Caustic cleaner

Latest answer — March 04, 2026

57 Down

This harsh alkaline substance can unclog drains ⚠️

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, March 04, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1N.H.L.'s ___ Bay Lightning
  2. 6Parapsychologist's study, for short
  3. 9"Star Wars" droid, informally
  4. 14April Fools' Day sign
  5. 15Letters before a stage name
  6. 16In need of patching, perhaps
  7. 17Hillocks
  8. 18Test the water?
  9. 19Spicy chip brand
  10. 20To-do?
  11. 21Oversold
  12. 23Minor menace
  13. 24Colony member
  14. 25Persian, ___, Oriental, Navajo
  15. 27Golf item in a bag
  16. 28Motivational cheer
  17. 29Insignificant amount
  18. 30___ Majesty
  19. 31Saucer crew, in brief
  20. 33"Wowzers!"
  21. 34Part of a rock band?
  22. 36Japan's national sport
  23. 38Reach an end
  24. 40M.B.A. subj.
  25. 43"Ozark" actor Morales
  26. 44Like many drama school students
  27. 45Made an appearance
  28. 46Mini mart?
  29. 48Brings out
  30. 50Where you might drink from a junmai glass
  31. 52Mercury, but not Venus
  32. 53Flooring choice for a mudroom
  33. 54Believe (to be)
  34. 55Violin, ___, cello, ___
  35. 62"Need a hand?"
  36. 63Caves in
  37. 64Pay for play, perhaps
  38. 65March Madness placement
  39. 66Business card abbr.
  40. 67Strikebreaker

Down

  1. 1Dental hygienist's target
  2. 2Grande of "Wicked"
  3. 3Twain, ___, Hamill, Wahlberg
  4. 4Glimpse
  5. 5Stubborn sort
  6. 6"Slow down there, big guy!"
  7. 7Metro, ___, Sports, Lifestyle
  8. 8Like e-statements and digital receipts
  9. 9Key near Ctrl
  10. 10Bring in
  11. 11Red velvet, ___, Black Forest, angel food
  12. 12"Ah, that's making sense to me now"
  13. 13Delicacy that's often slurped
  14. 21"Ben-___"
  15. 22Outstanding
  16. 25Cassette successors
  17. 26Pontiac in a '60s song
  18. 32Head covering?
  19. 35Brings a fresh effort (to)
  20. 36Brief periods of time
  21. 37Insurance co. for military families
  22. 38Make a list of
  23. 39Cousins of grommets
  24. 41Foreshadowing
  25. 42Place for eggs
  26. 47Japanese belts
  27. 49Swerve
  28. 51Mail, as payment
  29. 52Ford flop
  30. 55Canadian leaders, for short
  31. 56Mideast inits.
  32. 57Caustic cleaner
  33. 58Woman with a chronological name?
  34. 59Home of the Natl. Museum of Mathematics
  35. 60Stat that may be weighted
  36. 61Cry uncontrollably

The answer to “Caustic cleaner” in the New York Times crossword is LYE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on March 4, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 57-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.

“Caustic cleaner” answer

LYE (3 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 LYE.

Why the answer is LYE

This harsh alkaline substance can unclog drains ⚠️

What does LYE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a strongly alkaline solution, especially of potassium hydroxide, used for washing or cleansing

When else has “Caustic cleaner” 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.

March 4, 2026 (most recent) → LYE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Caustic cleaner”?

The answer is LYE, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on March 4, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Caustic cleaner”?

3 letters: LYE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on March 4, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 57-Down.

Can “Caustic cleaner” 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 March 4, 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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