Characteristic of a penetrating mind

Latest answer — July 28, 2025

20 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, July 28, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"Catfish" channel
  2. 4Center's stat in an N.B.A. game: Abbr.
  3. 7Cole ___ (cabbage dishes)
  4. 12Cry of discovery
  5. 13Cupid, to ancient Greeks
  6. 15Combustible fuel for trucks
  7. 16Corn, to a Midwest farmer
  8. 18Canada's capital
  9. 19Children's song refrain ("Old MacDonald had a farm ...")
  10. 20Characteristic of a penetrating mind
  11. 22"Count me as a yes!"
  12. 23Casino no-no
  13. 26Chapel oath
  14. 29Casual top
  15. 30Constellation part
  16. 31Cloud ___ (blissful spot, in an idiom)
  17. 33Course standard on the links
  18. 35Climaxes
  19. 39Carbonated beverage as reintroduced in 1985
  20. 43Childish retort
  21. 44Chi preceder
  22. 45Comedian Fey
  23. 46Croquet locale
  24. 49Concert equipment
  25. 51Contribute
  26. 52College basketball phenom drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2024
  27. 57Chain of luxury hotels
  28. 58City of Honolulu's island
  29. 59Central artery
  30. 63Cellphone's weather app, e.g.
  31. 65Clear sailing areas ... or, homophonically, a feature of 16-, 23-, 39- and 52-Across (and every clue in this puzzle!)
  32. 67Crested wading birds
  33. 68Crossing guard's command
  34. 69"Can't believe I missed something so obvious!"
  35. 70Crowd sounds
  36. 71Charlotte Brontë, to Anne and Emily, informally
  37. 72Complete dump

Down

  1. 1Ceremonial rod
  2. 2Cuisine with pad see ew
  3. 3Carnation holder
  4. 4Cover again, as with paint
  5. 5Calculate something incorrectly, say
  6. 6Contract from a publisher
  7. 7Command to a dog
  8. 8"Could you please stop talking about that?!"
  9. 9"Completely the same for me"
  10. 10"Call us the champs!"
  11. 11"Chill," e.g., for "relax"
  12. 14Contractor's detail, in brief
  13. 15Cousin of a cruller or bear claw
  14. 17Cartoon sound from an intoxicated person
  15. 21Canon camera brand named for a goddess
  16. 24Certain tow job, informally
  17. 25California wine valley
  18. 26Cuzco dweller of old
  19. 27Christian of fashion
  20. 28"Christmas comes but ___ a year"
  21. 32"Calm down there, buddy"
  22. 34Cardi B's genre
  23. 36China's continent
  24. 37Compassionate
  25. 38Copious amount
  26. 40Christmas stocking filler for a naughty child
  27. 41Concoctions with masa, cheese, lettuce and salsa
  28. 42Capital of Peru
  29. 47Comical sorts
  30. 48Crime lab material
  31. 50Calls that may start "Is your refrigerator running?," e.g.
  32. 52Cringe out of fear
  33. 53Compadre
  34. 54Chief Hindu god
  35. 55Chicken ___ mein
  36. 56Certain bout enders, in brief
  37. 60Cincinnati baseball team
  38. 61Completely stretched
  39. 62Cinder-covered
  40. 64Coneheads, e.g., for short
  41. 66Cooper and Peyton Manning's QB brother

The answer to “Characteristic of a penetrating mind” in the New York Times crossword is KEEN — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 28, 2025, a Monday puzzle, at 20-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.

“Characteristic of a penetrating mind” answer

KEEN (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 KEEN.

Why the answer is KEEN

KEEN is the 4-letter solution that fits "Characteristic of a penetrating mind" in the NYT Crossword crossword on July 28, 2025 (20-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does KEEN mean?

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

(adjective)

  • having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm
  • (of a sense) highly developed
  • (of the edge or point of a blade) sharp

When else has “Characteristic of a penetrating mind” 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.

July 28, 2025 (most recent) → KEEN. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Characteristic of a penetrating mind”?

The answer is KEEN, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 28, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Characteristic of a penetrating mind”?

4 letters: KEEN.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 28, 2025 (a Monday puzzle), at 20-Across.

Can “Characteristic of a penetrating mind” 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 July 28, 2025 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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