You’re staring at your phone, the blue cursor is blinking, and the Friday NYT puzzle is taunting you. You have the "A" and the "T" and maybe an "E," and the clue says support line nyt crossword. Your brain immediately goes to "I.T. Support" or maybe a "telephone line." It’s a classic Shortz-era trap.
Most people think the New York Times crossword is a test of general knowledge. It isn’t. Not really. It’s a test of how well you can identify a synonym that has been buried under three layers of linguistic misdirection. When you see a "support line," the puzzle isn't usually asking for a customer service number. It's asking for something structural, something literal, or something so punny it makes you want to throw your iPad across the room.
I’ve been solving these things for over a decade. I’ve seen the word "support" used for everything from a bra strap to a legal brief. Understanding the support line nyt crossword clue requires a shift in how you process the English language. You have to stop thinking like a consumer and start thinking like an architect—or a sailor.
The Most Common Answers for Support Line
If you're stuck right now, let's look at the actual data. Crossword databases like XWord Info and various solver archives show that the NYT uses "support line" or variations of it frequently.
The heavy hitter is almost always STAY.
Wait, stay? Yeah. In nautical terms, a "stay" is a heavy rope or cable used to support a mast. If you see a three or four-letter word for a support line, and it’s a Friday or Saturday, it’s probably STAY. It feels archaic because it is, but the NYT loves its maritime terminology. If it’s not STAY, you’re likely looking at STRUT or BRACE.
A STRUT is a rod or bar forming part of a framework and designed to resist compression. You’ll see this in clues about aviation or bridge building. BRACE, on the other hand, is a more general term for something that steadies or supports a structure.
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Then there is the more literal interpretation. Sometimes the "line" is actually a piece of text. In these cases, the answer might be PROP. Think about a line in a play that supports a character's motivation. Or, if the clue is "Support lines?" plural, the answer could be IVS. Those little tubes in a hospital are literally lines that support life. It’s morbid, sure, but Will Shortz has a dark sense of humor sometimes.
Why the Context of the Day Matters
The difficulty of the NYT crossword scales throughout the week. Monday is a breeze. Saturday is a nightmare.
- Monday/Tuesday: The clue "Support line" is likely to be ROPE or CABLE. It’s direct. There’s no trickery.
- Wednesday/Thursday: Now we get into the puns. "Support line" might be I HELP or SOS. It’s a line of communication.
- Friday/Saturday: This is where you get the technical stuff. GUY, as in a "guy-wire," is a common three-letter answer that drives people crazy. It’s a line used to steady something, like a tent or a radio tower.
If you are stuck on a late-week puzzle, try to think about the "line" as a physical object rather than a metaphorical one. The constructors love to take a phrase we use metaphorically—like a "lifeline"—and turn it back into a literal rope.
The Bra Strap and the Undergarment Clues
We have to talk about it. The NYT crossword has a long-standing tradition of using "support" to refer to women's undergarments. It’s a bit of a running joke in the crossword community.
If the clue is "Support line?" with a question mark, the answer is very often STRAP.
The question mark in a crossword clue is a universal signal for "I’m lying to you." It means there is a pun involved. A "support line" isn't a phone line; it's the strap on a camisole or a bra. Other variations include STAY (again, but referring to a corset stay) or UNDIE. Honestly, once you start looking for the laundry-related answers, these clues become a lot easier to crack.
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Deciphering the Constructor’s Intent
Constructors like Robyn Weintraub or Brendan Emmett Quigley have distinct styles. When they write a clue for a support line nyt crossword, they are looking for a way to hide the "definition" part of the clue.
In a standard crossword clue, you have the definition and the "fluff." In "Support line," the word "support" could be the definition, and "line" could be the indicator. Or vice versa.
- Example 1: If the answer is BACKS, the "support" is the definition, and "line" is just a distractor.
- Example 2: If the answer is REIN, the "line" is the definition (a leather strap), and "support" (as in controlling or supporting a horse) is the flavor.
You have to be flexible. If one angle doesn't work, flip the clue on its head. Is "line" the verb or the noun? Is "support" a person or a thing?
Related Clues You Should Know
Crossword puzzles are recursive. They build on themselves. If you know the "support line" answers, you’re halfway to solving a dozen other common clues.
TENT STAKE: Often clued as "Ground support."
PIER: Frequently clued as "Bridge support."
AIDE: Clued as "Personal support."
PROPS: Clued as "Theatrical support."
When you see these words, start looking for the connections. The NYT puzzle is basically a giant game of "Associations." The more you play, the more your brain starts to automatically link "support" with "stay," "strut," "brace," and "guy."
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What to Do When You’re Totally Blocked
First, look at the crossings. If you have a five-letter word for "support line" and the second letter is "T," it’s probably STRUT. If the fourth letter is "A," it might be STAYS.
If the crossings aren't helping, take a break. There is a documented phenomenon where your brain continues to work on puzzles in the background. You’ll be washing dishes or walking the dog, and suddenly, "GUY WIRE" will pop into your head.
Also, don't be afraid to use a "check" tool if you're playing digitally. There's no shame in it. We all have those days where the constructor's brain and our brain are just on different planets. Sometimes the answer is something obscure like LANYARD or TETHER, and you just weren't going to get there without a hint.
The Role of "Guy" in Crosswords
I mentioned it briefly, but GUY is a word that appears constantly in the NYT crossword. It’s one of those "crosswordese" words that you rarely use in real life but is essential for puzzling.
A "guy" or "guy-rope" is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing structure. Because it’s a three-letter word with a "Y," it’s a godsend for constructors trying to fill a tight corner. If you see "Support line" and you need three letters, "GUY" should be your first guess.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Solve
To get better at identifying the support line nyt crossword answer, you need a strategy. Don't just guess randomly. Follow these steps:
- Check the letter count immediately. Three letters? Try GUY. Four letters? Try STAY. Five letters? Try STRUT.
- Look for the question mark. If it's there, think about bras, corsets, or puns involving "lines" (like actors' lines).
- Identify the theme. If the puzzle has a nautical theme, it's STAY or TETHER. If it's a construction theme, it's BRACE or STRUT.
- Analyze the "Line" part. Is the line a rope, a sentence, a phone connection, or a row of people? (If it's a row of people, the answer might be QUEUE).
- Use the "S" test. Many support clues are plural. If it's "Support lines," the answer almost certainly ends in "S," which can help you solve the vertical clues intersecting it.
Crosswords are about patterns. The "support line" is just one thread in a much larger tapestry. Once you stop looking for a literal phone line and start looking for the architectural and nautical hidden meanings, you'll find your solve times dropping significantly. Just remember: the constructor is always trying to lead you down the wrong path. Your job is to stay on the "line" that actually supports the grid.