This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, January 3, 2026 (31 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: 3 squares
First letter
A _ _
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About the answer
ACE as a word: (card games) A playing card showing a single pip, typically the highest or lowest ranking card in a game; (tennis, volleyball) A serve won without the opponent hitting the ball.
ACE has been an answer 21 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since October 24, 2025.
Other clues with the same answer
More clues from this puzzle
- "On top of that …" (26 Across)
- European capital that names some animals if you interchange its last two letters (28 Across)
- Part of many a financial portfolio (29 Across)
- Spot (30 Across)
- Add pizazz to (32 Across)
- Poke option (35 Across)
- Prefix with sphere (36 Across)
- Place to make offers (38 Across)
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