Quick Answer
Clue: “Fantastic” animal in a Roald Dahl novel”
Answer: FOX
Answer length in the grid: 3 letters
Position: 1-Across
The New York Times crossword clue ““Fantastic” animal in a Roald Dahl novel” has the answer FOX, referring to the title character of Fantastic Mr Fox.
Why “FOX” Is the Right NYT Answer
- The children’s book Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl features a clever fox as its title character and hero.The clue’s quotation marks around “Fantastic” plus the mention of a Dahl novel clearly point to that title, so the animal must be a FOX.
- Answer length seals it: the NYT Mini entry is three squares long, and FOX is the standard, confirmed solution in the January 19, 2026 answer key.
What “FOX” Means in Plain English
- A fox is a small, wild canine known for its pointed snout, bushy tail, and reputation for cleverness. In Dahl’s story, Mr Fox uses his wits to outsmart three farmers, which is why he’s described as “fantastic” and why the clue leans on that word.
- So you do not need deep literary knowledge just the association that the “fantastic” Roald Dahl animal is a fox.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Variants
- In the grid, FOX appears as F‑O‑X, so even with crossings you’ll quickly see patterns like F_X or _OX that strongly suggest FOX. Short animal names with distinctive letters like X are popular in Minis because they intersect cleanly with many other answers.
- The same entry often shows up under clues such as “Cunning animal,” “Hunter of hens,” or “Animal in ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.”
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- Quotation marks around a single adjective like “Fantastic” plus an author name are a strong hint that the clue is referencing a book title, not just a general quality.
- When a clue says “animal in a [famous title]” and the slot is three letters, first try FOX, RAT, ANT, or DOG, then confirm with crossings.
Linking well-known children’s books and their title creatures like Fantastic Mr Fox or Charlotte’s Web is a common NYT Mini pattern.
