"Balderdash!"

Latest answer — August 23, 2026

61 Across

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A person making a dismissive gesture.

Clue explained

ROT is an interjection meaning nonsense or “balderdash,” as in “That’s rot!”

Clue type:
Definition

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"Awesome!"
  2. 4Many profs
  3. 8What a crush might make you do
  4. 13Predator with dermal denticles
  5. 18Silent film actor Jannings
  6. 20Reclined
  7. 21More intense, as an emotion
  8. 22Early stage of a drug trial
  9. 23Peace symbol
  10. 24Adage promoting thrift
  11. 27Itty-bitty
  12. 29Return filers, for short
  13. 30Barely keeps going, with "along"
  14. 31Fish with leaf-shaped larvae
  15. 32Image on one side of this puzzle's subject
  16. 35Start of a historic triple boast
  17. 37Seminole's rival, in college athletics
  18. 38Liturgical singer
  19. 39Quick cut
  20. 40Subtitle alternative
  21. 43Yogurt drink in Delhi
  22. 45Monklike, in a way
  23. 48Angle variable in geometry
  24. 50Where this puzzle's subject was last made for circulation (in November 2025)
  25. 53Periodical, informally
  26. 55Genre for Siouxsie and the Banshees
  27. 56Duck known for its insulating feathers
  28. 57Make smelly
  29. 59One of 12, astrologically
  30. 61"Balderdash!"
  31. 62"It's Your Business" sloganeer, for short
  32. 63"Omigosh!"
  33. 64Drug enforcer, informally
  34. 66"When We Were Young" singer, 2015
  35. 68Its capital is Roma
  36. 72Nursery rhyme street vendor's cry
  37. 77A failed transaction
  38. 78Good, but not great, grade
  39. 79Tennis great Arthur
  40. 80___ King Cole
  41. 81Fall asleep, with "off"
  42. 82Word with constrictor or feather
  43. 83Goddess of the dawn
  44. 85Car-pooling convenience
  45. 88Taco bar adjective
  46. 91___ Féin
  47. 92___ room
  48. 94Showing less bias
  49. 95Musical staff symbol
  50. 96Aggressive move allowed in some forms of kickboxing
  51. 99"Sounds like a blast!"
  52. 101Mini-gulp
  53. 102Some Ivy Leaguers
  54. 104Meeting that goes above and beyond?
  55. 106Intimate
  56. 110Bitter
  57. 112Image on one side of this puzzle's subject
  58. 115Badge-pinning site
  59. 117Tree where the Buddha found enlightenment
  60. 119Spanish for "wealthy"
  61. 120Get in the game?
  62. 121Offer advice ... or a hint to 24- and 72-Across
  63. 125D'Arcy of "House of the Dragon"
  64. 126Paradise
  65. 127Pucker producer, perhaps
  66. 128Modernists, informally
  67. 129Department store department
  68. 130Vikings, for example
  69. 131Long members of the onion family
  70. 132Nervous
  71. 133Slam

Down

  1. 1Discount merchandise indicator
  2. 2Organism that moves using pseudopodia
  3. 3Change the course of
  4. 4___ del Carmen (Mexican resort)
  5. 5Two farthings, informally
  6. 6Deny responsibility for
  7. 7Like certain easy-to-install hardware components
  8. 8Much of Diego Rivera's work
  9. 9Young Scot
  10. 10"You can count on me"
  11. 11It can become amber
  12. 12Streetcar
  13. 13Doo-wop's ___ Na Na
  14. 14Protected space for women in the Ottoman Empire
  15. 15If necessary
  16. 16Scottish dance
  17. 17Offspring
  18. 19"Enemies, a Love Story" actress
  19. 22"GoodFellas" Oscar winner
  20. 25Perspective
  21. 26Demonstrate frugality, in a way
  22. 28Got tinier
  23. 33Hosts, in brief
  24. 34Tolkien monster
  25. 36Exams for ambitious H.S. students
  26. 39Date night bookings
  27. 41Indigenous people of the Colorado Plateau
  28. 42Setting for many a New Yorker cartoon
  29. 44Having impeded growth
  30. 46Bird with an S-shaped neck
  31. 47Place for pliers
  32. 49Muslim head scarf
  33. 50Target with, as a pickup line
  34. 51Scribe in a courtroom, in brief
  35. 52Prepares for an interview, say
  36. 54Notorious Chicago bootlegger
  37. 58What a dog uses to shake
  38. 60Island location of Iolani Palace
  39. 62Say something fresh
  40. 65Tom who wrote "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"
  41. 67Information in a prescription
  42. 69Out of this world?
  43. 70Silly
  44. 71Fall bloomer
  45. 73"Hoarders" network
  46. 74Shoe originally known as a "Weejun"
  47. 75Street in Liverpool that has been immortalized in song
  48. 76"Wow!"
  49. 84Like many farm stand purchases
  50. 86"Dodgeball" star Vince
  51. 87Specific charge on an invoice
  52. 88Cooling units, in brief
  53. 89Poli-___
  54. 90Pork-based taco option
  55. 91Snowmobile brand
  56. 93Made cozy
  57. 97Suffix in British English
  58. 98Makeup of a nervous system, largely
  59. 100Layer of a farm
  60. 103Locale for camel racing
  61. 105Christians' ___ Creed
  62. 107Overflowed (with)
  63. 108Reunion attendees
  64. 109Cause for a QB's celebration
  65. 111Fries in England
  66. 112Deuce topper
  67. 113"I'll take another card"
  68. 114Cheeky
  69. 115Like cotton candy
  70. 116Lead-in to pilot or pay
  71. 118Grayish, say
  72. 122Emphatic refusal in Germany
  73. 123Stir-fry staple
  74. 124Dress (up)

The answer to “"Balderdash!"” in the New York Times crossword is ROT — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 23, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 61-Across. Other answers we've seen for this clue include LIES. 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.

“"Balderdash!"” answer

ROT (3 letters) — most recent; also seen as LIES

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 ROT.

What does ROT mean?

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

(verb)

  • (chiefly of animal or vegetable matter) decay or cause to decay by the action of bacteria and fungi; decompose
  • make fun of; tease

Other answers for “"Balderdash!"”

New York Times has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides ROT, it has also been LIES. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “"Balderdash!"”?

The answer is ROT, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 23, 2026. Other answers for this clue include LIES.

How many letters is the answer to “"Balderdash!"”?

3 letters: ROT. Earlier fills for this clue have also been LIES (4).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 23, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 61-Across. Earlier appearances: December 15, 2025 → LIES.

Can “"Balderdash!"” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides ROT, New York Times has also used LIES for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for August 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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