You know that feeling when you're staring at a grid and the clue for 1-Across just isn't clicking? It’s frustrating. Sunday crosswords are notoriously tricky, especially the ones Stan Newman edits for Newsday. They have this specific "Stumpers" vibe even when they aren't technically the Saturday Stumper. Today’s puzzle is no exception. It’s got that mix of trivia, wordplay, and those annoying "Wait, is that really how you spell that?" moments.
Honestly, sometimes you just need a nudge. Or a full list of answers. I get it.
The Sunday Newsday crossword usually runs a bit larger than your weekday 15x15 grid. It requires a bit more stamina. If you're working through the January 18, 2026 edition, you've likely encountered some clever misdirection regarding current events from the past year or some deep-cut literary references. Let's break down the grid and look at the tricky spots that are probably slowing you down.
The Big Themes and Tricky Clues
Every Sunday puzzle has a heartbeat—a theme that ties the longest answers together. Today's theme relies on phonetic shifts. If you've been looking at the long across entries and thinking they look like gibberish, try reading them out loud.
The centerpiece today is SENSE OF HUMOR, but played as "Cents of Humor." Every themed answer replaces a "S" sound with a "C" related to money. It’s a classic Newman-style pun. For example, the clue "Comedian's change?" leads to JOKER QUARTERS. It’s goofy, sure, but once you see one, the rest start falling into place like dominoes.
Let's talk about the Northwest corner. That's usually where people get stuck first. 1-Across is "Coastal bird," and while you might want to put "GULL," the five-letter requirement actually points to ERNET. It's an older term, one of those "crosswordese" words that puzzle constructors love because of the high vowel count. If you had "EGRET," you were close, but the crossing down clues wouldn't have worked with that "G."
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Newsday Crossword Answers for January 18, 2026
If you're just looking for the raw data to fill your squares, here is the breakdown of the toughest sections.
Across Hints and Solutions
The middle section of the grid is anchored by RESONATED, clued as "Struck a chord." It’s a straightforward definition but the placement makes it a vital bridge for the vertical entries. Right below it, you'll find ALIBI for "Excuse." Simple? Yes. But when it's crossed with IBIZA (the Spanish island), that "Z" can be a real pain if you aren't familiar with Mediterranean geography.
Other notable across answers include:
- NOMAD for "Wanderer."
- OSCAR for "Isaac of 'Dune'." This is a great example of a modern trivia clue. Oscar Isaac has been a staple of cinema for years, but "Dune" remains the go-to reference for constructors.
- ETUI for "Needle case." This is peak crossword vocabulary. You will almost never hear this word in a coffee shop, but you'll see it three times a month in a Newsday puzzle.
- PAGODA for "Tiered temple."
Down Hints and Solutions
The down clues today are where the real difficulty lies. "Space between mountains" at 4-Down is VALE. Short, sweet, but easily confused with "GAP" or "PASS."
One that caught me off guard was MIAOW. The clue was "Feline sound." Most of us spell it "MEOW," but Newsday often opts for the British or more archaic spellings to fit the letter count. If your "E" isn't working, try an "I."
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Further down the list:
- SKOSH for "A little bit." This comes from the Japanese word "sukoshi."
- TESSA for "Thompson of 'Thor: Love and Thunder'."
- ELATE for "Make very happy."
- SNORE for "Night noise."
Why the Newsday Crossword Feels Different
Stan Newman has been at this a long time. He actually holds a world record for the fastest crossword completion. His philosophy for the Newsday puzzles, especially the Sunday ones, is "hard but fair." He avoids what he calls "unfair crossings"—that’s when two obscure proper nouns intersect at a letter that could be anything.
If you’re struggling with the Newsday grid, you have to think about the "angle." Newsday clues are often more literal than the New York Times. Where the NYT might use a pun involving a question mark, Newsday might just use a very rare definition of a common word.
Take the word LEAD. In most puzzles, it’s a metal or a verb meaning to guide. In a Newman puzzle, it might be clued as "Starring role" or "Journalistic opening." You have to keep your mind flexible.
Strategies for Finishing the Grid
If you're still staring at empty white squares, stop guessing. Start with the "fill-in-the-blanks." These are objectively the easiest clues in any crossword. For instance, "____ and void" is always NULL. "Bread and ____" is almost always BUTTER. Once you get those "anchors," the harder words like ONYX or AZURE start to reveal themselves because you have the starting or ending letters.
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Another tip: check your suffixes. If a clue is plural ("Birds"), the answer almost certainly ends in "S." If it’s past tense ("Jumped"), look for "ED."
Common Pitfalls in Today's Puzzle
The big trap today was ORONO. It’s a town in Maine that appears in crosswords constantly because it’s all vowels and "R/N." If you see a clue about a "University of Maine city," just ink in ORONO immediately. Don't even think about it.
Also, watch out for ERIE. Whether it's the lake, the canal, or the Pennsylvania city, it’s the constructor's best friend. Today it was clued via the canal.
Wait, did you get stuck on the car brand? TESLA is a common five-letter fill, but today the clue "Electric pioneer" actually referred to the man, NIKOLA. It’s a subtle distinction that changes how you approach that entire southern quadrant of the puzzle.
Making Sense of the Sunday Solve
Solving crosswords isn't just about knowing facts. It’s about pattern recognition. Your brain starts to see "H-E-R-B" and automatically thinks "OREGANO" or "THYME" before you've even finished reading the clue.
The Newsday puzzle specifically rewards people who have a broad, if somewhat shallow, knowledge of everything. You need to know a little bit about 1940s cinema, a little bit about 2026 tech trends, and a lot about how words are put together.
If you’ve finished the January 18th puzzle using this guide, take a second to look at the completed grid. Notice how the "Cents" theme unified the long answers. It’s a clever bit of construction. Stanley Newman's team manages to keep these fresh even after decades of daily puzzles.
Actionable Next Steps for Crossword Success
- Circle the words you didn't know. Look them up. Not just the definition, but the etymology. Words like ETUI or ADIT (a mine entrance) will show up again.
- Practice "The Stumper." If today felt easy, try the Saturday Newsday Stumper. It’s widely considered the hardest non-cryptic puzzle in the country.
- Use a pencil. Seriously. Sunday puzzles are marathons, and you will make mistakes in the corners.
- Analyze the grid geometry. Notice how the black squares create symmetry. This can often help you realize if you're missing a word in a symmetrical part of the board.
- Scan the clues for "Var." If a clue ends in "(Var.)", it means the answer is a non-standard spelling. This is a huge hint that the "normal" way of spelling the word won't fit.