Beginning of a story, for a journalist NYT Crossword Clue

By Emre Parlak / January 13, 2026

Crossword Answer

1 ? L

2 ? E

3 ? D

4 ? E

Hint

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Drag letters from the pool into “Your Answer”, then reorder them to match the solution.

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Current guess: —

Letter Pool

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Hint 1

hint

Reveal Hint

Think of what grabs your attention at the start of a news article, but spelled in a unique way.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

???? is the introductory section of a news story that summarizes the most important aspects.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

In journalism, the '????' refers to the introductory section of a news story, designed to grab the reader's attention. This spelling is used to avoid confusion with 'lead,' which can also refer to a type of metal. The clue hints at the starting point of a narrative specifically for journalists.

Hint 4

another clue

Reveal Hint

Opening of a news article, in journalism lingo, News story starter

NYT Crossword January 13 2026 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

1 ? L
2 ? A
3 ? G
4 ? T
5 ? H
6 ? E
7 ? T
8 ? A
9 ? B
10 ? A
11 ? L
12 ? I
13 ? A
? L
? E
14 ? C
? O
? L
? A
? S
15 ? E
? X
? E
? C
16 ? W
? I
? N
17 ? H
? O
? L
? L
? A
18 ? A
? I
? D
? E
19 ? N
? E
? O
20 ? N
? A
? T
? A
? L
? N
21 ? U
? R
? S
? E
22 ? S
? N
? A
? I
? L
23 ? A
? R
? C
24 ? C
? L
25 ? I
26 ? O
27 ? S
28 ? A
? U
29 ? R
30 ? A
31 ? M
32 ? E
33 ? C
? H
? A
? N
? I
? C
34 ? A
? L
? B
? U
? L
35 ? L
36 ? C
? L
? U
? E
37 ? C
? L
? O
? D
? S
38 ? N
? I
? A
39 ? A
? L
? T
40 ? C
? A
? R
? N
? E
41 ? B
? A
? N
? D
42 ? T
? E
? C
43 ? T
? O
? N
? I
? C
? P
44 ? L
? A
? T
? E
? S
45 ? N
? O
? I
? R
46 ? G
? E
? T
? A
? T
47 ? M
? G
48 ? S
49 ? P
? I
50 ? T
51 ? C
52 ? H
53 ? W
54 ? E
? W
? I
? L
55 ? L
56 ? R
57 ? O
? C
? K
? Y
? O
? U
58 ? J
? A
? V
? A
59 ? O
? M
? A
? H
? A
60 ? P
? U
? N
61 ? O
? V
? A
? L
62 ? P
? A
? I
? N
? T
63 ? E
? L
? K
64 ? G
? E
? N
? Z
65 ? S
? O
? L
? O
? S
66 ? A
? D
? S

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Beginning of a story, for a journalist Crossword Clue

12D

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Clue Analysis

The answer to “Beginning of a story, for a journalist” in the New York Times puzzle January 13 2026 is LEDE. Quite straight and simple! Complete your daily NYT crossword challenge with this solution.

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Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

At Daze Puzzle, we understand that every clue is a puzzle within a larger puzzle. Our team of dedicated human experts and puzzle lovers solves these challenges daily to help you succeed. Below, we answer common questions about this specific clue.

A: The most common and recent 4-letter answer for "Beginning of a story, for a journalist" is LEDE.

A: In journalism, the 'lede' refers to the introductory section of a news story, designed to grab the reader's attention. This spelling is used to avoid confusion with 'lead,' which can also refer to a type of metal. The clue hints at the starting point of a narrative specifically for journalists.

A: This clue was last seen in the NYT Crossword on January 13, 2026.

A: Lede is the introductory section of a news story that summarizes the most important aspects.

A: Opening of a news article, in journalism lingo, News story starter

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Beginning of a story, for a journalist NYT Crossword Clue

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