Tic-tac-toe loser

Latest answer — August 14, 2026

49 Down

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Clue explained

OXO uses the familiar alternating O-X-O sequence of marks from tic-tac-toe, with O representing the side that loses to X in the clue’s playful shorthand. The wording is a compact visual pun rather than a standard definition.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A tic-tac-toe pattern showing O, X, and O marks.

Eugene Sheffer Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 14, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Jungfrau, e.g.
  2. 4Leb. neighbor
  3. 7Strike, biblically
  4. 12Take to court
  5. 13“Golden Girl” Arthur
  6. 14Court proceeding
  7. 15Auction action
  8. 16Atomic No. 12
  9. 18Polish tennis star Swiatek
  10. 19Reporter’s coup
  11. 20Arizona river
  12. 22-- whim
  13. 23Scoundrels
  14. 27Morning moisture
  15. 29Atomic No. 2
  16. 31“The Jeffersons” actress Gibbs
  17. 34Ocean motions
  18. 35Atomic No. 11
  19. 37Genre for Queen Latifah
  20. 38Thick cut
  21. 39Verb for you
  22. 41Gumbo or bisque, e.g.
  23. 45Hurdles for H.S. juniors
  24. 47Vinyl records
  25. 48Atomic No. 19
  26. 52“This -- recording”
  27. 53Scholastic hurdles
  28. 54Capote nickname
  29. 55Speed (Abbr.)
  30. 56Explorer on Mars
  31. 57“Hulk” director Lee
  32. 58$ dispenser

Down

  1. 1Of equal size
  2. 2Composer Cherubini
  3. 3Bicycle part
  4. 4Some PCs
  5. 5Manatee
  6. 6Make fun of, slangily
  7. 7Dance move
  8. 8Doubtfire or Dalloway
  9. 9Jr.’s son
  10. 10Greek cross
  11. 11Shade provider
  12. 17Ancient mariner
  13. 21Extemporize
  14. 23Film excerpts
  15. 24Succor
  16. 25Expected
  17. 26Texting letters
  18. 28-- Claire, WI
  19. 30Greek H
  20. 31Orig. texts
  21. 32Pioneering ISP
  22. 33Vitamin stat
  23. 36Church service
  24. 37Come back
  25. 40Indian yogurt dish
  26. 42Baseball’s Tony
  27. 43Surprise win
  28. 44Sacred song
  29. 45“Hey, you!”
  30. 46Overconfident
  31. 48Capita lead-in
  32. 49Tic-tac-toe loser
  33. 50Bar bill
  34. 51“I love,” to Livy

The answer to “Tic-tac-toe loser” in the Eugene Sheffer crossword is OXO — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Eugene Sheffer crossword on August 14, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 49-Down. Other answers we've seen for this clue include XOO. 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.

“Tic-tac-toe loser” answer

OXO (3 letters) — most recent; also seen as XOO

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 OXO.

What does OXO mean?

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

(noun)

  • a form of beef extract sold as cubes that are dissolved in water to make stock

Other answers for “Tic-tac-toe loser”

Eugene Sheffer has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides OXO, it has also been XOO. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Tic-tac-toe loser”?

The answer is OXO, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Eugene Sheffer crossword on August 14, 2026. Other answers for this clue include XOO.

How many letters is the answer to “Tic-tac-toe loser”?

3 letters: OXO. Earlier fills for this clue have also been XOO (3).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Eugene Sheffer crossword on August 14, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 49-Down. Earlier appearances: August 13, 2026 → XOO.

Can “Tic-tac-toe loser” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides OXO, Eugene Sheffer has also used XOO for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Eugene Sheffer answers?

The full grid for August 14, 2026 is on the Eugene Sheffer answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Eugene Sheffer Crossword is published by King Features Syndicate; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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