This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, November 1, 2025 (18 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
The question mark warns of wordplay. Expect a pun or a second meaning rather than a straight definition.
Answer length: 5 squares
First letter
H _ _ _ _
First and last letters
H _ _ _ O
Show the answer
About the answer
HIPPO as a word: (informal, derogatory) An overweight or obese person; (informal, chess) Hippopotamus Defence.
HIPPO has been an answer 3 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since November 1, 2025.
Other clues with the same answer
More clues from this puzzle
- Like some on-the-go purchases (10 Across)
- Gift of Athena to Athenians (15 Across)
- Drilling site (16 Across)
- Controversial Richard Serra sculpture once seen in N.Y.C.'s Foley Square (17 Across)
- "Read Me" readers (19 Across)
- Mandolin accessory (20 Across)
- Malediction (22 Across)
- Salon service, for short (23 Across)
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