Grooves made by wheels

Latest answer — August 31, 2026

12 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

RUTS are grooves or tracks worn into the ground by passing wheels. The plural fits “grooves.”

Clue type:
Definition
Deep grooves left by vehicle tires on a dirt road

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 31, 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. 1Org. behind the Voyager missions
  2. 5Subj. for a business major
  3. 9Uptight, colloquially
  4. 10Musician Ono
  5. 11Low-lying area, poetically
  6. 12Grooves made by wheels
  7. 13Abbreviation before an alias
  8. 14New ___, capital of India
  9. 15Affectionate nickname for James
  10. 17Bear's home
  11. 18Appetizer bit that's shaped like two of its letters
  12. 20Regret
  13. 21Cereal piece that's shaped like four of its letters
  14. 27Deserve
  15. 28Diminutive mentor for Luke Skywalker
  16. 29The "E" in a B.E.C. sandwich
  17. 30Tina of "Mean Girls"

Down

  1. 1Native American language used by many code talkers in W.W. II
  2. 2Boy whose shadow looks like Darth Vader on a movie poster for "The Phantom Menace"
  3. 3Pepperoni is a type of it
  4. 4India pale ___
  5. 5"Jane ___" (Charlotte Brontë novel)
  6. 6"Pleeeease?"
  7. 7"That was a pretty strange thing to say"
  8. 8Snooping (around)
  9. 14Breakfast item that's shaped like one of its letters
  10. 16Element #5
  11. 19Depend (on)
  12. 21Consultant's charge
  13. 22Piece of old cloth, perhaps
  14. 23End of many a nonprofit URL
  15. 24"That's rough!"
  16. 25Poem of praise
  17. 26Pony up

The answer to “Grooves made by wheels” in the New York Times Midi crossword is RUTS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 31, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 12-Across. 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.

“Grooves made by wheels” answer

RUTS (4 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 RUTS.

What does RUTS mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of a deer or other mammal) engage in the rut or annual period of sexual activity

When else has “Grooves made by wheels” appeared?

New York Times Midi 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.

August 31, 2026 (most recent) → RUTS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Grooves made by wheels”?

The answer is RUTS, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 31, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Grooves made by wheels”?

4 letters: RUTS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 31, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 12-Across.

Can “Grooves made by wheels” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times Midi 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 NYT Midi answers?

The full grid for August 31, 2026 is on the NYT Midi answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Midi Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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