The clue “how someone might be caught” in the New York Times crossword is answered with the 6‑letter entry ONTAPE.

Quick Scoop

For the January 3, 2026 New York Times crossword, multiple crossword helper sites list “how someone might be caught” as a clue whose confirmed answer is ONTAPE. These databases track NYT clues and show that “ONTAPE” was used for this clue in the Jan. 3, 2026 puzzle.

Why “ON TAPE” Fits

  • It describes a way a person might be caught or incriminated, as in being recorded on audio or video.
  • Crossword archives specifically pair this wording with “ONTAPE” as a 6‑letter solution in the NYT entry for that date.

Extra Crossword Context

  • Helper sites often show where and when a clue last appeared, and here they list New York Times, January 3, 2026, with “ONTAPE” as the matching answer.
  • They also group “ONTAPE” with similar clue patterns such as “Available as evidence, maybe” or “Like evidence gathered in some stings,” reinforcing the same idea.

TL;DR: For “how someone might be caught” (NYT), the answer you want is ONTAPE.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.