This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 (51 Down). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Tuesday puzzles are a step up from Monday but still mostly straightforward.
How to read this clue
This is a fill-in-the-blank clue: the answer completes the phrase, title or quotation.
A clue in quotation marks is something a person might say. Look for another way of saying it, or the reply it suggests.
Answer length: 5 squares
First letter
C _ _ _ _
First and last letters
C _ _ _ D
Show the answer
About the answer
COULD as a word: conditional of can; Used to politely ask for permission to do something.
COULD 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
- Vice-presidential candidate of 2024 (43 Down)
- Pet sitters? (44 Down)
- Spills (over) (48 Down)
- Ambitious and high-energy, say (50 Down)
- Many men on dating shows (52 Down)
- What a surfer might ride (53 Down)
- Broadway's "Dear ___ Hansen" (54 Down)
- Reaction to a hilarious text (55 Down)
Play today's NYT Crossword at The New York Times
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