Alternative to a cup

Latest answer — April 23, 2026

38 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, April 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"Truth be told ..."
  2. 7"___ so!" (German "I see!")
  3. 10Hoax
  4. 14Big name in skin care
  5. 15Leader whose face is shown on renminbi notes
  6. 16Ashen
  7. 17Spot for a catnap?
  8. 19Innings : baseball :: ___ : curling
  9. 20Lead-in to Geo
  10. 21Symbol of mass density
  11. 22They're noisy little buggers
  12. 24Kinkajou cousin
  13. 26Expected outcome
  14. 27Circa
  15. 29Experience deep affirmation, in modern lingo
  16. 33On guard
  17. 34Center
  18. 35Opus ___
  19. 36Follower of open or closed, sartorially
  20. 37Spaghetti-strapped tops, informally
  21. 38Pass (out)
  22. 39Reaction to a sock
  23. 40Tasty item that, paradoxically, can have "ugh" in the middle
  24. 41Queen's collaborator on the 1981 hit "Under Pressure"
  25. 42What the "Music City Miracle" and the "Immaculate Reception" took place in
  26. 44Alternative to bow ties
  27. 45It might follow "ye"
  28. 46"___ days are gone"
  29. 48Test release?
  30. 51Qt. or pt.
  31. 52G.I. entertainers
  32. 55Trawling, say
  33. 56When many rainbows appear
  34. 59Like some chances
  35. 60Steering aid
  36. 61Sign on a restroom door
  37. 62Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu, in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie"
  38. 63Science guy Bill
  39. 64Ring combo

Down

  1. 1Babe in the woods
  2. 2Adidas competitor
  3. 3*Material for a sidewalk
  4. 4Media exec Sarandos
  5. 5"You game?"
  6. 6*To a degree
  7. 7"Why ___ even here?"
  8. 8It might come after trig
  9. 9*Lack of pulchritude
  10. 10Pickle portions
  11. 11Something that's kept in the family ... or a hint to making sense of three pairs of answers in this puzzle
  12. 12Alan of "M*A*S*H"
  13. 13State of a playroom, often
  14. 18Lush
  15. 23Young stud
  16. 24Bungee jumping necessity
  17. 25"Assuming there's no other option for me ..."
  18. 27Withdrawn
  19. 28*Choice cut
  20. 30Go over for publication
  21. 31Start of a counting rhyme
  22. 32Company that famously used the Beatles' "Revolution" in a 1987 TV commercial
  23. 33Lots and lots
  24. 34Thick locks
  25. 37*Supermarket shopper's clipping
  26. 38Alternative to a cup
  27. 40Owie kissers, perhaps
  28. 41Member of a wedding party
  29. 43Twinkles
  30. 44*Sport that uses mallets
  31. 47"You ___ me worried!"
  32. 48Something to be done
  33. 49Louisiana's Grand ___ State Park
  34. 50Speak while looking up, perhaps
  35. 52Foot or stone
  36. 53Goulash, e.g.
  37. 54Really, really
  38. 57Wrath
  39. 58Weird Al's "___ to a Superhero"

The answer to “Alternative to a cup” in the New York Times crossword is CONE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 23, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 38-Down, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. 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.

“Alternative to a cup” answer

CONE (4 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 CONE.

Why the answer is CONE

CONE is the 4-letter solution that fits "Alternative to a cup" in the NYT Crossword crossword on April 23, 2026 (38-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does CONE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a solid or hollow object which tapers from a circular or roughly circular base to a point
  • the dry fruit of a conifer, typically tapering to a rounded end and formed of a tight array of overlapping scales on a central axis which separate to release the seeds
  • one of two types of light-sensitive cell in the retina of the eye, responding mainly to bright light and responsible for sharpness of vision and colour perception

When else has “Alternative to a cup” 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Alternative to a cup”?

The answer is CONE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Alternative to a cup”?

4 letters: CONE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on April 23, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 38-Down. Earlier appearances: March 15, 2026 → CONE.

Can “Alternative to a cup” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times 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 Crossword answers?

The full grid for April 23, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times 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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