‘Sword for a pirate’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clues answer and hints

Have you ever wanted to become a pirate and engage in naval combat? Today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue is “Sword for a pirate,” which tests your knowledge of weapons that pirates use to eliminate other enemy pirates to maintain their reign of terror in the seas.

If you’re facing a roadblock with today’s NYT Mini Crossword, you can use our hints to solve the clues and breeze through the word games.

‘Sword for a pirate’ NYT Nov. 4 Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: The answer is a type of sword with a curved blade, often used in cavalry or naval battles.
• Hint 2: The five-letter solution is a weapon seen in many pirate movies, though it’s not the iconic cutlass pirates use.
• Hint 3: It starts with the letter “S.”
• Hint 4: The solution is a sword used for slashing, not stabbing during the duels.

Let’s jump in and reveal the answer.

The answer to three down in the Nov. 4 New York Times Mini Crossword is “SABER.” The Sabers are known for their single-edged, curved blade, which made them ideal for slashing during naval combat. Pirates in stories and movies are commonly depicted wielding curved swords, and the saber fits the description of the clue perfectly.

‘Sword for a pirate’ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating

Once I started to solve today’s NYT Crossword, I thought the answer to the “Sword for a Pirate” would be a no-brainer and was cutlass. But as I solved the crossword, I realized that the clue showed another of the pirate swords famous for their usage in films during action-packed pirate battles on the seas. 

If you’re like me and cutlasses were your go-to choice for the clue, well you will have to dig deeper and focus on the pirates on the big screens. So, I’d give it a five out of five for difficulty.

NYT Mini Crossword (Nov. 4) answers

Across

• 1A Comedy club hosts, for short — MCS
• 4A Make very happy — ELATE
• 7A Moving day sticker — LABEL
• 8A With 5-Down, group loaded with superstars — DREAM
• 9A The third and fourth wrong guesses in hangman, maybe — ARMS

Down

• 1D Vulcan mind ___ (Spock specialty) — MELD
• 2D Red Cross founder Barton — CLARA
• 3D Sword for a pirate — SABER
• 5D See 8-Across — TEAM
• 6D Stately shade trees — ELMS

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

If the NYT Mini Crossword word games feel overwhelming, you can give the LA Times and Washington Post a try to sharpen your puzzle-solving skills. However, you can also break away from traditional crosswords and try the Strands and Spelling Bee to increase your vocabulary.