Bad to the bone

Editorially verified for the Sep 1, 2026

57 Across

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A dark dramatic depiction of a sinister character

Clue explained

“Bad to the bone” describes someone or something thoroughly evil, not merely mildly bad. EVIL is the adjective supplied by the phrase.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom

NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, September 01, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Fill the role of
  2. 6Informed
  3. 10River in which baby Moses was found
  4. 14Comedians' event
  5. 15Sword with a bowl-shaped guard
  6. 16Burden to bear
  7. 17https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil?
  8. 19"Ism" that might result from a schism
  9. 20Conditionally released
  10. 21Tropical fruit with black seeds
  11. 23Some N.F.L. blockers: Abbr.
  12. 24Org. for Martina Hingis and Martina Navratilova
  13. 25Noted magnate on the Titanic
  14. 26https://www.hot-dog.org?
  15. 29Risky bets
  16. 32Convened
  17. 33Shakespearean father of three
  18. 35Dings on a car
  19. 36Out of patience, with "up"
  20. 37Green sauce
  21. 38Prone to throwing caution to the wind
  22. 39Unfavorable review
  23. 40Split, as the Red Sea
  24. 41https://www.zillow.com?
  25. 44Plants that have been around on Earth for 375+ million years
  26. 45O'Hare posting, for short
  27. 46"My guy!"
  28. 49Dabble in
  29. 51Psychedelic experience
  30. 53Like Javan rhinos
  31. 54https://www.congress.gov?
  32. 56Ilhan in Congress
  33. 57Bad to the bone
  34. 58"Not gonna happen!"
  35. 59Pickle
  36. 60Secluded valley
  37. 61Writer ___ Rogers St. Johns

Down

  1. 1Shady spot
  2. 2Dracula, for one
  3. 3Camping covers
  4. 4Where Uzbeks and Uyghurs live
  5. 5Highest-grossing movie of the 1970s
  6. 6Magnetic induction units
  7. 7Andy Taylor's boy on old TV
  8. 8Cry on a tennis court
  9. 9Firmly held
  10. 10"Don't ruin the ending for me!"
  11. 11Genuinely
  12. 12"Peanuts" girl
  13. 13This, in Tijuana
  14. 18HBO's "The White ___"
  15. 22Locale of Coca-Cola's headquarters: Abbr.
  16. 25Like fine wine
  17. 26Amy Poehler's onetime partner on "Weekend Update"
  18. 27Update, perhaps
  19. 28Model Moss
  20. 29Four-term prez
  21. 30Wife of Jacob
  22. 31To the degree that
  23. 34Fishing pole
  24. 36Fidget spinners and Labubu dolls, for two
  25. 37Rose Bowl city
  26. 39Pulled down a pair?
  27. 40Like un homme with a Napoleon complex
  28. 42Distinct stretch of years
  29. 43Think back on
  30. 46Push through
  31. 47Orion's left-foot star
  32. 48"Norma" or "Tosca"
  33. 49Senior event
  34. 50Uncool
  35. 51Indigo dye
  36. 52Rolled out unannounced?
  37. 55Preceding night

The answer to “Bad to the bone” in the New York Times crossword is EVIL — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 1, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 57-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.

“Bad to the bone” answer

EVIL (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 EVIL.

What does EVIL mean?

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

(adjective)

  • profoundly immoral and wicked

When else has “Bad to the bone” 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 1, 2026 (most recent) → EVIL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Bad to the bone”?

The answer is EVIL, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 1, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Bad to the bone”?

4 letters: EVIL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 1, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 57-Across.

Can “Bad to the bone” 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 September 1, 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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