The answer to "Nursing spot" in the NYT Crossword is TEAT — four letters, the part of a mammal's body from which the young nurse.
Why TEAT?
This clue is a straight definition hiding behind a slightly awkward word. "Nursing" here has nothing to do with hospitals — it means feeding at the breast, the way a calf nurses from its mother. And the "spot" is the teat: the nipple of a mammary gland from which milk is drawn. Put them together and the answer is almost embarrassingly literal, which is exactly why it trips people up. Solvers see "nursing" and think nurse, hospital, bedside — but the clue is pointing at a farm, not a ward.
The answer is confirmed in the NYT Crossword of January 8, 2026, and it has appeared in the NYT Mini too — "What a calf drinks from" clued TEAT on August 28, 2025. That's a useful pattern to notice: constructors rotate a small family of clues around this answer ("Milk source," "Milker's handful," "Handful on the farm"), all pointing at the same four letters. Once you've learned the family, the answer becomes automatic.
Solving Tip: Strip the Clue to Its Barest Meaning
When a clue pairs a gerund like "nursing" with a plain noun like "spot," ask what the most physical, literal reading is. "Nursing" = feeding young. "Spot" = a specific place on the body. That leaves you with the anatomy of feeding — and TEAT is the classic four-letter crossword answer for it. UDDER is the usual alternative, but at five letters it won't fit a four-letter slot, which is a quick way to decide between the two before any crosses are in.
It also helps to remember that NYT clues love this kind of misdirection-by-association. "Nursing" sounds medical, but the puzzle wants the barnyard. Whenever a clue's first association feels too easy, look for the second meaning — that's where the answer usually lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer to "Nursing spot" in the NYT Crossword?
TEAT, with four letters — the nipple of a mammary gland, where nursing takes place.
When did "Nursing spot" last appear in the NYT Crossword?
January 8, 2026, with the answer TEAT.
What are other clues for TEAT?
"What a calf drinks from," "Milk source," "Milker's handful," and "Handful on the farm" — all NYT-tested clues for the same answer.
Could the answer be UDDER instead?
Only if the slot has five letters. For a four-letter "nursing" clue, TEAT is the answer; UDDER is its longer cousin for a different grid.