You’re staring at your phone, the New York Times Crossword app is open, and you’ve got five letters to fill. The clue says: past issues to settle nyt. You think about old magazines. You think about ex-boyfriends. You think about that one time in 2012 when you didn't get your security deposit back. But none of that fits.
Crosswords are weird. They don't play by the rules of normal conversation.
If you came here looking for the answer to the specific crossword clue often associated with this phrase, the answer is almost certainly FEUDS. Or maybe DEBTS. But usually, it’s those long-standing, simmering animosities that Will Shortz—or now Joel Fagliano—loves to bake into the grid.
Why "Past Issues to Settle" Is Such a Classic NYT Trap
Language is slippery. When a normal human says "past issues," they’re usually talking about a stack of National Geographic magazines in a dusty attic. Or maybe they’re talking about trauma. But in the world of the NYT Crossword, "issues" is a chameleon word.
It’s a contronym, or at least a high-functioning polysemy.
If you’re "settling" an issue, you’re either paying money or ending a fight. This is the "Aha!" moment solvers live for. It’s that tiny hit of dopamine when the brain switches from the literal (magazines) to the figurative (grudges).
The "Aha" Moment vs. The "Oh No" Moment
Sometimes the clue is just mean. Take a look at how "past issues" has been used over the last few years in the Gray Lady’s puzzle.
In a Monday puzzle, the clue might be "Past issues to settle" and the answer is DEBTS. Simple. Direct. You’re done in three seconds. But move that same clue to a Saturday? Now you're in trouble. Suddenly, the answer isn't a noun. It might be part of a larger pun or a weirdly specific plural like VENDETTAS.
I’ve seen people spend twenty minutes on a single corner of the grid because they were convinced "issues" referred to children (offspring being "issues" of a marriage). It's a valid definition! It just happens to be wrong for the puzzle 90% of the time.
Decoding the NYT Editorial Style
The NYT Crossword isn't just a test of vocabulary. It’s a test of how well you know the editors. Joel Fagliano, who has been steering the ship more lately, tends to favor contemporary references, but he still loves the classic misdirections.
When you see "to settle" in a clue, your brain should immediately split into two paths:
- Financial: Paying back what is owed.
- Social: Ending a conflict.
If the word count is five, think FEUDS.
If the word count is five and the second letter is 'E', think DEBTS.
It’s basically a game of elimination. You aren't just solving a puzzle; you're profiling the person who wrote it.
Honestly, the "past issues" clue is a staple because it’s short, punchy, and fits into those tight corners of the grid where you have a lot of vowels and need a sturdy consonant-heavy answer to anchor the section.
The Evolution of the Clue
Back in the 70s and 80s, clues were more literal. They were definitions. If the clue was "Past issues," the answer was almost always AGO.
Today? Not a chance.
We live in the era of the "question mark clue." If you see "Past issues to settle?" with that little hook at the end, you know you’re about to be lied to. The question mark is the editor’s way of saying, "I’m being a bit of a jerk here, and you’re going to love it." In that case, the answer might be something completely out of left field, like OLDCOPIES (referring back to those magazines) or even something meta like ERRATA.
The Psychology of the Stuck Solver
Why do we get so hung up on this?
There’s a concept in cognitive psychology called "functional fixedness." It’s a mental block where you can only see an object—or a word—functioning in one specific way. If you decide "issues" means "problems," your brain will literally hide the "magazine" or "children" definitions from you.
You have to force a mental reset.
I usually walk away. I’ll go make a sandwich or complain to my cat. When I come back, the word FEUDS is suddenly screaming at me from the white squares.
It was always there. I just couldn't see it because I was too busy thinking about my unpaid electric bill.
Crossword Variants to Watch Out For
Sometimes the NYT isn't looking for a synonym. Sometimes it’s looking for a category.
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- OLDNEWS: If the "past issues" aren't worth settling because they don't matter anymore.
- SCORES: As in "settling a score." This one pops up a lot in mid-week puzzles.
- BEEFS: A more modern, slangy take that has been appearing more frequently since the 2010s.
If you’re playing the "Connections" game—the other NYT viral hit—the "issues" trap is even more dangerous. They’ll put "Edition," "Copy," "Problem," and "Offspring" all in the same grid just to watch you sweat.
Pro Tips for Getting Unstuck
Stop guessing.
If you aren't 100% sure about a word, don't write it in. One wrong letter in a Friday puzzle can cascade into a disaster that ruins the entire South-East quadrant.
Instead, look at the "crosses." If you think the answer is FEUDS, check the down clues for the 'F' and the 'U'. If those letters start forming real words—like FLOUR or UNDER—you’re on the right track. If they start looking like a cat walked across your keyboard (like 'FXRTZ'), delete it. Immediately.
Also, pay attention to the day of the week.
- Monday/Tuesday: The answer is literal.
- Wednesday: There’s probably a slight pun.
- Thursday: There’s a gimmick (a rebus or a trick).
- Friday/Saturday: The clue is designed to make you feel like you’ve forgotten the English language.
- Sunday: It’s just long.
Real Talk: Is it Cheating to Look it Up?
Kinda. But also, no.
We all do it. If you’re stuck on past issues to settle nyt for forty minutes, you aren't learning anything anymore. You’re just vibrating with frustration. Looking up the answer—or a hint—can teach you a new way of thinking about a word.
Next time you see "issues," you won't get fooled. You'll have that "Aha" moment faster. That's how you get better. You build a library of these weird little linguistic traps in your head.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
- Check the tense. If the clue is "settled," the answer must end in -ED (usually). If it’s "issues," the answer is likely plural. Match your suffixes.
- Say the clue out loud. Sometimes hearing the words helps break the "functional fixedness" we talked about earlier.
- Look for the 'S'. If the clue is plural ("issues"), go ahead and put an 'S' in the final square. It’s correct about 95% of the time in NYT puzzles, though they do occasionally throw a curveball with words like MEN or DATA.
- Use the "Check" feature sparingly. If you're on the app, use "Check Square" instead of "Reveal Word." It keeps the challenge alive while pointing out where you went off the rails.
- Study the "Shortz Era" trends. Browsing sites like XWord Info can show you how often specific clues are reused. "Past issues to settle" has appeared in various forms dozens of times. Learning the "repeaters" is the secret to finishing a Saturday puzzle in under twenty minutes.
Crosswords are a conversation between you and the editor. Sometimes that conversation is a friendly chat, and sometimes it's a heated argument. But once you settle those past issues, the feeling of a completed grid is worth the headache.