Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?

Latest answer — August 09, 2026

20 Across

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Clue explained

A sectional is a regional qualifying tournament, especially in school or college sports. It is also a sectional sofa, providing the furniture hint in the clue; the question mark signals this double meaning.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A sectional sofa arranged in a living room

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 09, 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. 1Utters
  2. 5Treats, as a sprained ankle
  3. 9Wilson of "Wedding Crashers"
  4. 10Anxiety about skipping a party, for short
  5. 11Pumpkin carving season
  6. 12"___ a Fun Age" (2019 best-selling book)
  7. 13Up to, informally
  8. 14Keanu Reeves's role in "The Matrix"
  9. 15How herbs and spices may be added, in a recipe
  10. 19Modern rock band fronted by Jeff Tweedy
  11. 20Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?
  12. 24Track shape
  13. 25Italian city with an attraction tilted like this clue's letters
  14. 26Term of endearment akin to "sweetie"
  15. 27Digital marketplace for crafters

Down

  1. 1Word before launch or taco
  2. 2Look forward to
  3. 3Part of a pickup line in New York?
  4. 4The letters missing from comedy actor "Adam _a_d_er," fittingly
  5. 5Hypotheticals
  6. 6"For sure!"
  7. 7Awards show host
  8. 8Manhattan neighborhood near Greenwich Village
  9. 16This puzzle's is "Take the L"
  10. 17Boxer Muhammad
  11. 18Listerine rival
  12. 20Weep
  13. 21Actress Longoria
  14. 22Pompous sort
  15. 23Set (down)

The answer to “Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?” in the New York Times Midi crossword is SECTIONAL — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 9, 2026 at 20-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.

“Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?” answer

SECTIONAL (9 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's SECTIONAL.

What does SECTIONAL mean?

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

(adjective)

  • relating to a section or subdivision of a larger whole

When else has “Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?” 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 9, 2026 (most recent) → SECTIONAL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?”?

The answer is SECTIONAL, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?”?

9 letters: SECTIONAL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 9, 2026, at 20-Across.

Can “Regional qualifying tournament ... or a hint to the furniture seen twice in this puzzle?” 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 today's NYT Midi answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the NYT Midi answers page.

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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