Down source

Editorially verified for the Oct 18, 2026

57 Down

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An eider duck swimming in coastal water, the bird whose soft down is used for insulation.

Clue explained

Eiders are sea ducks, and their soft down is a source of the insulating material used in bedding and clothing. Eiderdown is famously warm and light; it’s traditionally gathered from the ducks’ nests after the birds have left, rather than taken directly from the animals. That nest-lining plumage gives the clue its “down source.”

Clue type:
Definition

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Sunday, October 18, 2026 appearance

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Across

Down

  1. 37Wee
  2. 61Fin
  3. 65Cut

The answer to “Down source” in the The Washington Post crossword is EIDER — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 18, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 57-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.

“Down source” answer

EIDER (5 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 EIDER.

What does EIDER mean?

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

(noun)

  • a northern sea duck, of which the male is mainly black-and-white with a coloured head, and the female brown

When else has “Down source” appeared?

The Washington Post 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 18, 2026 (most recent) → EIDER. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Down source”?

The answer is EIDER, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Down source”?

5 letters: EIDER.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on October 18, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 57-Down.

Can “Down source” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post 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 WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for October 18, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post 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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