Journalist's opening line

Latest answer — June 07, 2026

89 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, June 07, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Stiff
  2. 6___ Waller-Bridge, star and creator of TV's "Fleabag"
  3. 12Ball pit?
  4. 18Loves to pieces
  5. 20Excoriates
  6. 21Drink following a shot
  7. 22With 23- and 24-Across, airport announcement / Requirement to practice, perhaps
  8. 23See 22-Across
  9. 24See 22-Across
  10. 25Breakthrough cry
  11. 26North African fortress, in one spelling
  12. 28America's largest labor union, familiarly
  13. 30With 32- and 35-Across, "Now, here's the thing ..." / Some board game surfaces
  14. 32See 30-Across
  15. 35See 30-Across
  16. 39Long instrumental piece
  17. 41Former alliance of France, Italy, Japan, the U.S., the U.K. and West Germany
  18. 42Snuggle
  19. 43Slugger's tally
  20. 45Letters aptly missing from _ _ _ightl_
  21. 47Website for finding professional services
  22. 48With 50- and 54-Across, serious props / Had an evening meal
  23. 50See 48-Across
  24. 54See 48-Across
  25. 55Free of bumps
  26. 57"Not exactly ..."
  27. 58Philippe's head
  28. 59Bit of "Great British Baking Show" fare
  29. 60Some animation files
  30. 61Eighth Avenue express line in N.Y.C.
  31. 64Did some housekeeping
  32. 66Amount that "ain't bad," so to speak ... or what to make with six sets of answers in this puzzle?
  33. 70Creative evaluation of a sort
  34. 74Some eels
  35. 75Manufacturer's gross product?
  36. 79Worries
  37. 80Bevy : quails :: mob : ___
  38. 84Relieve (of)
  39. 85Feature of an intersection that forces a turn
  40. 87With 88- and 91-Across, syntax-reversing rhetorical device / Small, peelable citrus fruits
  41. 88See 87-Across
  42. 91See 87-Across
  43. 92Taylor Swift's ___ Tour
  44. 93Out of the ordinary
  45. 94Resident of the so-called "Nation of Poets"
  46. 96Early Google algorithm for determining the importance of websites
  47. 100Performs a simple operation
  48. 103"Why you little ...!"
  49. 105With 106- and 108-Across, "No need to hurry" / Like some security measures
  50. 106See 105-Across
  51. 108See 105-Across
  52. 110Enter hurriedly
  53. 112Chest beaters?
  54. 114Business address abbr.
  55. 115With 118- and 121-Across, didn't quite fit in, say / Not as frequently
  56. 118See 115-Across
  57. 121See 115-Across
  58. 123Upper-crusters
  59. 124What wristwatch straps are designed to accommodate
  60. 125Homes characterized by half-timbered walls
  61. 126Fine, if not great
  62. 127Flexibility
  63. 128Not in vogue

Down

  1. 1Pieces of Indian music
  2. 2Tubers from the Gem State
  3. 3Laid eyes on but good
  4. 4Country whose flag is known as "An Trídhathach" ("The Tricolor"): Abbr.
  5. 5Deal with it!
  6. 6Type of Thai red curry
  7. 7Lofty pitches
  8. 8Corrida cry
  9. 9Class for immigrants, in brief
  10. 10Tries to rile, as on social media
  11. 11Leave one's mark, say
  12. 12Scratch-and-sniff samples
  13. 13"How interesting!"
  14. 14Classic film said to be the most quotable movie of all time
  15. 15The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf.
  16. 16Sonnet adverb ... or suffix?
  17. 17Green Day drummer ___ Cool
  18. 19Soda brand named for a volcano
  19. 20Broccoli ___
  20. 27Facts and figures
  21. 29Suffix with Brooklyn
  22. 31Phrases preceding lyrics
  23. 33Basic school subj.
  24. 34Like about 88% of the U.A.E.'s residents
  25. 36Musician who said "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination"
  26. 37The eldest Levy of "Schitt's Creek"
  27. 38Like many cathedrals
  28. 40Help in a pinch?
  29. 42Ural demurral
  30. 44Vice president Agnew
  31. 46This is the way: Abbr.
  32. 48Seasoning that imparts umami flavor, for short
  33. 49"___ dreaming?"
  34. 51Red-haired hunter in Genesis
  35. 52Record of money owed
  36. 53Condemn
  37. 54Response of comprehension
  38. 56Hems and ___
  39. 62Object of spiritual significance
  40. 63Award opportunity, in brief
  41. 65Out of fear that
  42. 66Thomas Hardy's titular Miss Durbeyfield
  43. 67Swinger's warning
  44. 68Shorten
  45. 69Underworld boss?
  46. 70Confirm, as a friend request
  47. 71Enthusiastic
  48. 72First responder's first response
  49. 73Initially offered lesser charge
  50. 75Union victory site of 1862
  51. 76The Declaration of Independence and the like
  52. 77Expose, in verse
  53. 78Some microwaves, in brief
  54. 81Gloom
  55. 822028 Summer Olympics host
  56. 83"Beat it!"
  57. 86Third-most-common suffix in country names, after -ia and -land
  58. 89Journalist's opening line
  59. 90Polite refusal
  60. 95Thoroughfare through N.Y.C.'s Chinatown
  61. 97Sandwich with sauerkraut
  62. 98Pass before a basket, e.g.
  63. 99Of an unspecified position in a sequence
  64. 101National flower of Mexico
  65. 102One of the Seven Dwarfs
  66. 104Dessert, to Brits
  67. 106Combined
  68. 107Subdue by stunning
  69. 109Needing kneading, perhaps
  70. 111Leaning type: Abbr.
  71. 113Counterpart to nuts
  72. 115Brought together
  73. 116Kölsch or saison
  74. 117[Not my misspelling!]
  75. 119The banned ingredient Red No. 3, e.g.
  76. 120Big retail inits. in footwear
  77. 122Org. banning 119-Down

The answer to “Journalist's opening line” in the New York Times crossword is LEDE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 7, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 89-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.

“Journalist's opening line” answer

LEDE (4 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 LEDE.

Why the answer is LEDE

LEDE is the 4-letter solution that fits "Journalist's opening line" in the NYT Crossword crossword on June 7, 2026 (89-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does LEDE mean?

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

(noun)

  • the opening sentence or paragraph of a news article, summarizing the most important aspects of the story

When else has “Journalist's opening line” 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.

June 7, 2026 (most recent) → LEDE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Journalist's opening line”?

The answer is LEDE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Journalist's opening line”?

4 letters: LEDE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on June 7, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 89-Down.

Can “Journalist's opening line” 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 June 7, 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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