Smart ___ (wise guy)

Latest answer — August 28, 2026

17 Down

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

ALECK completes the phrase “smart aleck,” meaning a wise guy or someone who makes irritatingly clever remarks.

Clue type:
Fill-in-the-blank
A cartoon character acting like a smug wise guy.

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 28, 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. 1Frittata ingredients
  2. 5Fortuneteller's card
  3. 10___ Bunny (Bugs Bunny's love interest)
  4. 11State whose standard license plate once had an image of a potato on it
  5. 12Spark a relationship on Tinder, say
  6. 14Author Patchett
  7. 15"I told you so!"
  8. 16Throw in the towel
  9. 19Musician Bega or Reed
  10. 20"You are what you ___"
  11. 23Instruction on a gumball machine
  12. 27Laugh at a joke, in a way
  13. 28Thingy
  14. 29Wearing them with sandals may be considered a fashion faux pas
  15. 30Fella

Down

  1. 1Ice queen in "Frozen"
  2. 2Hospital patient's attire
  3. 3Gleam
  4. 4Raw ingredient in maple syrup
  5. 5Lose steam
  6. 6"Au revoir!"
  7. 7Use for an old shirt
  8. 8"I can't believe I didn't get that"
  9. 9Tater ___
  10. 13Competitive video gaming
  11. 17Smart ___ (wise guy)
  12. 18They're shown in a full smile
  13. 21Word with code, map or rug
  14. 22Seasonal mall elf, say
  15. 23Org. offering a "Free File" option
  16. 24Start of something new?
  17. 25The Kings, on N.B.A. scoreboards
  18. 26Beverage with Orange Lavaburst and Boppin' Strawberry varieties

The answer to “Smart ___ (wise guy)” in the New York Times Midi crossword is ALECK — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 28, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 17-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.

“Smart ___ (wise guy)” answer

ALECK (5 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 ALECK.

What does ALECK mean?

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

(noun)

  • a stupid person

When else has “Smart ___ (wise guy)” 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 28, 2026 (most recent) → ALECK. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Smart ___ (wise guy)”?

The answer is ALECK, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 28, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Smart ___ (wise guy)”?

5 letters: ALECK.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 28, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 17-Down.

Can “Smart ___ (wise guy)” 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 28, 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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