Played the first card

Crossword Answer — February 05, 2026

Answer
NYT Crossword Answers

NYT Crossword

Thursday, February 05, 2026

By Dario Salvucci

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Across

  1. 1Dives intoHASAT
  2. 6Cause to crack upSLAY
  3. 10Pillow coveringSHAM
  4. 14Florida's ___ National ForestOCALA
  5. 15Give quite a shockTASE
  6. 16Antifur org.PETA
  7. 17| $ | $ | $ | $ |TOLLBOOTHS
  8. 19Sheltered from the windALEE
  9. 20Charge on importsDUTY
  10. 21Bible-inspired tourist attraction in Williamstown, Ky.ARK
  11. 22Excel spreadsheets, essentiallyGRIDS
  12. 23Go (for)OPT
  13. 24| : : : | / /FREEWAYEXIT
  14. 27"How dare you!" looksGLARES
  15. 29Tree whose "slippery" variety has medicinal barkELM
  16. 30Mistake "air" for "heir," sayERR
  17. 31Chick checker of a sortSEXER
  18. 32Put one's hands togetherCLAP
  19. 34AboutASTO
  20. 35Classic Jack Kerouac novel ... or where you'll find 17-, 24-, 49- and 58-AcrossONTHEROAD
  21. 38FundamentalsABCS
  22. 41Helps outAIDS
  23. 42Spinal stackDISCS
  24. 46Grassy grazing groundLEA
  25. 47Wrestling match enderPIN
  26. 48Racer's final go-roundGUNLAP
  27. 49| : : :--|LANECLOSURE
  28. 53Gershwin brotherIRA
  29. 54Adds to a stuffed suitcase, sayCRAMS
  30. 55Schedule proCPA
  31. 56Choice of bands, for shortAMFM
  32. 57Church nookAPSE
  33. 58|X:X:X:X| |X:X:X:X| |X:X:X:X|TRAFFICJAM
  34. 61CrownPATE
  35. 62Dynamic starter?AERO
  36. 63Fictional region that includes Bag EndSHIRE
  37. 64Slap (at)SWAT
  38. 65"Your turn," on a radioOVER
  39. 66Sent up on social media, sayMEMED

Down

  1. 1Show-offsHOTDOGS
  2. 2Not manyACOUPLE
  3. 3Levy that helped fund the Erie CanalSALTTAX
  4. 4Friend in tough timesALLY
  5. 5Paragraph starter, perhapsTAB
  6. 6ArchiveSTORE
  7. 7Potato pancake for HanukkahLATKE
  8. 8Campfire residueASH
  9. 9"Definitely!"YES
  10. 10Prince Harry, per his memoir's titleSPARE
  11. 11Genomic shapesHELIXES
  12. 12Put up with put-downsATEDIRT
  13. 13Baton wielderMAESTRO
  14. 18Galley implementsOARS
  15. 22Class that may require a change of clothesGYM
  16. 24Leaves in a waiting room?FERN
  17. 25Becomes tiresomeWEARS
  18. 26Brand in the pet aisleALPO
  19. 28Some vintage autosREOS
  20. 32Khaki alternativeCHINO
  21. 33Played the first cardLED
  22. 34Possible score seven points after love-loveADIN
  23. 36FollowTAIL
  24. 37In unison, musicallyADUE
  25. 38Case of emergency?ALLCAPS
  26. 39Source of a large printBEARPAW
  27. 40Card game played with two decksCANASTA
  28. 43Meat stick brandSLIMJIM
  29. 44Commuter's chargeCARFARE
  30. 45Barraged with irrelevant materialSPAMMED
  31. 47HPs, e.g.PCS
  32. 48First tennis player to achieve a Golden SlamGRAF
  33. 50Become acquainted via Gmail, sayEMEET
  34. 51Jump ___ (horror movie staple)SCARE
  35. 52Willing to take part inUPFOR
  36. 56PineACHE
  37. 58Confucian "way"TAO
  38. 59Energize, with "up"REV
  39. 60Suffix with capitalISM

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Dives into — Answer: HASAT
  2. 6. Cause to crack up — Answer: SLAY
  3. 10. Pillow covering — Answer: SHAM
  4. 14. Florida's ___ National Forest — Answer: OCALA
  5. 15. Give quite a shock — Answer: TASE
  6. 16. Antifur org. — Answer: PETA
  7. 17. | $ | $ | $ | $ | — Answer: TOLLBOOTHS
  8. 19. Sheltered from the wind — Answer: ALEE
  9. 20. Charge on imports — Answer: DUTY
  10. 21. Bible-inspired tourist attraction in Williamstown, Ky. — Answer: ARK
  11. 22. Excel spreadsheets, essentially — Answer: GRIDS
  12. 23. Go (for) — Answer: OPT
  13. 24. | : : : | / / — Answer: FREEWAYEXIT
  14. 27. "How dare you!" looks — Answer: GLARES
  15. 29. Tree whose "slippery" variety has medicinal bark — Answer: ELM
  16. 30. Mistake "air" for "heir," say — Answer: ERR
  17. 31. Chick checker of a sort — Answer: SEXER
  18. 32. Put one's hands together — Answer: CLAP
  19. 34. About — Answer: ASTO
  20. 35. Classic Jack Kerouac novel ... or where you'll find 17-, 24-, 49- and 58-Across — Answer: ONTHEROAD
  21. 38. Fundamentals — Answer: ABCS
  22. 41. Helps out — Answer: AIDS
  23. 42. Spinal stack — Answer: DISCS
  24. 46. Grassy grazing ground — Answer: LEA
  25. 47. Wrestling match ender — Answer: PIN
  26. 48. Racer's final go-round — Answer: GUNLAP
  27. 49. | : : :--| — Answer: LANECLOSURE
  28. 53. Gershwin brother — Answer: IRA
  29. 54. Adds to a stuffed suitcase, say — Answer: CRAMS
  30. 55. Schedule pro — Answer: CPA
  31. 56. Choice of bands, for short — Answer: AMFM
  32. 57. Church nook — Answer: APSE
  33. 58. |X:X:X:X| |X:X:X:X| |X:X:X:X| — Answer: TRAFFICJAM
  34. 61. Crown — Answer: PATE
  35. 62. Dynamic starter? — Answer: AERO
  36. 63. Fictional region that includes Bag End — Answer: SHIRE
  37. 64. Slap (at) — Answer: SWAT
  38. 65. "Your turn," on a radio — Answer: OVER
  39. 66. Sent up on social media, say — Answer: MEMED

Down

  1. 1. Show-offs — Answer: HOTDOGS
  2. 2. Not many — Answer: ACOUPLE
  3. 3. Levy that helped fund the Erie Canal — Answer: SALTTAX
  4. 4. Friend in tough times — Answer: ALLY
  5. 5. Paragraph starter, perhaps — Answer: TAB
  6. 6. Archive — Answer: STORE
  7. 7. Potato pancake for Hanukkah — Answer: LATKE
  8. 8. Campfire residue — Answer: ASH. Hint: What’s left after the flames have done their part 🔥
  9. 9. "Definitely!" — Answer: YES
  10. 10. Prince Harry, per his memoir's title — Answer: SPARE
  11. 11. Genomic shapes — Answer: HELIXES
  12. 12. Put up with put-downs — Answer: ATEDIRT
  13. 13. Baton wielder — Answer: MAESTRO
  14. 18. Galley implements — Answer: OARS
  15. 22. Class that may require a change of clothes — Answer: GYM
  16. 24. Leaves in a waiting room? — Answer: FERN
  17. 25. Becomes tiresome — Answer: WEARS
  18. 26. Brand in the pet aisle — Answer: ALPO
  19. 28. Some vintage autos — Answer: REOS
  20. 32. Khaki alternative — Answer: CHINO
  21. 33. Played the first card — Answer: LED
  22. 34. Possible score seven points after love-love — Answer: ADIN
  23. 36. Follow — Answer: TAIL
  24. 37. In unison, musically — Answer: ADUE
  25. 38. Case of emergency? — Answer: ALLCAPS
  26. 39. Source of a large print — Answer: BEARPAW
  27. 40. Card game played with two decks — Answer: CANASTA
  28. 43. Meat stick brand — Answer: SLIMJIM
  29. 44. Commuter's charge — Answer: CARFARE
  30. 45. Barraged with irrelevant material — Answer: SPAMMED
  31. 47. HPs, e.g. — Answer: PCS
  32. 48. First tennis player to achieve a Golden Slam — Answer: GRAF
  33. 50. Become acquainted via Gmail, say — Answer: EMEET
  34. 51. Jump ___ (horror movie staple) — Answer: SCARE
  35. 52. Willing to take part in — Answer: UPFOR
  36. 56. Pine — Answer: ACHE
  37. 58. Confucian "way" — Answer: TAO
  38. 59. Energize, with "up" — Answer: REV
  39. 60. Suffix with capital — Answer: ISM

The answer to “Played the first card” in the New York Times crossword is LED — a 3-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on February 5, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 33-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.

“Played the first card” answer

LED (3 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 LED.

Why the answer is LED

LED is the 3-letter solution that fits "Played the first card" in the NYT Crossword crossword on February 5, 2026 (33-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Played the first card” 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.

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

More clues from the NYT Crossword on February 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 February 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 Thursday 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 “Played the first card”?

The answer is LED, a 3-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 5, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Played the first card”?

3 letters: LED.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on February 5, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 33-Down.

Can “Played the first card” 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 February 5, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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