This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, October 31, 2026 (24 Across). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Saturday puzzles are the hardest of the week and themeless, so clues are often deliberately misleading.
How to read this clue
"E.g." means the clue gives an example, and the answer names the group it belongs to.
Answer length: 3 squares
First letter
O _ _
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About the answer
ORC as a word: (fantasy, mythology) A mythical evil monstrous humanoid creature, usually quite aggressive and often green; (slang, derogatory) A Russian soldier or gangster.
ORC has been an answer 11 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since November 15, 2025.
Other clues with the same answer
- Middle-earth foe
- Guard at the gates of Mordor
- Tolkien monster
- Monster of Tolkiendom
- Member of a Tolkien army
- Choreograph
- Servant of Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings"
- Video game creature often depicted with green skin
- Fantasy monster whose name is an anagram of another fantasy monster
- Menacing creature in "The Lord of the Rings"
More clues from this puzzle
- Subject of a statue near Liverpool's Cavern Club (20 Across)
- Feel bad (21 Across)
- Look over (22 Across)
- Not good, but not bad either (23 Across)
- Leader with a dacha (25 Across)
- It feels like it might never end (27 Across)
- Reason for penalty shootouts (28 Across)
- Rap group with the 1992 #2 hit "Rump Shaker" (29 Across)
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