NYT Daily • August 3, 2025
Cold War weapon inits.
Answer:
ICBM
Hint:
["Here’s a helpful hint for your crossword:\n\n**\"Nuclear delivery system, for short.\"**\n\nThis hint:\n- Narrows the focus to a type of weapon (nuclear delivery system).\n- Uses \"for short\" to suggest an abbreviation or initialism.\n- Avoids repeating \"Cold War\" or \"initials\" while still guiding the solver toward the answer."]
Explanation:
The clue **"Cold War weapon inits."** leads to the answer **"ICBM"** through the following breakdown: 1. **"Cold War weapon"** – An **ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)** was a key nuclear weapon developed and deployed during the Cold War, making it a fitting answer for this category. 2. **"inits."** – This is an abbreviation for **"initials"** or **"initial letters."** The letters **I, C, B, M** are the first letters of the words in the full term **"Intercontinental Ballistic Missile."** Thus, the clue cleverly combines a historical reference (Cold War weapon) with a wordplay hint (initials) to point to **ICBM**.