A little hoarse NYT crossword clue

The answer to the clue “A little hoarse” is RASPY. This word describes a voice that sounds rough, scratchy, or slightly strained—often due to overuse, illness, or emotional intensity. The clue plays on the homophone “hoarse,” which refers to a vocal condition, not the animal “horse,” leading to a clever bit of wordplay.

Crossword clues like this one often use puns or subtle misdirection. “A little hoarse” might initially mislead solvers into thinking about animals, but in reality, it’s pointing toward a minor case of vocal roughness. The adjective RASPY perfectly fits that description.