Break to pieces

Latest answer — October 07, 2026

1 Down

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Fragments of glass scattered after an object has shattered.

Clue explainedFact checked

To shatter is to break something into many pieces, as glass might when it hits a hard floor. The verb can also be figurative: news can shatter someone’s hopes without breaking any physical object.

Clue type:
Definition

NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, October 07, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “Break to pieces” in the New York Times crossword is SHATTER — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 1-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.

“Break to pieces” answer

SHATTER (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 SHATTER.

What does SHATTER mean?

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

(verb)

  • break or cause to break suddenly and violently into pieces
  • upset (someone) greatly

When else has “Break to pieces” 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.

October 7, 2026 (most recent) → SHATTER. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Break to pieces”?

The answer is SHATTER, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Break to pieces”?

7 letters: SHATTER.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 1-Down.

Can “Break to pieces” 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 October 7, 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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