This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, October 17, 2026 (5 Down). 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
The question mark warns of wordplay. Expect a pun or a second meaning rather than a straight definition.
Answer length: 6 squares
First letter
C _ _ _ _ _
First and last letters
C _ _ _ _ S
Show the answer
About the answer
CRANES as a word: A mechanical lifting machine or device, often used for lifting heavy loads for industrial or construction purposes; Any bird of the family Gruidae, large birds with long legs and a long neck which is extended during flight.
CRANES has been an answer once in the NYT Crossword and Mini puzzles we have on file, which go back to October 23, 2025.
More clues from this puzzle
- Academy figure (1 Down)
- Line of passengers? (2 Down)
- Relocating to a different country, e.g. (3 Down)
- Destination for many a rescue (4 Down)
- Prefix with -trope (6 Down)
- Modern pen, of a sort (7 Down)
- Seafood-based ingredient in Eastern cuisines (8 Down)
- Like someone performing a monologue, maybe (9 Down)
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