What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac
Published by Naitik Mehta · March 31, 2026
Stuck on the clue What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac from the New York Times Daily for March 31, 2026? We have the correct 6-letter answer, including the definition, alternative hints, as well as other answers from the same crossword. Ready to learn more about this clue?
Clue
What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac (6)
Answer
The answer to What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac is The Rat (6 letters).
Why does The Rat fit this clue?
This clue uses a fill-in-the-blank structure where 'What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac' points to THE RAT. The Chinese zodiac follows a twelve-year cycle where each year is represented by a specific animal, and 2020 was indeed the Year of the Rat, which began on January 25, 2020. The rat is the first animal in the zodiac cycle and is associated with traits like intelligence, adaptability, and resourcefulness. This direct factual reference makes the connection between the clue and answer straightforward for anyone familiar with the Chinese calendar system.
What does What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac mean?
We break down each word in the clue and show its dictionary definitions below.
zodiac
noun
•a system of twelve animal signs used in Chinese astrology to represent years in a repeating 12-year cycle
Chinese zodiac
noun
•an ancient classification system that assigns an animal and its characteristics to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle
Where did this clue appear?
This clue appeared as 9-down in the New York Times Daily on March 31, 2026, by Ryan Patrick Smith, edited by Will Shortz. See all answers for this puzzle.
Read the NYT Wordplay column for this puzzle.
NYT Daily — Mar 31, 2026
Get help on the whole puzzle
What does The Rat mean?
noun
•the first animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, representing people born in years like 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, associated with traits like intelligence, resourcefulness, and adaptability
How to use The Rat in a sentence
Here are 3 examples of how to use the word The Rat.
•“According to the Chinese zodiac, 2020 was the Year of the Rat, which occurs every twelve years in the lunar calendar cycle.”
•“People born in the Year of the Rat are said to be intelligent, adaptable, and resourceful according to Chinese astrology.”
•“My grandmother always consults the Chinese zodiac calendar to see if the Rat years will bring good fortune for business ventures.”
Learn about related clues
All clues from the New York Times Daily, Mar 31, 2026 crossword
The New York Times Daily for March 31, 2026 was published by Ryan Patrick Smith and has 78 clues. Curious about all the answers from this crossword puzzle? View all answers here.
Across
Down
Recently added clues
Frequently asked questions about What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac
- What is the answer to What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac?
- The answer is The Rat (6 letters).
- Where did this clue appear?
- This clue was last seen in the New York Times Daily on March 31, 2026.
- How many letters does the answer to What 2020 was a year of, in the Chinese zodiac have?
- The answer has 6 letters: The Rat.
Author
Naitik Mehta
Co-founder
Naitik is a gaming enthusiast who loves solving daily word games and enjoys the friendly competition from time to time. He is the co-founder of Crossword Chef and enjoys thinking about how to make crossword solving more fun for everyone around the world.
Puzzle
NYT Daily — Mar 31, 2026
Get help on the whole puzzle