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Daily Newsday Crossword

“Tough puzzle”

The verified answer to the Newsday Crossword clue “Tough puzzle”, with letter-by-letter analysis and the full puzzle context for the Sunday, May 17, 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 Sunday puzzle

The Answer

P O S E R

The answer to “Tough puzzle” is POSER

Letters 5
Direction Down
Published May 17, 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 “Tough puzzle” appeared in the Newsday Crossword on Sunday, May 17, 2026 as a down entry. The verified answer is POSER — 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 POSER

POSER has been used as the answer for these Newsday Crossword clues

More clues from the May 17, 2026 puzzle

Sunday Newsday Crossword
View full puzzle
__ Holiness (papal title) 3 ℓ · A No longer edible 5 ℓ · D Sore feeling 4 ℓ · D Just about 6 ℓ · D Journey segment 3 ℓ · D Bidding event 7 ℓ · D "Cat's in the Cradle" singer 11 ℓ · D Showroom sample 4 ℓ · D "You __ goin' nowhere!" 4 ℓ · D Have the lead role 4 ℓ · D Abundant source 5 ℓ · D Miles off 4 ℓ · A Baseball great Ripken 3 ℓ · D Grammy category 3 ℓ · D Jet speed measure 4 ℓ · D Remove, as a door 7 ℓ · D Creator of the Musketeers 5 ℓ · A Part of BTU 4 ℓ · D Of motives 6 ℓ · A Snakebird of the south 7 ℓ · D

Frequently asked questions about “Tough puzzle”

What is the answer to “Tough puzzle” in the Newsday Crossword?

The verified answer is POSER — a 5-letter word that appeared as a down entry on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Tough puzzle”?

The answer POSER contains 5 letters.

Was “Tough puzzle” 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.

Tough puzzle — Newsday Crossword Clue Answer | Newsday Crossword Answers