Simba's mate in "The Lion King"

Editorially verified for the Oct 19, 2026

53 Down

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Nala, the lioness character from Disney’s animated film The Lion King.

Clue explainedFact checked

Nala is the lioness who becomes Simba’s mate in Disney’s 1994 animated film The Lion King. She and Simba are childhood companions, but later she leaves the Pride Lands to find help as food and water grow scarce. Their reunion gives her a chance to tell Simba what has happened and encourage him to reclaim the throne. Nala is a key force in bringing him back to his responsibilities.

Clue type:
Pop culture

NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, October 19, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Center of the solar system, with "the"
  2. 4"A Fish Called ___"
  3. 9Tiny terror
  4. 12"Where the Wild Things ___"
  5. 13Cafe overhang
  6. 15Hotel booking
  7. 17Supermarket franchise inits.
  8. 18Giving excessive praise and flattery
  9. 20Second-in-command
  10. 22Will of "Arrested Development"
  11. 23Gives the nod
  12. 24Dutch beer brand
  13. 27Bundle of hay
  14. 29Branch plant?
  15. 30"The Raven" writer, in footnotes
  16. 34Used goods disclaimer
  17. 35Urban casual fashion
  18. 37Sombrero or fedora
  19. 38Lout
  20. 39U.K. thank-yous
  21. 40Alias letters
  22. 41"You are correct"
  23. 44Perfect tennis serves
  24. 45Muscle-bone connector
  25. 46Some jeans that aren't Wranglers or Levi's
  26. 47Philosopher Descartes
  27. 48Made some waves?
  28. 50See 61-Across
  29. 51"Is it OK for me to leave?"
  30. 54Home country of Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling
  31. 57Punches the air ... or a hint to what 1-Across creates in this puzzle
  32. 61With 50-Across, many a feel-good flick
  33. 62Giveaway, in poker
  34. 63Like a meditation retreat
  35. 64Letter between phi and psi
  36. 65Month with Mother's Day
  37. 66Law school class
  38. 67"You ___ to be there!"

Down

  1. 1Uttered
  2. 2Strong desire
  3. 3Tricolored ice cream flavor
  4. 4Floats in the breeze
  5. 5Not home
  6. 6180° from SSE
  7. 7Cacophony
  8. 8Darth Vader's childhood nickname
  9. 9Rule with no exceptions
  10. 10Change places
  11. 11What everyone becomes at the touch of love, per Plato's "Symposium"
  12. 14Little annoyance you might swat at
  13. 16"Rocky III" actor with a mohawk
  14. 19Waves to, e.g.
  15. 21Luau strings, informally
  16. 24Work likely to be shown at an independent cinema
  17. 25Debussy's "La ___"
  18. 26Was fuming mad
  19. 27Thai currency units
  20. 28Sapporo rival
  21. 29Pre-1917 Russian autocrat
  22. 31Antiwar protest
  23. 32Like some wine casks
  24. 33Clear, as a chalkboard
  25. 36Uber ___
  26. 38New York city, county or river
  27. 42Without enthusiasm
  28. 43"Golly!"
  29. 44Elvis Presley's middle name
  30. 49Uses oars
  31. 50Assignments for lawyers and judges
  32. 51Winter hrs. in Wichita
  33. 52Attention-getting sound
  34. 53Simba's mate in "The Lion King"
  35. 54Penny
  36. 55Capital of Qatar
  37. 56In amongst
  38. 58Wager
  39. 59Gold, in Granada
  40. 60Gen ___ (Zoomer's parent)

The answer to “Simba's mate in "The Lion King"” in the New York Times crossword is NALA — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 19, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 53-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.

“Simba's mate in "The Lion King"” answer

NALA (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 NALA.

What does NALA mean?

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

(noun)

  • a watercourse, riverbed, or ravine

When else has “Simba's mate in "The Lion King"” 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 19, 2026 (most recent) → NALA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Simba's mate in "The Lion King"”?

The answer is NALA, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Simba's mate in "The Lion King"”?

4 letters: NALA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 19, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 53-Down.

Can “Simba's mate in "The Lion King"” 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 19, 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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