Quick Answer
Clue: “Lifeguard’s skill, for short”
Answer: CPR
Length: 3 letters
Clue number and direction: 1-Across
The New York Times crossword clue “Lifeguard’s skill, for short” is answered with “CPR”, a 3-letter entry.
Why CPR Is the Right NYT Answer
- The clue points to a key emergency ability a lifeguard must have, and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is a standard, required skill for lifeguards.
- The “for short” tag signals that the grid wants an abbreviation rather than the full phrase, which fits perfectly with the three-letter entry CPR.
- With 3 boxes for 1-Across, CPR is the only common, lifesaving skill abbr. that cleanly matches both the length and the profession-based context in NYT crosswords.
What CPR Means in Plain English
- CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, an emergency procedure used when someone’s heart or breathing has stopped. It involves firm, repeated chest compressions, often with rescue breaths, to keep blood and oxygen moving until advanced help arrives.
- Lifeguards are typically trained and certified in CPR because it is critical in near-drowning and cardiac emergencies at pools and beaches. This page is for crossword-solving help only, not medical or training advice.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Recurrence
- This answer has appeared in NYT and other major crosswords multiple times with lifeguard- or emergency-related clues, making CPR a familiar entry for regular solvers.
- For 1-Across, crossings from 1-Down, 2-Down, and 3-Down will quickly confirm letters: C in position 1, P in position 2, R in position 3.
- You might also see CPR clued as “Emergency procedure, for short,” “Life-saving technique, briefly,” or “Abbr. on first-aid certs.” in other puzzles.
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- Watch for “for short,” “abbr.,” or “initials” in clues about jobs or skills (lifeguard, EMT, nurse, doc); they almost always indicate an abbreviation like CPR, EMT, or AED.
- For 3-letter emergency or medical skills, CPR is a top candidate whenever the context involves breathing, heart, or rescue situations.
- Fill easy crosses first: even if you’re unsure, a C–P–R pattern with lifeguard or emergency wording should lock the answer in quickly.
Example similar clues that can lead to CPR include “Life-saving technique, briefly,” “Resuscitation method, for short,” or “Emergency response skill: Abbr.”
More NYT Mini Crossword Answers for January 29, 2026
| Clue | Answer | |
| 1A | Lifeguard’s skill, for short | View Answer |
| 4A | Health measure calculated using height and weight: Abbr. | View Answer |
| 7A | “I’ve cracked the code!” | View Answer |
| 8A | Long, long time | View Answer |
| 9A | Like a desert’s climate | View Answer |
| 1D | Header on a company’s website, perhaps | View Answer |
| 2D | Opponent of a Met or Marlin, in the N.L. East | View Answer |
| 3D | Halves of diameters | View Answer |
| 4D | Tech release that’s not the finished product | View Answer |
| 9D | Words from someone hoping to be friends on Facebook | View Answer |
