Solution: Giant competitor - NYT Crossword

Nice example of a veiled capital clue, where the first word in the clue is capitalized not just because it is the beginning of a sentence, but also because the clue is “hiding” a trick. In the clue “Giant competitor,” we’re not thinking of a large corporation, we’re thinking of a competitor to a player on the San Francisco Giants baseball team. The answer in this puzzle is PADRE, as in a player for the San Diego team. Want more practice with those devious veiled capital clues? There’s help in our solving guide under the “Cracking the Harder Clues” tab.