Like swifts, but not Swifties

The answer to “Like swifts, but not Swifties” in the LA Times crossword is AVIAN — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the LA Times crossword on October 4, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 108-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Like swifts, but not Swifties” answer

AVIAN (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is AVIAN.

What does AVIAN mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of AVIAN is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

When else has “Like swifts, but not Swifties” appeared?

LA Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 4, 2026 (most recent) → AVIAN. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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