‘With 4-and 5-across, opposite of a fantasy island’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

There’s nothing more enjoyable than getting a challenging crossword clue, which is what we’ve got today in NYT crossword with the “With 4- and 5-across, opposite of a fantasy land” clue. And yes, this means this one’s a three-clue problem.

This three-part clue is from the Sept. 19 NYT Mini Crossword, and it’s a challenge when you have no letters to get started. If you need a hint (or the answers), you’ll find them below.

‘With 4- and 5-across, opposite of a fantasy land’ NYT Mini Crossword clue Sept. 19 hints and answer

• Hint 1: The first word starts with “T.”
• Hint 2: The second word starts with “R.”
• Hint 3: The third word starts with ‘W.”
• Hint 4: When combined, the three answers are also the name of MTV’s longest-running reality TV show, which aired in 1992.

The answer to the “With 4- and 5-across, opposite of a fantasy land” clue from the Sept. 19 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, and the answers to its corresponding four and five across clues is “THE REAL WORLD.” The “real world” is usually a phrase that refers to things as they are and not how we imagine, view, or read about them.

All clues and answers from the Sept. 19 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

Across

• 1A With 4- and 5-across, opposite of a fantasy land— THE
• 4A See 1-across — REAL
• 5A See 1-across — WORLD
• 6A Bend in the road — CURVE
• 7A Be in the driver’s seat — STEER

Down

• 1D French for “earth” — TERRE
• 2D Slice in two — HALVE
• 3D ____statesman — ELDER
• 4D Overwhelming victory — ROUT
• 5D Rooms with toilets, in European shorthand — WCS

How difficult is the NYT crossword clue ‘With 4- and 5-across, opposite of a fantasy land’ to solve?

All I could see were the three areas highlighted, and I knew I’d be in trouble because there was no way to know what these three words were just from the clue. I had to solve a few of the other clues just to guess the answer to this one, and that had its own troubles. Because of this, and the fact it had three parts, I’d give it a four out of five in difficulty.

Best 4 games to play after today’s NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

Now you’ve finished this challenging puzzle, why not try mini crosswords from the LA Times or Washington Post? But if you enjoy themed word searches, try Strands or Spelling Bee.