You’re staring at a grid. It’s a Tuesday or maybe a particularly nasty Thursday NYT puzzle, and you’ve got five empty boxes staring back at you for staying power. Your brain immediately jumps to "stamina." Or maybe "endurance." But wait—those don't fit the crossing clues. You’ve got a "G" from a down clue and suddenly, the mental gears start grinding.
Crosswords are weird. They don't just ask for synonyms; they ask for the vibe of a word. When a constructor writes "staying power," they aren't always looking for the scientific definition of aerobic capacity. They might be looking for a metaphor. They might be looking for a pun. Honestly, sometimes they’re just looking for a word that uses a lot of vowels to help them fill a difficult corner of the board.
The Most Common Answers for Staying Power
If you’re stuck right now, let’s get the most likely candidates out of the way. In the world of the New York Times, LA Times, and Wall Street Journal puzzles, staying power usually boils down to a few specific words.
LEGS is the big one. This is the king of four-letter answers. If you see a short clue for staying power, 90% of the time, it’s LEGS. Think about it in the context of a hit movie or a broadway show. "That show has legs." It means it’s going to last. It’s got longevity. It’s a favorite for constructors because it’s short, punchy, and uses common letters.
Then you have STAMINA. This is the literalist’s answer. If the clue is straightforward and you need seven letters, this is your best bet. It’s less "clever" and more "dictionary definition," which usually points toward an early-week puzzle like a Monday or Tuesday.
But what if it's six letters? TENURE sometimes pops up, though it's a bit of a stretch depending on the phrasing. More likely, you're looking at METTLE or even SINEW, though those lean more toward "strength" than "duration."
Why Context Is Everything in Crosswords
Crossword construction isn't just about finding synonyms. It’s about the "New York Times Style," which was revolutionized by Margaret Farrar and later refined by Will Shortz. Under the Shortz era, clues became much more playful.
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If the clue has a question mark at the end—Staying power?—you are officially in pun territory. That little piece of punctuation is a warning. It means the answer isn't "endurance." It might be something like ADOBE (because it's a "staying" place, as in a home) or even STARCH (because it helps clothes "stay" in place).
I’ve seen puzzles where "staying power" referred to TENACITY. That’s an eight-letter beast. It’s a great word, but it’s harder to fit into a grid unless the constructor is building around a long-form theme. You have to look at the surrounding clues. If the crossing word is "EGO" or "ERA," that "E" in the second or third position is going to tell you everything you need to know.
The Architecture of the Clue
Let's get into the weeds for a second. Crossword solvers usually fall into two camps: the "naturals" who just see the words and the "logicians" who break down the clue structure.
A clue like "staying power" is technically a noun phrase. In the rigid rules of crossword construction, the answer must be the same part of speech.
- Noun: Staying power (The ability to last)
- Answer: Legs (The quality of lasting)
You won't see an adjective like "Durable" as the answer for "staying power" because the grammar doesn't match. You can't replace "He has staying power" with "He has durable." You can replace it with "He has legs" (in a metaphorical sense). This is a tiny rule, but it helps you eliminate half the words in your head immediately.
When the Clue Gets Creative
Sometimes the constructor is feeling particularly devious. They might use a clue like "Bit of staying power?" The "bit of" implies we are looking for a singular unit or a slang term.
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- GRIT: Four letters. It’s about the mental side of staying power.
- GUMPTION: A bit long, but it fits that old-school vibe solvers love.
- VIM: More about energy, but often paired with staying power in older puzzles.
I remember one puzzle where the answer was IRON. As in, a "staying" power related to the "Iron Horse" or someone with an "iron" constitution. It’s frustrating when you’re looking for a long word and the answer is just a common metal. That’s the beauty—and the absolute headache—of the game.
Real Examples from Major Puzzles
Looking back at the archives (and yes, people actually archive these things, which is a lifesaver), the staying power crossword clue has appeared hundreds of times.
In a 2022 New York Times puzzle, the answer was STAYINGPOWER itself as part of a themed entry, but that’s rare. Usually, it’s a tool for the constructor to link harder sections of the grid.
- USA Today Crossword: They tend to be more literal. You'll see ENDURANCE or STAMINA here.
- The New Yorker: These are "vibe" puzzles. They want the clever answer. They want LEGS.
- The Wall Street Journal: They love business metaphors. You might see something related to EQUITY or ASSETS if the clue is framed around a company's staying power.
There’s a specific kind of satisfaction when you realize the answer isn't a word you’d ever use in conversation but makes perfect sense in the context of a 15x15 grid. Crosswords are a closed ecosystem. They have their own language. We call it "Crosswordese."
LEGS is 100% Crosswordese. Nobody walks into a gym and says, "I'm working on my legs" to mean they want to increase their cardiovascular duration. They mean they're doing squats. But in the world of the Sunday puzzle, those two things are identical.
How to Solve These Faster
Stop trying to find the perfect word. Start looking for the letters.
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If you have _ E _ S, it’s LEGS.
If you have S _ _ _ _ N A, it’s STAMINA.
If you have _ _ T _ _ E, it might be METTLE.
Don't overthink the definition. Crossword constructors are limited by the grid. They often pick the word "LEGS" because it has two very common consonants (L, G) and two incredibly common vowels (E, S). It’s "filler" gold. When you see a clue like "staying power," don't think about what a philosopher would say. Think about what a guy trying to fit "XENON" and "QUIZZICAL" into the same corner would need. He needs those E's and S's.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Puzzle
The next time you run into this clue, follow this mental checklist:
- Count the boxes first. It sounds obvious, but four boxes almost always mean LEGS. Seven boxes almost always mean STAMINA.
- Check the punctuation. If there’s a question mark, throw the dictionary out the window. Look for puns. Is it a "staying" power like a HOTEL? Is it LODGING?
- Look at the "Down" clues. If you can get the first letter, you've solved 50% of the problem. If that first letter is an 'L', just fill in 'EGS' and move on. Don't waste time.
- Keep a mental list of "Crosswordese." Words like STET, ERIE, ALOE, and LEGS are the bread and butter of puzzles. They aren't there because they're great words; they're there because they make the rest of the puzzle possible.
Crosswords are a battle of wits between you and the constructor. "Staying power" is a classic weapon in their arsenal. It’s vague enough to be difficult but specific enough that, once you see the answer, you can’t believe you missed it. Use the crossings, trust the common patterns, and don't be afraid to ink in LEGS the moment you see that four-box gap. It’s usually right.
Next Steps:
If you're still stuck on a specific grid, look for the shortest words surrounding the clue first. Smaller words like three-letter abbreviations or four-letter "filler" words provide the necessary anchors to reveal the vowels in "staying power," which will immediately distinguish between "stamina" and "tenacity." Keep a notebook of recurring clues; "staying power" is a frequent flyer that will undoubtedly appear in your puzzles again.