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Daily Newsday Crossword

“Car in the lead”

The verified answer to the Newsday Crossword clue “Car in the lead”, with letter-by-letter analysis and the full puzzle context for the Friday, January 9, 2026 puzzle.

Published · Down · 5 letters

Hints first

Letters 5
First letter P
Last letter R
P ? ? ? R

A 5-letter down entry from the Friday puzzle

The Answer

P A C E R

The answer to “Car in the lead” is PACER

Letters 5
Direction Down
Published Jan 9, 2026

Letter analysis: the 5-letter answer

Vowels, consonants, and crossword construction notes
Unique 5 of 5 positions
Vowels 2 40% of word
Consonants 3 non-vowels
First letter P starts with

The clue “Car in the lead” appeared in the Newsday Crossword on Friday, January 9, 2026 as a down entry. The verified answer is PACER — a 5-letter word that begins with P and ends with R.

This answer contains 2 vowels and 3 consonants. The Newsday Crossword is published daily by Newsday on Long Island and edited by Stan Newman, whose Saturday Stumper is widely considered one of the toughest mainstream crosswords in print.

Other clues with the answer PACER

PACER has been used as the answer for these Newsday Crossword clues
“Runner in the lead” Feb 10, 2026

More clues from the January 9, 2026 puzzle

Friday Newsday Crossword
View full puzzle
Detroit River's destination 4 ℓ · D Cardinal point 4 ℓ · D Moves fast 4 ℓ · D Bump, as a bluffer 6 ℓ · D Extremely small 6 ℓ · D Map app 4 ℓ · A "Later!" 4 ℓ · A Prince, for instance 3 ℓ · D Wears down 5 ℓ · D Breaks ground 4 ℓ · A Uncommon sense 3 ℓ · D Soap south of the border 10 ℓ · D PennStater recipient 4 ℓ · D Dauntless 6 ℓ · D Solemn endorsement 4 ℓ · D Scoff (at) 6 ℓ · D Common beach policy 6 ℓ · D Majority 10 ℓ · A Assails 6 ℓ · D Wine variety 4 ℓ · A

Frequently asked questions about “Car in the lead”

What is the answer to “Car in the lead” in the Newsday Crossword?

The verified answer is PACER — a 5-letter word that appeared as a down entry on Friday, January 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Car in the lead”?

The answer PACER contains 5 letters.

Was “Car in the lead” an across or down clue?

This clue ran as a Down entry.

Is this site affiliated with Newsday?

No. This is an independent fan reference site — we are not affiliated with Newsday. The Newsday Crossword is a trademark of its respective owner. We solve and verify each Newsday Crossword puzzle manually before publishing the answer key.

Car in the lead — Newsday Crossword Clue Answer | Newsday Crossword Answers