Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped

The answer to “Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped” in the New York Times crossword is EVILEST — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 4, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 13-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.

“Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped” answer

EVILEST (7 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 EVILEST.

When else has “Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped” appeared?

New York Times 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 4, 2026 (most recent) → EVILEST. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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