upon discovering that this clue\u2019s \u201corder\u201d is one given to a dog. The answer is PAW.<\/p>\n

21D. Locations, be they cities, states or countries, are often used to hint at foreign-language entries. [Crafts, in C\u00f3rdoba] are called ARTES, since C\u00f3rdoba is in Spain.<\/p>\n

48D. [Started] looks like a past-tense verb \u2014 \u201cbegan,\u201d then? In fact, this is a sneaky past participle. The answer is BEGUN. You\u2019d have seen your mistake, as I did, by trying to solve the crossing entry for [Exploit], which is USE, not \u201case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Constructor Notes<\/p>\n

Without divulging the number of fist pumps that occurred when I received the good news, let me just say that I am beyond thrilled to be making my New York Times debut! I have enjoyed crosswords for many years and am very happy to give back to the crossword community. A huge \u201cThank you!\u201d to Christina and the puzzle team for the improvements they made to this puzzle and the invaluable feedback they provided on previous submissions. Also, a special thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for their support and willingness to review my puzzles.<\/p>\n

For my fellow data nerds: I submitted this puzzle on Sept. 20, 2025. It was accepted on Dec. 4, and published on Oct. 20, 2026. Of the 76 clues submitted, 36 were unchanged, 25 were slightly changed and 15 were completely changed. Unfortunately, my clue for 17-Across \u2014 [\u201cWhere to find dogs in heat?\u201d] \u2014 was deemed a bit too tough for a Tuesday.<\/p>\n

I hope that you enjoy my puzzle. Happy solving!<\/p>\n

Improve Your Crossword Solving<\/p>\n

Work your way through our guide \u201cHow to Solve the New York Times Crossword<\/a>.\u201d It contains an explanation of most of the types of clues you will see in the puzzles and a practice Mini at the end of each section.<\/p>\n

Need a little more help? Subscribers can take a peek at the answer key<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TUESDAY PUZZLE \u2014 One regularly finds clues and entries in the New York Times Crossword that promote good…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377552,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[44226,41568,9,11,10],"class_list":["post-377551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-crossword-puzzles","tag-games","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}