Rock's Carmen or Clapton

Crossword Answer — January 05, 2026

Answer

NYT Crossword

Monday, January 05, 2026

By Lynn Lempel

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Value
  2. 6Volcanic coating that buried Pompeii
  3. 9Angel's headgear
  4. 13Listlessness
  5. 14Score like 5-5 or 10-10
  6. 15Fruit-peeling gadget
  7. 16Meeting spot for a company's overseers
  8. 18Ventilated
  9. 19Actor Reeves who plays John Wick
  10. 20Clothing
  11. 21Wrestler-turned-actor with a mohawk
  12. 241976 film with Robert De Niro as an alienated cabbie
  13. 26Lawyer, or a lawyer's advice
  14. 29Gloppy gunk
  15. 30Op-___ (newspaper pieces)
  16. 31Advantageous quality
  17. 32Aristocrat
  18. 34Enjoy a vacation day, say
  19. 40Reside
  20. 41Burr who dueled with Hamilton
  21. 42Wane
  22. 45One ___ time
  23. 46Mark Twain, for Samuel Langhorne Clemens
  24. 48Bug killer that goes "smack!"
  25. 51Losing general at Appomattox
  26. 52Relating to a son or daughter
  27. 53Fanny ___, central figure in Broadway's "Funny Girl"
  28. 56Poet Dickinson
  29. 57Gridiron success ... or, when read as two words, the conclusion to the sequence formed by the starts of 16-, 24-, 34- and 48-Across
  30. 61Backpackers' shelters
  31. 62Write-___ (unlikely election winners)
  32. 63Home with a dome
  33. 64Lumps of coal, for a snowman
  34. 65Understand
  35. 66Relinquished

Down

  1. 1Spider's creation
  2. 2Peace promoter Yoko
  3. 3Cell's messenger material
  4. 4Istanbul native
  5. 5Conceal
  6. 6Lacking a key, in music
  7. 7Crazy Horse's people
  8. 8Adjustable skirt feature
  9. 9Port-au-Prince's country
  10. 10Get there
  11. 11Looked lasciviously
  12. 12Commands
  13. 15Police officer who monitors an assigned area
  14. 17Label as G or R, say
  15. 20Spicy marinade with chili peppers
  16. 21Exam for a doctor-to-be
  17. 22Parks honored in the Capitol's Statuary Hall
  18. 23Walrus's long tooth
  19. 25Composer Stravinsky
  20. 27Have to have
  21. 28Passengers getting an illicit free ride
  22. 32Org. with Patriot games
  23. 33Actor McGregor with a Golden Globe for "Fargo"
  24. 35Pertaining to development in the womb
  25. 36Opposite of hilly
  26. 37Like some history or hygiene
  27. 38City surrounding Vatican City
  28. 39On bended ___
  29. 42Overly refined
  30. 43"Yikes!," to a Brit
  31. 44Reporter's attribution atop an article
  32. 46Read
  33. 47Rock's Carmen or Clapton
  34. 49Earthy deposits by a river
  35. 50Steak similar to a porterhouse
  36. 54Stylish
  37. 55Margin
  38. 57"___ better to have loved and lost ..."
  39. 58Passé
  40. 59Misfortune
  41. 60Silent approval

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Value — Answer: WORTH
  2. 6. Volcanic coating that buried Pompeii — Answer: ASH
  3. 9. Angel's headgear — Answer: HALO
  4. 13. Listlessness — Answer: ENNUI
  5. 14. Score like 5-5 or 10-10 — Answer: TIE
  6. 15. Fruit-peeling gadget — Answer: PARER
  7. 16. Meeting spot for a company's overseers — Answer: BOARDROOM
  8. 18. Ventilated — Answer: AIRED
  9. 19. Actor Reeves who plays John Wick — Answer: KEANU
  10. 20. Clothing — Answer: ATTIRE
  11. 21. Wrestler-turned-actor with a mohawk — Answer: MRT
  12. 24. 1976 film with Robert De Niro as an alienated cabbie — Answer: TAXIDRIVER
  13. 26. Lawyer, or a lawyer's advice — Answer: COUNSEL
  14. 29. Gloppy gunk — Answer: GOO
  15. 30. Op-___ (newspaper pieces) — Answer: EDS
  16. 31. Advantageous quality — Answer: ASSET
  17. 32. Aristocrat — Answer: NOBLE
  18. 34. Enjoy a vacation day, say — Answer: TAKEOFFFROMWORK
  19. 40. Reside — Answer: DWELL
  20. 41. Burr who dueled with Hamilton — Answer: AARON
  21. 42. Wane — Answer: EBB
  22. 45. One ___ time — Answer: ATA
  23. 46. Mark Twain, for Samuel Langhorne Clemens — Answer: PENNAME
  24. 48. Bug killer that goes "smack!" — Answer: FLYSWATTER
  25. 51. Losing general at Appomattox — Answer: LEE
  26. 52. Relating to a son or daughter — Answer: FILIAL
  27. 53. Fanny ___, central figure in Broadway's "Funny Girl" — Answer: BRICE
  28. 56. Poet Dickinson — Answer: EMILY
  29. 57. Gridiron success ... or, when read as two words, the conclusion to the sequence formed by the starts of 16-, 24-, 34- and 48-Across — Answer: TOUCHDOWN
  30. 61. Backpackers' shelters — Answer: TENTS
  31. 62. Write-___ (unlikely election winners) — Answer: INS
  32. 63. Home with a dome — Answer: IGLOO
  33. 64. Lumps of coal, for a snowman — Answer: EYES
  34. 65. Understand — Answer: SEE
  35. 66. Relinquished — Answer: CEDED

Down

  1. 1. Spider's creation — Answer: WEB
  2. 2. Peace promoter Yoko — Answer: ONO
  3. 3. Cell's messenger material — Answer: RNA
  4. 4. Istanbul native — Answer: TURK
  5. 5. Conceal — Answer: HIDE
  6. 6. Lacking a key, in music — Answer: ATONAL
  7. 7. Crazy Horse's people — Answer: SIOUX
  8. 8. Adjustable skirt feature — Answer: HEM
  9. 9. Port-au-Prince's country — Answer: HAITI
  10. 10. Get there — Answer: ARRIVE
  11. 11. Looked lasciviously — Answer: LEERED
  12. 12. Commands — Answer: ORDERS
  13. 15. Police officer who monitors an assigned area — Answer: PATROLMAN
  14. 17. Label as G or R, say — Answer: RATE
  15. 20. Spicy marinade with chili peppers — Answer: ADOBO
  16. 21. Exam for a doctor-to-be — Answer: MCAT
  17. 22. Parks honored in the Capitol's Statuary Hall — Answer: ROSA
  18. 23. Walrus's long tooth — Answer: TUSK
  19. 25. Composer Stravinsky — Answer: IGOR
  20. 27. Have to have — Answer: NEED
  21. 28. Passengers getting an illicit free ride — Answer: STOWAWAYS
  22. 32. Org. with Patriot games — Answer: NFL
  23. 33. Actor McGregor with a Golden Globe for "Fargo" — Answer: EWAN
  24. 35. Pertaining to development in the womb — Answer: FETAL
  25. 36. Opposite of hilly — Answer: FLAT
  26. 37. Like some history or hygiene — Answer: ORAL
  27. 38. City surrounding Vatican City — Answer: ROME
  28. 39. On bended ___ — Answer: KNEE
  29. 42. Overly refined — Answer: EFFETE
  30. 43. "Yikes!," to a Brit — Answer: BLIMEY
  31. 44. Reporter's attribution atop an article — Answer: BYLINE
  32. 46. Read — Answer: PERUSE
  33. 47. Rock's Carmen or Clapton — Answer: ERIC
  34. 49. Earthy deposits by a river — Answer: SILTS
  35. 50. Steak similar to a porterhouse — Answer: TBONE
  36. 54. Stylish — Answer: CHIC
  37. 55. Margin — Answer: EDGE
  38. 57. "___ better to have loved and lost ..." — Answer: TIS
  39. 58. Passé — Answer: OLD
  40. 59. Misfortune — Answer: WOE
  41. 60. Silent approval — Answer: NOD

The answer to “Rock's Carmen or Clapton” in the New York Times crossword is ERIC — a 4-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on January 5, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 47-Down. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.

“Rock's Carmen or Clapton” answer

ERIC (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 ERIC.

Why the answer is ERIC

ERIC is the 4-letter solution that fits "Rock's Carmen or Clapton" in the NYT Crossword crossword on January 5, 2026 (47-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Rock's Carmen or Clapton” 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 before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.

January 5, 2026 (this puzzle) → ERIC. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword crossword on January 5, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for January 5, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Monday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Rock's Carmen or Clapton”?

The answer is ERIC, a 4-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 5, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Rock's Carmen or Clapton”?

4 letters: ERIC.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on January 5, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 47-Down.

Can “Rock's Carmen or Clapton” 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 January 5, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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