With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares

Editorially verified for the Oct 1, 2026

19 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

An imagined science-fiction encounter between an alien and humans.

Clue explained

ALIEN combines with 20-Across, CONTACT, to make “alien contact,” a familiar feature of science-fiction films. The clue says this paired phrase also hints at the puzzle’s shaded squares.

Clue type:
Cross-reference

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Thursday, October 01, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 124-hour source of $$$
  2. 4Undergarment purchase
  3. 719th-century German composer Robert ___
  4. 9Quick nibble
  5. 10Good bud
  6. 11Size larger than small: Abbr.
  7. 12On top of
  8. 14Shade of light brown, from the French
  9. 18Flat-topped hill common in the Southwest
  10. 19With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares
  11. 20See 19-Across
  12. 22Health insurance giant
  13. 25Luau necklace of flowers
  14. 26Helps with a crime
  15. 27South Bend's state: Abbr.
  16. 28Basic unit of heredity
  17. 29Muddy home for pigs

Down

  1. 1Perform in a play
  2. 2Party planning committee's concern
  3. 3TV remote button
  4. 4Sweetheart, slangily
  5. 5Molecule involved in protein synthesis
  6. 6Dracula ___, insect known to drink the blood of its own larvae
  7. 7Grain towers
  8. 8Car that was "large enough for the family but small enough for the individual," per Henry Ford
  9. 9Yankee great Ruth
  10. 10Cooking spray brand
  11. 13Move out
  12. 15Alternative to Viagra
  13. 16Newish
  14. 17In need of cleaning up
  15. 19Actress de Armas
  16. 21Carry-___ (unchecked bags)
  17. 22Witch
  18. 23Purple yam used in Filipino cuisine
  19. 24Chess pieces

The answer to “With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares” in the New York Times Midi crossword is ALIEN — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 1, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 19-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.

“With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares” answer

ALIEN (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 ALIEN.

What does ALIEN mean?

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

(adjective)

  • belonging to a foreign country
  • unfamiliar and disturbing or distasteful
  • supposedly from another world; extraterrestrial

When else has “With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares” 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 1, 2026 (most recent) → ALIEN. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares”?

The answer is ALIEN, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 1, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares”?

5 letters: ALIEN.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on October 1, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 19-Across.

Can “With 20-Across, feature of many a sci-fi film ... and a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares” 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 1, 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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