Tear

Editorially verified for the Oct 9, 2026

5 Across

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A sheet of paper with a visible tear.

Clue explained

Rip means to tear something or make a split in it. It can be a verb, as in “rip the paper,” or a noun for the tear itself.

Clue type:
Definition

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Friday, October 09, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1Vegetable in gumbo
  2. 5Tear
  3. 81989 Patrick Swayze cult film set in a rural bar
  4. 11"Like we discussed earlier ..."
  5. 12Brit's bathroom
  6. 13Cutlery famously sold in infomercials
  7. 20Home to Thailand and Turkmenistan
  8. 21Animal with a small pet door, perhaps
  9. 22Intricate hairstyle associated with Zulu traditions
  10. 26Commit perjury
  11. 27Actress Mara of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
  12. 28Singer Sheeran and actor Harris
  13. 29Quibbles

Down

  1. 1"... man ___ mouse?"
  2. 2Boxing wins, for short
  3. 3Unit of sunlight
  4. 4Fuss
  5. 5Kind of sentence that should really be more than one sentence
  6. 6Prefix with -metric
  7. 7Where churchgoers sit
  8. 9Big name in streaming TV
  9. 10"Yeah, yeah, I hear you"
  10. 13Triangular part of a house's exterior
  11. 14"Let me repeat ..."
  12. 15Dressed to the ___
  13. 16Used a chair
  14. 17Touchscreen array
  15. 18Destiny
  16. 19Website for artisanal crafts
  17. 23Large coffee holder
  18. 24Fish in a Japanese garden pond
  19. 25Do ___ feed the animals (sign at a zoo)

The answer to “Tear” in the New York Times Midi crossword is RIP — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 9, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 5-Across, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. 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.

“Tear” answer

RIP (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 RIP.

What does RIP mean?

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

(verb)

  • tear or pull (something) quickly or forcibly away from something or someone
  • move forcefully and rapidly
  • scold or criticize harshly

When else has “Tear” 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Tear”?

The answer is RIP, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Tear”?

3 letters: RIP.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 9, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 5-Across. Earlier appearances: August 5, 2026 → RIP.

Can “Tear” 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 9, 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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