The word "decimate" initially meant to reduce something by a factor of this

The answer to “The word "decimate" initially meant to reduce something by a factor of this” in the New York Times Mini crossword is TEN — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Mini crossword on July 27, 2026 at 4-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.

“The word "decimate" initially meant to reduce something by a factor of this” answer

TEN (3 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 TEN.

Why the answer is TEN

A Roman punishment that took one in every ten, not the modern usage, points to this number 🔟

What does TEN mean?

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

When else has “The word "decimate" initially meant to reduce something by a factor of this” appeared?

New York Times Mini 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.

July 27, 2026 (most recent) → TEN. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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