Boil ... or a sign of boiling

Latest answer — August 13, 2026

28 Across

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Clue explained

To boil is to steam, as in cooking food with hot vapor; steam is also a visible sign that water or another liquid is boiling. The clue gives two related senses of the same word.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
Steam rising from a pot of boiling water

NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 13, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Take a quick turn
  2. 4Sound from a monitor
  3. 8One who's definitely not being invited to the party
  4. 14Letters indicating a texter's P.O.V.
  5. 15Fried side dish with catfish, perhaps
  6. 16Cough drop brand whose name is yodeled in its commercials
  7. 17Mafia members, e.g.
  8. 19Gave a talking to?
  9. 20Tiptoed, say
  10. 21Bamboozle
  11. 23Michigan, in Chicago: Abbr.
  12. 24Messenger
  13. 26Alimony recipients, say
  14. 28Boil ... or a sign of boiling
  15. 30Important travel info, in brief
  16. 31Dessert often eaten before the ides of March
  17. 33Hold up
  18. 35"Light" weapon
  19. 39Verbalized shivers
  20. 41Drinks at a pub
  21. 43Kind of bean used in Egyptian falafel
  22. 44___ Ingebrigtsen, track gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics
  23. 46Teary-eyed expression
  24. 48In need of training, say
  25. 49Collect over and over, as resources in a video game
  26. 51Pass, as time doing something
  27. 5311th of a noted 12
  28. 57Was especially wintry
  29. 60Part of a slider
  30. 61___ Roy, "Succession" role for which Kieran Culkin won an Emmy
  31. 63"It is not enough to be industrious; ___ the ants": Henry David Thoreau
  32. 64Smallest member of the genus Lynx
  33. 66Evaluating, as an opponent ... or a hint to "fitting" the answers to the italicized clues into the grid
  34. 68Uncommon color on the red carpet
  35. 69Draw together, as brows
  36. 70Decline cookies, say, with "out"
  37. 71Soaked up the sun
  38. 72___ Pictures (media giant)
  39. 73Last term in a math lecture series?

Down

  1. 10
  2. 2Love of Bologna
  3. 3Fly off the handle
  4. 4They might have deposits
  5. 5Pull (out), as a narrow victory
  6. 6Makes an oopsie
  7. 7Sticky stuff
  8. 8Query for Claude, e.g.
  9. 9Apple accessory announced alongside the removal of the iPhone's headphone jack
  10. 10Record label owned by 72-Across
  11. 11Littlest bits
  12. 12Motrin alternative
  13. 13Epitome of a hot place
  14. 18Reacted to a bad taste, perhaps
  15. 22Like a bike without wheels
  16. 25"Gold" of the 21st century
  17. 27Org. focused on cloud security?
  18. 29Five stars on a scale, typically
  19. 31Sandwich that may be a bit crunchy, for short
  20. 32Apt name for an investor
  21. 34A.I. that has been trained with massive amounts of text, in brief
  22. 36Something to jump on
  23. 37Many a sleepless night
  24. 38Untapped, as talent
  25. 40Casual gaming site?
  26. 42Drains the life out of
  27. 45Overwhelming stream
  28. 47Compactness
  29. 50Ran amok
  30. 52Lunchtime, say
  31. 53Monastic superior
  32. 54Website that describes itself as "a place to share knowledge and better understand the world"
  33. 55Allow to post on a forum again, e.g.
  34. 56Uses caution while in public during flu season, say
  35. 58Go off with a bang
  36. 59Consideration when diving
  37. 62El ___
  38. 65Channel that pioneered 24-hour TV reporting
  39. 67Grape whose "white" wine is actually pink, informally

The answer to “Boil ... or a sign of boiling” in the New York Times crossword is STEAM — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 13, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 28-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.

“Boil ... or a sign of boiling” answer

STEAM (5 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 STEAM.

What does STEAM mean?

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

(noun)

  • the vapour into which water is converted when heated, forming a white mist of minute water droplets in the air

When else has “Boil ... or a sign of boiling” 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.

August 13, 2026 (most recent) → STEAM. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Boil ... or a sign of boiling”?

The answer is STEAM, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 13, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Boil ... or a sign of boiling”?

5 letters: STEAM.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 13, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 28-Across.

Can “Boil ... or a sign of boiling” 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 August 13, 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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