Quick Answer
Clue: “Announcement that causes groans among travelers”
Answer: DELAY
Answer length: 5 letters
Clue number and direction: 4-Across
The New York Times crossword clue “Announcement that causes groans among travelers” is answered with DELAY, the dreaded word travelers hear for flights, trains, and buses.
Why DELAY Is the Right NYT Answer
- Travelers groan when they hear that a flight or train is delayed, because it means plans are being pushed back.
- Crossword helper sites and recap pages for the January 30, 2026 NYT Mini explicitly give DELAY as the 5-letter solution for this clue.
- The clue’s wording “announcement that causes groans” matches the typical PA or app message: “Your flight has been delayed,” making DELAY a natural, on-the-nose fill.
What DELAY Means in Plain English
- Delay, as a noun, is the situation where something happens later than planned or expected.
- In travel, a delay means your departure or arrival time has been pushed back, often causing missed connections, schedule changes, and long waits.
- So this clue is simply pointing to that familiar, frustrating travel scenario summed up in a single word: DELAY.
Crossword-Specific Help for DELAY
- In the grid, DELAY appears as D E L A Y; with crossings you might see D_LAY or DE_A_, which both quickly resolve once you recognize the travel-announcement angle.
- DELAY shows up often in crosswords with clues like “Hold up,” “Postponement,” “Push back,” or direct references to travel disruptions.
- Because it’s common vocabulary and has a friendly letter mix, DELAY is a go-to 5-letter entry for “travel woes” or “postponement” clues.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- For 5-letter clues like “Travel announcement that causes groans,” “Flight status no one wants,” “Airport board bummer,” think DELAY first.
- Watch for verbs like “postpone” or nouns like “setback” in clue wording NYT often distills them to DELAY when the slot is 5 letters.
If you have D_LAY or _ELAY in a travel or scheduling context, DELAY is almost always the intended fill.
More NYT Mini Crossword Answers for January 30, 2026
| Clue | Answer | |
| 1A | “Top Gear” | View Answer |
| 6A | Announcement that causes groans among travelers | View Answer |
| 7A | Middle of a drum kit, typically | View Answer |
| 8A | Political staffers | View Answer |
| 9A | Bottom-line figure | View Answer |
| 1D | French-speaking nation in West Africa | View Answer |
| 2D | Sharp part of a sword | View Answer |
| 3D | This text mark: ^ | View Answer |
| 4D | Left-leaning political org. | View Answer |
| 5D | “Right you are!” | View Answer |
