Like unhelpful hints

Editorially verified for the Oct 13, 2026

14 Across

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A loosely worded handwritten hint that gives little specific guidance.

Clue explained

A vague hint is too general or unclear to point you toward a useful answer. It may gesture in the right direction while leaving out the specific detail that would make the hint helpful.

Clue type:
Definition

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, October 13, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Make red-faced
  2. 6Feature of some Southern accents
  3. 11Bread with caraway seeds
  4. 14Like unhelpful hints
  5. 15Civic-minded brand?
  6. 16Snakelike fish
  7. 17Seth MacFarlane cartoon series
  8. 19Language in which "Baw pen nyang" means "It's nothing"
  9. 20Ballpark snack
  10. 21Hotel customer
  11. 23Lane of "Superman"
  12. 26Conversation that might involve Jordan and LeBron
  13. 29Promises
  14. 31Solemn acts
  15. 32Letter before lambda
  16. 33Moral wrong
  17. 34Get a better loan rate, for short
  18. 37__ out a living
  19. 38Big lottery win
  20. 42__ sum: bite-sized Chinese fare
  21. 43Truly engrossed
  22. 45Quaker possessive
  23. 46Running track shapes, often
  24. 48Seven, in Spanish
  25. 50Sea cow
  26. 52"Room" Best Actress Oscar winner
  27. 55Take a day off, say
  28. 56Baggy
  29. 57__-frutti
  30. 59Wine cask wood
  31. 60Green Bay Packers fans, or what 17-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across have
  32. 66Carry-on screeners: Abbr.
  33. 67Bridgestone products
  34. 68Bright courtyards
  35. 69"Charlotte's Web" enclosure
  36. 70Bowling score indicated by a slash
  37. 71Used a keyboard

Down

  1. 1"Hacks" comedy writer Daniels
  2. 2Impact sound
  3. 3The "A" of A/S/L
  4. 4"Let's catch some waves!"
  5. 5Whodunit suspect
  6. 6Marvel villain played by Josh Brolin
  7. 7Fictional chocolatier
  8. 8"On top of that ... "
  9. 9Secrecy doc
  10. 10Gizmo
  11. 11Information on a movie poster
  12. 12Baker's supply
  13. 13Mexican corn dish
  14. 18Bird house?
  15. 22App with a Women Drivers option
  16. 23L.A. NBAer
  17. 24Honshu port city
  18. 25Server's query after a drink order, perhaps
  19. 27Journey
  20. 28T. rex, for one
  21. 30TV friend of Sheldon and Howard
  22. 33Cloud location
  23. 35Computer folder contents
  24. 36"Nothing for me, thanks!"
  25. 39Flour for chapati and roti
  26. 40"Believe" diva
  27. 41Heavy load
  28. 44Formal neckwear
  29. 47Assortment
  30. 49Puts in office
  31. 50Styling foam
  32. 51Poker stake
  33. 52Rorschach test shapes
  34. 53Cook in an oven
  35. 54Pilot
  36. 58The one there
  37. 61__-hop music
  38. 62Slice of history
  39. 63Dada artist Jean
  40. 64Monopoly cube
  41. 65Melancholy

The answer to “Like unhelpful hints” in the The Washington Post crossword is VAGUE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 13, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 14-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.

“Like unhelpful hints” answer

VAGUE (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 VAGUE.

What does VAGUE mean?

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

(adjective)

  • of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character or meaning

When else has “Like unhelpful hints” 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 13, 2026 (most recent) → VAGUE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Like unhelpful hints”?

The answer is VAGUE, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 13, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Like unhelpful hints”?

5 letters: VAGUE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on October 13, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 14-Across.

Can “Like unhelpful hints” 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 13, 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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