This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Sunday, January 11, 2026 (21 Across). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Sunday puzzles are large (21 by 21) and themed, about as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday.
Answer length: 4 squares
First letter
O _ _ _
First and last letters
O _ _ E
Show the answer
About the answer
OBOE as a word: (music) A soprano and melody wind instrument in the modern orchestra and wind ensemble. It is a smaller instrument and generally made of grenadilla wood. It ...; (World War II era, joint US/RAF) radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter O.
OBOE has been an answer 13 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since December 7, 2025.
Other clues with the same answer
- Instrument to which an orchestra tunes
- Instrument also called the "sprightly companion"
- Light wind?
- Instrument usually pitched in C
- Thin woodwind
- Orchestral woodwind
- Musical instrument whose second syllable sounds like a part of other musical instruments
- Yamaha product
- Orchestra-tuning instrument
- The duck in "Peter and the Wolf"
- Most common instrument in New York Times crosswords, with over 800 appearances
More clues from this puzzle
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- "Sign me up!" (15 Across)
- Bygone carrier that had a fleet of "Clippers" (16 Across)
- Really like (19 Across)
- Article of sports equipment that typically has two rubber sheets of different colors (22 Across)
- Delivery option (24 Across)
- Sound from a ragdoll (25 Across)
- Division signs, more formally (26 Across)
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