Potential reason to pick up the phone

Latest answer — October 05, 2026

7 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

A smartphone screen with an incoming notification.

Clue explained

An alert is a notification or warning that might prompt someone to pick up a phone. Here, “alert” is a noun.

Clue type:
Definition

WaPo Mini Crossword

This clue's Monday, October 05, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Muscles worked when doing dips, for short
  2. 5Business-casual cloth
  3. 6Declaration of affection in many a text message
  4. 7Potential reason to pick up the phone
  5. 8Birthplace of Australian actors Dacre Montgomery and Katherine Langford

Down

  1. 1One of a pair of pins acting as a fulcrum for an oar
  2. 2Wisconsin in Wisconsin, e.g.
  3. 3Very slow to act
  4. 4General direction of the Wisconsin in Wisconsin
  5. 5What you might do while shouting "Bravo!"

The answer to “Potential reason to pick up the phone” in the The Washington Post Mini crossword is ALERT — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on October 5, 2026 at 7-Across. 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.

“Potential reason to pick up the phone” answer

ALERT (5 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's ALERT.

What does ALERT mean?

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

(adjective)

  • quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances; vigilant

When else has “Potential reason to pick up the phone” appeared?

The Washington Post Mini 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 5, 2026 (most recent) → ALERT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Potential reason to pick up the phone”?

The answer is ALERT, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on October 5, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Potential reason to pick up the phone”?

5 letters: ALERT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on October 5, 2026, at 7-Across.

Can “Potential reason to pick up the phone” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post Mini 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 today's WaPo Mini answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the WaPo Mini answers page.

The Washington Post Mini Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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