See 17-Across

Editorially verified for the Sep 22, 2026

20 Across

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A chef pouring sauce over a plated dish.

Clue explained

SAUCE completes 17-Across to make “secret sauce,” a figurative term for the special method or advantage that makes something successful. Literally, sauce is a flavored liquid or condiment served with food.

Clue type:
Cross-reference

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, September 22, 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. 1Kind of salad with bacon and eggs
  2. 5Tally up
  3. 8Trains, in toddler-speak
  4. 11One-named singer with the 2024 #1 hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"
  5. 12Pan handlers?
  6. 13Princess in "The Little Mermaid"
  7. 16"Spring forward" clock setting: Abbr.
  8. 17With 20-Across, hidden key to success ... or what's inside 8- and 11-Across?
  9. 19"Without further ___ ..."
  10. 20See 17-Across
  11. 24Mafia boss
  12. 25One of 40(!) a day supposedly smoked by Mark Twain
  13. 26Really rude person
  14. 27Make extremely happy

Down

  1. 1Includes on an email thread
  2. 2"NOW that makes sense!"
  3. 3Feathery wrap
  4. 4Buoyant attachment on a fishing line
  5. 5"Yes ... that makes sense"
  6. 6Took a nap
  7. 7People of action
  8. 9Come together
  9. 10The "S" of GPS: Abbr.
  10. 13Carne ___
  11. 14Take twos
  12. 15Images on a touchscreen
  13. 18Where a scorpion's stinger is located
  14. 21Football powerhouse in the Peach State, for short
  15. 22Scratching post user
  16. 23"Able was I ___ I saw Elba" (classic palindrome)

The answer to “See 17-Across” in the New York Times Midi crossword is SAUCE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on September 22, 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.

“See 17-Across” answer

SAUCE (5 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 SAUCE.

What does SAUCE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a liquid or semi-liquid substance served with food to add moistness and flavour
  • alcoholic drink
  • impertinence; cheek

When else has “See 17-Across” 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.

September 22, 2026 (most recent) → SAUCE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “See 17-Across”?

The answer is SAUCE, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on September 22, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “See 17-Across”?

5 letters: SAUCE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on September 22, 2026, at 20-Across.

Can “See 17-Across” 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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