You come to The Atlantic for the articles; you stay for the addiction that is the “Atlantic Games.” It’s the daily ritual for thousands of problem-solvers looking to flex their logic muscles over coffee. But let’s face it: nothing ruins the vibe like a crossword clue that simply won’t click. Don’t let a single obscure trivia question break your streak. We’ve cracked the codes, solved the ciphers, and filled the brackets, so you don’t have to stress. Here is your daily answer key for the Bracket City, Crossword, Fluxis, and Stacks.
- Today’s The Atlantic Daily Crossword Answer for January 18, 2026
- Today’s The Atlantic Bracket City Answer for January 18, 2026
- Today’s The Atlantic Stacks Answer For January 18, 2026
- Today’s The Atlantic Fluxis Solution for January 18, 2026
Today’s The Atlantic Daily Crossword Answer for January 18, 2026
The Atlantic Crossword is a shapeshifting challenge. It starts the week as a bite-sized 5×5 “mini” on Mondays and grows progressively larger and more diabolical each day, culminating in a large themeless grid on Sundays. That being said, here are the answers for today’s Crossword:
1 Across: [😱] – GASP
5 Across: Sex Education protagonist – OTIS
9 Across: Drink that might be served with an extra-wide straw – BOBA
13 Across: Witch’s cackle, e.g. – EVILLAUGH
15 Across: “Well done!” – BRAVA
17 Across: Extremely loyal friend, maybe – RIDEORDIE
18 Across: Word after ear or Erie – CANAL
19 Across: Notions – IDEAS
20 Across: No longer carrying a torch – OVER
22 Across: Persuasion author Austen – JANE
23 Across: Nuclear-power plant, perhaps – SECRETAGENT
26 Across: Snacks that have a spokescat – CHEETOS
29 Across: Ransack – PILLAGE
31 Across: ___ Tipton (Disney Channel character inspired by Paris Hilton) – LONDON
32 Across: Element in religious iconography – HALO
33 Across: Certain undergraduate degree: abbr. – BAA
34 Across: Start to complete? – AUTO
35 Across: Like echidnas – SPINY
37 Across: Battery, e.g. – TORT
38 Across: Direction opposite NNW – SSE
39 Across: “I dare you!” – DOIT
40 Across: Scrape – ABRADE
42 Across: Garden feature that might provide shade – PERGOLA
44 Across: Volunteer tourist guide, maybe – GREETER
45 Across: Structure built for the 1962 world’s fair – SPACENEEDLE
47 Across: Agricola setting – FARM
48 Across: Rise – SOAR
49 Across: Pelvic bone – ILIUM
53 Across: “I was out of town,” e.g. – ALIBI
55 Across: Meal-delivery device at some sporting events – BRATZOOKA
57 Down: Leaves on the plate, maybe? – BASIL
58 Down: Fully recovered – ALLBETTER
59 Down: “You’re on!” – DEAL
60 Down: Some lipstick shades – REDS
61 Down: Back talk – SASS
1 Down: Ginger, to some – GERI
2 Down: Rapacious – AVID
3 Down: Faction in an argument – SIDE
4 Down: “Be my guest” – PLEASEDO
5 Down: What a coxswain lacks – OAR
6 Down: Successors of the Plantagenets – TUDORS
7 Down: “Mercy!” – IGIVE
8 Down: Ovenware for roasting vegetables – SHEETPAN
9 Down: TV network established by royal charter – BBC
10 Down: Tooth-pain-relief brand – ORAJEL
11 Down: Alternative to a tube? – BANANABOAT
12 Down: Like some fashion at the Met Gala – AVANTGARDE
14 Down: Finish behind – LOSETO
16 Down: Beverage originally brewed mainly by women – ALE
21 Down: Place for parked cars? – RAILYARD
24 Down: Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5, e.g. – CONSOLES
25 Down: Day ___ paint – GLO
26 Down: Way to get closure? – CLASP
27 Down: Alternative to home fries – HOUSESALAD
28 Down: USS ___ (name of several Star Trek vessels) – ENTERPRISE
30 Down: Online publication for foodies – EATER
32 Down: Blackjack request, maybe – HIT
36 Down: Establishment of note? – PIANOBAR
37 Down: Businesses that might make most of their sales in December – TREELOTS
39 Down: ____Ock (nickname for Otto Octavius’s alter ego) – DOC
41 Down: Least populous country in Central America – BELIZE
43 Down: “The____ (country that shares its entireland border with Senegal) – GAMBIA
44 Down: President who preceded Jimmy – GERALD
46 Down: TikToker Alix – EARLE
47 Down: “Smashing!” – FAB
50 Down: Itty-bitty bit – IOTA
51 Down: Instruments popular in Hawaii, for short – UKES
52 Down: Home of Curiosity and Perseverance – MARS
54 Down: Under the weather – ILL
56 Down: Network that hosts an annual A Christmas Story marathon – TBS
Today’s The Atlantic Bracket City Answer for January 18, 2026
Bracket City is a unique trivia-logic hybrid. You are presented with a tournament bracket of 16 items based on a specific category (e.g., “Capital Cities” or “90s Cartoons”). Your goal is to pick the winner of each matchup based on specific criteria given for that day, eventually narrowing it down to one final champion. One wrong pick in the early rounds can ruin your whole bracket. But don’t worry, we have all the answers for you.
- [🎶 “___ he’s a jolly good fellow” 🎶] = for
- [Roger 🏴☠️ or Rancher 🍬] = jolly
- [Rabbit who was framed 🖼️] = Roger
- [like a photo on a gallery wall] = framed
- [China has a Great one] = wall
- [hole you might fall down on the internet 🥕] = Rabbit
- [knitting or paper mache (or papier-mâché, if you insist), e.g.] = craft
- [improbable victor over rock] = paper
- [it might be igneous, metamorphic or punk 🤘] = rock
- [“tag you’re __!”] = it
- [graffiti artist’s signature 🏷️] = tag
- [it’s called an autograph if you’re famous ✍️] = signature
- [sleep___ (event where there might not be much sleeping) 😴🎉] = over
- [“___ mine” (candy heart proposition) 💓] = be
- [trick-or-treating haul] = candy
Today’s The Atlantic Stacks Answer For January 18, 2026
Think of Stacks as Tetris meets Boggle . Letters fall from the top of the screen, and your job is to select adjacent letters to form words and clear the lines before they reach the top. The longer the word, the higher the score, and the more “junk” blocks you destroy. Below are the highest-scoring words found in today’s seed to help you clear the board efficiently. Here are the answers for today’s Stacks, arranged from top to bottom.
- Word 1: SIZE
- Word 2: HALT
- Word 3: WORSE
- Word 4: ARGUING
- Word 5: RETIRES
- Word 6: SIMPLIFY
Follow these steps to get these words:
- Start by dropping the word SIMILE on the left-most side
- Then drop the word RETURN on the left-most side
- Then drop the word GRIEF on the right side
- Then drop the word ROASTS on the right side
- After that, drop the word WHILE on the left-most side
- Finally, drop the word SYZYGY on the right-most side.
Check out more puzzles :
- NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
- Washington Post/LA Times Crossword Hints and Answers
- LA Times Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
- Washington Post Mini Meta Crossword
- Boston Globe Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
- USA Today Crossword Answers
- LinkedIn Answers
Today’s The Atlantic Fluxis Solution for January 18, 2026
Fluxis is a game of vocabulary flow. The objective is to build a chain of words where each subsequent word must start with a specific letter from the previous word, usually the last letter or a highlighted “flux” letter. Points are awarded based on the rarity of the letters used. It requires a deep vocabulary and the ability to think several steps ahead to avoid getting stuck with a letter like ‘X’ or ‘Q’.
Today’s base word is: FEDERAL
- Category 1 : No repeated letters : ALIT
- Category 2: More consonants than vowels : LITERAL
- Category 3: More vowels than consonants : ALOOF
That’s it, folks, for today’s Atlantic Games answers. Do come back tomorrow for a fresh set of solutions and another challenge for your brain.
