Hack novel

Latest answer — September 23, 2026

19 Down

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Clue explained

A potboiler is a quickly written, formulaic novel produced mainly to earn money—a “hack novel.”

Clue type:
Definition
Stack of mass-market paperback novels

Thomas Joseph Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 23, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Suspects’ stories
  2. 7Musical work
  3. 11Bleaching chemical
  4. 12Civil rights great Parks
  5. 13Clash
  6. 14Resting on
  7. 15Web site feature
  8. 17Guitar bar
  9. 20Coldly distant
  10. 23Hoopla
  11. 24Kneecap
  12. 26Turn bad
  13. 27Hurricane part
  14. 28Poorly lit
  15. 29Satellite
  16. 31Genesis name
  17. 32Director Sergio
  18. 33Wilma’s husband
  19. 34Jordan neighbor
  20. 37Bulldog’s school
  21. 39Queen Anne’s house
  22. 43Company bigwig
  23. 44Hearty dish
  24. 45Fresh
  25. 46Allergy sign

Down

  1. 1Fitting
  2. 2Baseball’s Gehrig
  3. 3“-- been swell!”
  4. 4Low singer
  5. 5Cruise stop
  6. 6Citi Field’s forerunner
  7. 7Wise answerer
  8. 8Cook’s protector
  9. 9GI-entertaining org.
  10. 10Easy target
  11. 16Critic, at times
  12. 17Yule song
  13. 18Cherish
  14. 19Hack novel
  15. 21Green shade
  16. 22Prominent
  17. 24Piper of rhyme
  18. 25Yeoman’s “yes”
  19. 30Fly, e.g.
  20. 33Champagne glass
  21. 35Pharaoh symbols
  22. 36School near Windsor
  23. 37Slangy agreement
  24. 38Feller in the woods
  25. 40Clumsy galoot
  26. 41Ahmed of “Sound of Metal”
  27. 42Casual top

The answer to “Hack novel” in the Thomas Joseph crossword is POTBOILER — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Thomas Joseph crossword on September 23, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 19-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Hack novel” answer

POTBOILER (9 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is POTBOILER.

What does POTBOILER mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of POTBOILER is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a book, film, or other creative work produced solely to make the originator a living by catering to popular taste

When else has “Hack novel” appeared?

Thomas Joseph reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

September 23, 2026 (most recent) → POTBOILER. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Hack novel”?

The answer is POTBOILER, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Thomas Joseph crossword on September 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Hack novel”?

9 letters: POTBOILER.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Thomas Joseph crossword on September 23, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 19-Down.

Can “Hack novel” have a different answer?

Yes — Thomas Joseph sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Thomas Joseph answers?

The full grid for September 23, 2026 is on the Thomas Joseph answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Thomas Joseph Crossword is published by King Features Syndicate; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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