“Tough times”
The verified answer to the Newsday Crossword clue “Tough times”, with letter-by-letter analysis and the full puzzle context for the Friday, January 9, 2026 puzzle.
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The Answer
The answer to “Tough times” is ORDEALS
Letter analysis: the 7-letter answer
Vowels, consonants, and crossword construction notesThe clue “Tough times” appeared in the Newsday Crossword on Friday, January 9, 2026 as a down entry. The verified answer is ORDEALS — a 7-letter word that begins with O and ends with S.
This answer contains 3 vowels and 4 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 ORDEALS
ORDEALS has been used as the answer for these Newsday Crossword cluesMore clues from the January 9, 2026 puzzle
Friday Newsday CrosswordFrequently asked questions about “Tough times”
What is the answer to “Tough times” in the Newsday Crossword?
The verified answer is ORDEALS — a 7-letter word that appeared as a down entry on Friday, January 9, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “Tough times”?
The answer ORDEALS contains 7 letters.
Was “Tough times” 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.