Message that might be signaled with smoke

Latest answer — October 02, 2026

41 Down

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Clue explained

SOS is a distress signal that can be communicated by smoke, such as with three groups of smoke puffs. It is the internationally recognized emergency signal.

Clue type:
Abbreviation
A column of smoke used as a visual distress signal.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, October 02, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Important figure on staff?
  2. 5Photographer's inits.
  3. 8"For real"
  4. 13Funky-smelling
  5. 14Sugar substitute?
  6. 16Within
  7. 17Core-focused workout in a humid room
  8. 18Unit of sound intensity
  9. 19Like Mitt Romney and Ken Jennings
  10. 20Lead-in to "coin" for a major cryptocurrency
  11. 21"Whew!"
  12. 23Whose fault your mistake might be
  13. 25Hybrid cat
  14. 26Member of a noble family
  15. 28Request after eating a habanero, perhaps
  16. 29What comes from needing little, per Epictetus
  17. 31Small dosage amts.
  18. 34Question posed at the end of a successful job interview
  19. 37Waze ways: Abbr.
  20. 38Spends a long time in front of the mirror, maybe
  21. 39Inkling
  22. 40Word with cane or corn
  23. 41Villainous expression
  24. 42Home to the Basilica of St. Clare
  25. 45Highly controlling?
  26. 48Like a golf course, regularly
  27. 49Snap, crackle and pop
  28. 51___ Cup, tournament established in the 2020s
  29. 52"Never been better!"
  30. 54Site of a 1956 international conflict
  31. 55Animal chased by Toto in "The Wizard of Oz"
  32. 56Key in a chain
  33. 57Figure with three faces, in Dante
  34. 58Brief bit
  35. 59They're stretched out before some workouts

Down

  1. 1Hard-shelled delicacies
  2. 2Public eye
  3. 3Written posts?
  4. 4Stoked
  5. 5Like some enemies
  6. 6"I need to get a word in!"
  7. 7Possible result of a default
  8. 8Before
  9. 9Not stop at the end of a chapter, say
  10. 10Suffragist Harriet Taylor ___
  11. 11One doing the lord's work?
  12. 12Words of affirmation
  13. 14"Skedaddle!"
  14. 15Condition that can be caused by excess earwax
  15. 19Debussy's "La ___"
  16. 22Jay ___, singer of the 2009 #1 hit "Down"
  17. 24Sounds from fans
  18. 27Clip follower
  19. 29Some weather service messages
  20. 30"Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma
  21. 31Label on some domestic products
  22. 32Eco-friendly area around a city
  23. 33Stares into space
  24. 35Ones doing balancing acts?
  25. 36Windows feature?
  26. 40Pictures
  27. 41Message that might be signaled with smoke
  28. 42Off
  29. 43European capital with layers of Thracian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history
  30. 44Beads for an athlete
  31. 46Director Lee ___ Chung
  32. 47Neighbor of an Estonian, historically
  33. 50They're sometimes picked for their rarity
  34. 53Wiseman who directed "Ballerina" and "Live Free or Die Hard"
  35. 54___City

The answer to “Message that might be signaled with smoke” in the New York Times crossword is SOS — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 2, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 41-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.

“Message that might be signaled with smoke” answer

SOS (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 SOS.

When else has “Message that might be signaled with smoke” 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 2, 2026 (most recent) → SOS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Message that might be signaled with smoke”?

The answer is SOS, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 2, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Message that might be signaled with smoke”?

3 letters: SOS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 2, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 41-Down.

Can “Message that might be signaled with smoke” 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 2, 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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