First sign in the Chinese zodiac

Latest answer — February 01, 2025

6 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, February 01, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Experience that'll change one's mind
  2. 9___ Fierce, onetime Beyoncé persona
  3. 14Broad views
  4. 16Up to
  5. 17Dessert often flavored with cinnamon and vanilla
  6. 18[Back away from my doghouse!]
  7. 19Give in under pressure
  8. 20Beef
  9. 22Old oath
  10. 23Engage
  11. 24Wild West outlaw
  12. 26What might check your id?
  13. 27Setting for the Times Square ball drop: Abbr.
  14. 28Sojourner Truth speech in which she said "You need not be afraid to give us our rights"
  15. 30Lee who directed "Sense and Sensibility"
  16. 31E to F, for example
  17. 32Part of some beauty treatments and the lunar cycle
  18. 35Napa neighbor
  19. 36Brief getaway for newlyweds
  20. 38Word between two names
  21. 39Grab bag contents
  22. 41Deg. held by Shaquille O'Neal and Melinda Gates
  23. 44Amp (up)
  24. 45Tools for certain appraisers
  25. 46Where "sabaidee" means "hello"
  26. 47They're heard in a herd
  27. 49Solo
  28. 50Pseudoscientific bodily emanations
  29. 51Morphine source
  30. 53Figure in history or math?
  31. 55"Passing" author Larsen
  32. 56Attacks in the press
  33. 57Sinuous
  34. 58Five-limbed marine creatures

Down

  1. 1Cochise, for one
  2. 2Calf-length pants
  3. 3To an extent
  4. 4Sweetly, in music
  5. 5Footslog
  6. 6First sign in the Chinese zodiac
  7. 7"Love your work!"
  8. 8Typical Little League coaches
  9. 9Dubious, in modern lingo
  10. 10"___ of Avonlea," literary sequel of 1909
  11. 11Many a child actor's "manager"
  12. 12Main script of written Japanese
  13. 13Finish line?
  14. 15Collegiate focus
  15. 21Play areas that, despite their name, are actually squares
  16. 24Things to avoid at all costs
  17. 25Coils
  18. 28"Till one has loved an ___ a part of one's soul remains unawakened": Anatole France
  19. 29___-Missouria Tribe
  20. 30Center of a revolution
  21. 32Unguarded on the field
  22. 33"Ta-da!"
  23. 34Share the bill
  24. 36Group that practices baptism for the dead
  25. 37Many Everest climbers
  26. 40Render pointless
  27. 41Instrument that might contain dried beans
  28. 42Flat-topped straw hat
  29. 43Look at critically
  30. 46"12 Angry Men" director
  31. 48Grump
  32. 50How a home might be sold in a seller's market
  33. 52___ Day (European festival)
  34. 54Business with lockers for storing valuables

The answer to “First sign in the Chinese zodiac” in the New York Times crossword is RAT — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 1, 2025, a Saturday puzzle, at 6-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.

“First sign in the Chinese zodiac” answer

RAT (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 RAT.

Why the answer is RAT

RAT is the 3-letter solution that fits "First sign in the Chinese zodiac" in the NYT Crossword crossword on February 1, 2025 (6-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does RAT mean?

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

(noun)

  • a rodent that resembles a large mouse, typically having a pointed snout and a long tail. Some kinds have become cosmopolitan and are sometimes responsible for transmitting diseases
  • a despicable person, especially a man who has been deceitful or disloyal
  • a person who is associated with or frequents a specified place

When else has “First sign in the Chinese zodiac” 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.

February 1, 2025 (most recent) → RAT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “First sign in the Chinese zodiac”?

The answer is RAT, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 1, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “First sign in the Chinese zodiac”?

3 letters: RAT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on February 1, 2025 (a Saturday puzzle), at 6-Down.

Can “First sign in the Chinese zodiac” 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 February 1, 2025 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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