Hair-hardening stuff

Latest answer — March 20, 2026

23 Down

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NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Friday, March 20, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1___ B, rapper with the 2025 hit album "Am I the Drama?"
  2. 6Q-tip, e.g.
  3. 10Approximately
  4. 11Lose color
  5. 12Milwaukee's N.B.A. team
  6. 13Boatloads
  7. 14It opens doors for you
  8. 15Seller of the Skogsta dinner table and Kivik sofa
  9. 16Pets that share about 95% of their DNA with tigers
  10. 18Explosive stuff
  11. 19"Come again?"
  12. 20"Sup, bro!"
  13. 21Big pig that digs
  14. 24Intense anger
  15. 25"___ vey!" (Yiddish "yeesh!")
  16. 26___ out a living
  17. 27Kind of salad with bacon, blue cheese, eggs, tomatoes and chicken
  18. 29Object of adoration
  19. 30What a bibliophile prizes
  20. 33Putting up with
  21. 34Something that does tricks ... such as those at 3- and 7-Down

Down

  1. 1Lyft alternative
  2. 2___ Dhabi
  3. 3Do a new parent's job
  4. 4"Put up your ___!"
  5. 5Teeny-tiny
  6. 6Home country of Miguel de Cervantes and Federico García Lorca
  7. 7Do a pet owner's job
  8. 8Balm that soothes sunburns
  9. 9b
  10. 16Smartly dressed
  11. 17___ borealis
  12. 1834-Across, e.g.
  13. 20"___ te amo" ("I love you," in Spanish)
  14. 22"All right already! I hear you!"
  15. 23Hair-hardening stuff
  16. 28Pizazz
  17. 29Molecule that has gained or lost electrons
  18. 31Surname in the ice cream aisle
  19. 32Dating app description

The answer to “Hair-hardening stuff” in the New York Times Midi crossword is GEL — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on March 20, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 23-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.

“Hair-hardening stuff” answer

GEL (3 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 GEL.

Why the answer is GEL

GEL is the 3-letter solution that fits "Hair-hardening stuff" in the NYT Midi crossword on March 20, 2026 (23-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does GEL mean?

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

(noun)

  • a thick, clear, slightly sticky substance, especially one used in cosmetic or medicinal products
  • a semi-rigid slab or cylinder of an organic polymer used as a medium for the separation of macromolecules

When else has “Hair-hardening stuff” 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.

March 20, 2026 (most recent) → GEL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Hair-hardening stuff”?

The answer is GEL, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on March 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Hair-hardening stuff”?

3 letters: GEL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on March 20, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 23-Down.

Can “Hair-hardening stuff” 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 March 20, 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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