The New York Times Crossword · 10-Across · 4 letters
Private sleeping accommodations? The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed August 19, 2026
Answer
COTS
Why COTS fits
The question mark turns “private” into a military noun: an enlisted private may sleep on a COT. Because the clue asks for plural accommodations, the grid answer is COTS.
Clue signal
The question mark warns that “private” is a rank, not a description of privacy.
COTS meaning
Simple narrow beds of the kind used in barracks, camps, or temporary quarters.
Where this clue appeared
10-Across in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for August 19, 2026.
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