Tanning oil initials

Editorially verified for the Oct 3, 2026

4 Across

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A bottle of tanning oil with an SPF rating on its label.

Clue explained

SPF stands for “sun protection factor,” the rating shown on sunscreen and tanning-oil products. “Initials” signals that the answer is an abbreviation.

Clue type:
Abbreviation

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Saturday, October 03, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Genre for 21 Savage and 50 Cent
  2. 4Tanning oil initials
  3. 7Number between cero and dos
  4. 8Peg on a golf course
  5. 9Create hype
  6. 13Company that merged with Mobil in 1999
  7. 14Curse
  8. 15People after whom things are named
  9. 19"So, ___ been thinking ..."
  10. 20Relaxing sound at a spa
  11. 22Game played on a 3x3 grid, as seen in this puzzle
  12. 26Competitors in a certain spoken-word performance event
  13. 27___-gritty

Down

  1. 1Stereotypical liquor for a pirate
  2. 2Santa ___ winds
  3. 3:backhand_index_pointing_right:
  4. 4Leave dumbstruck
  5. 5Candy in a plastic dispenser
  6. 6Red felt hat with a tassel
  7. 10Trade show
  8. 11Part of a nerve cell
  9. 12Like a car that's all angles and no curves
  10. 15What superheroes fight against
  11. 16Popular nut in ice cream and pies
  12. 17Pirate's pal
  13. 18Espresso unit
  14. 19The "I" of T.G.I.F.
  15. 21"She's everything. ___ just Ken" ("Barbie" tagline)
  16. 23"I did NOT need to know that!"
  17. 24Like this clue's formatting of bold or italic, say
  18. 25Extra bed at a hotel, perhaps

The answer to “Tanning oil initials” in the New York Times Midi crossword is SPF — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 3, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 4-Across. 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.

“Tanning oil initials” answer

SPF (3 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 SPF.

When else has “Tanning oil initials” appeared?

New York Times Midi 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 3, 2026 (most recent) → SPF. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Tanning oil initials”?

The answer is SPF, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 3, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Tanning oil initials”?

3 letters: SPF.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 3, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 4-Across.

Can “Tanning oil initials” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times Midi sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Midi answers?

The full grid for October 3, 2026 is on the NYT Midi answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Midi Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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