"Ay, ___ the rub"
Editorially verified for the Oct 13, 2026
4 Down
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Clue explainedFact checked
The line is from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “Ay, there’s the rub.” Here, “the rub” means the snag or obstacle. Hamlet says it while weighing whether death might be like sleep; the possibility of dreams makes that imagined escape less straightforward.
- Clue type:
- Fill-in-the-blank
NYT Crossword
This clue's Tuesday, October 13, 2026 appearance
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The answer to “"Ay, ___ the rub"” in the New York Times crossword is THERES — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 13, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 4-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.
“"Ay, ___ the rub"” answer
THERES (6 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 THERES.
What does THERES mean?
Reading the plain dictionary sense of THERES is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.
(contraction)
- there is
- there has
When else has “"Ay, ___ the rub"” appeared?
New York 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 13, 2026 (most recent) → THERES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “"Ay, ___ the rub"”?
The answer is THERES, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 13, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “"Ay, ___ the rub"”?
6 letters: THERES.
When did this clue appear?
Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 13, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 4-Down.
Can “"Ay, ___ the rub"” have a different answer?
Yes — New York Times 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 Crossword answers?
The full grid for October 13, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.
New York Times 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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