Goodbyes Crossword Clue: Answer, Meaning and Example Clues

The most common answer to the crossword clue "Goodbyes" is ADIEUS — the plural of the French farewell "adieu" — which appeared in the New York Times Crossword on October 29, 2023 (tryhardguides.com). Other frequent answers include TATAS (5 letters) and FAREWELLS (9 letters), and the right one depends on the letter count your grid gives you.

What Is the Answer to "Goodbyes" in a Crossword?

"Goodbyes" is a plural clue, which means the answer is almost always plural too. Crossword convention matches the grammar of the clue: a plural clue points to a plural answer, while a singular "Goodbye" would point to ADIEU or TATA. This one rule alone eliminates most wrong guesses.

Across clue databases, roughly 40 solutions have been recorded for this clue, but three answers appear far more often than the rest (crossword-solver.io):

Less common but documented answers include AU REVOIRS, SAYONARAS, and TOODLEPIPS. If your grid gives you a different letter count, one of these less frequent options is worth trying.

Why ADIEUS Is the Constructor's Favourite

ADIEU is one of the most useful words in crossword construction. It has a vowel-heavy letter pattern (A-D-I-E-U) that connects easily with crossing entries, which is why it shows up constantly in grids — and its plural ADIEUS followed it into the NYT Sunday puzzle of October 29, 2023. If you see a six-letter slot for "Goodbyes", ADIEUS should be your first guess.

TATAS: The Breezy British Farewell

TATA (plural TATAS) is a chiefly British informal farewell — the cheery wave-and-go of everyday speech. It appeared as the answer to "Goodbyes" in the Telegraph Plusword as recently as February 28, 2026 (crossword-solver.io). The LA Times has also used TATAS for the clue "Breezy goodbyes" (June 23, 2026), which shows how constructors vary the wording while keeping the answer the same.

FAREWELLS: The Formal Nine-Letter Option

When the slot runs to nine letters, FAREWELLS is the go-to answer — documented in the Universal Crossword on January 10, 2022. It is the formal, ceremonial counterpart to the breezy TATAS.

Recent Sightings of the "Goodbyes" Clue

Tracking where a clue has appeared helps you anticipate how your puzzle's editor thinks:

• NYT Crossword — October 29, 2023: "Goodbyes" = ADIEUS (6). Reported by tryhardguides.com and word.tips.
• Telegraph Plusword — February 28, 2026: "Goodbyes" = TATAS (5), per crossword-solver.io.
• Universal Crossword — January 10, 2022: "Goodbyes" = FAREWELLS (9), per crossword-solver.io.
• LA Times Daily — June 23, 2026: "Breezy goodbyes" = TATAS (5), per crossword-solver.io.

American puzzles (NYT, Universal, LA Times) and British puzzles (Telegraph) both use this clue, but British crosswords lean toward TATAS and ADIEUX while American grids favour ADIEUS.

How Crossword Constructors Use Farewell Words

Farewell clues are a rich seam for constructors because farewells exist in every language. A simple clue like "Goodbye" might resolve to BYE, TATA, CIAO, ADIOS, ADIEU, ALOHA, or SHALOM — but the plural "Goodbyes" narrows the field to their plurals. Here is how the same idea is clued at different lengths:

Note the quotation marks: "Goodbye!" in quotes often signals a spoken farewell like TATA, while a bare Goodbye leans toward BYE. These tiny signals are part of standard crossword convention.

Example Clues That Resolve to ADIEUS or TATAS

Constructors rarely repeat a clue word-for-word, so it helps to recognise the variants:

• "Goodbyes" — ADIEUS (NYT, Oct 29, 2023)
• "Breezy goodbyes" — TATAS (LA Times, Jun 23, 2026)
• "Goodbyes, in Paris" — ADIEUX (Times Concise, Mar 9, 2016)
• "They're said at departures" — ADIEUS or GOODBYES itself
• "Parting words" — ADIEUS, FAREWELLS

If the clue adds a nationality — French, Italian, Hawaiian — the answer is usually that language's farewell: ADIEUX, ADDII, or ALOHAS.

Tips for Solving "Goodbyes" and Similar Farewell Clues

1. Check the letter count first. ADIEUS (6), TATAS (5), and FAREWELLS (9) cover the three most common slot lengths.
2. Match the grammar. A plural clue nearly always takes a plural answer; a singular "Goodbye" takes ADIEU or TATA.
3. Read the crossing letters. If your partial fill reads A?IEU?, you have ADIEUS; if it reads TA?A?, it is TATAS.
4. Watch for quotation marks. A quoted "Goodbye!" tends to mean a spoken interjection (TATA, BYE), while an unquoted goodbye is more formal (ADIEU, FAREWELL).
5. Remember the nationality signal. "Goodbye, in Paris" points to ADIEU/ADIEUX; "Goodbye, in Rome" points to CIAO; "Goodbye, in Madrid" points to ADIOS.

For more on how themed clues work, our guide to prize crossword clues shows how constructors signal different clue types, and the crossword books for adults roundup is a good way to practise these conventions at your own pace.

Farewell Words From Other Languages in Crosswords

Crossword constructors are multilingual when saying goodbye, and the farewell lane extends well beyond ADIEUS. French gives you the core pair — ADIEU (5) singular, ADIEUX (6) for explicitly French plural contexts — plus AU REVOIR, which appears in longer slots. Italian contributes CIAO (4), the friendly all-purpose farewell that doubles as a greeting. Hawaiian gives you ALOHA (5), usable for both hello and goodbye, a favourite in themed puzzles. Japanese offers SAYONARA (8) for the long slots. And British-flavoured puzzles love TATA (4) / TATAS (5) — the breezy, cheerful goodbye that answers clues like "breezy goodbyes". The constructor's choice usually hinges on the clue's cultural signal: a French tag ("Goodbyes, in Paris") points at ADIEUX, a breezy tone points at TATAS, an island flavour points at ALOHA. Learn farewells as a language map rather than isolated answers, and the clue's adjectives — breezy, French, Hawaiian — become arrows pointing straight at the right one.