Criminals' sphere

Latest answer — August 24, 2026

17 Across

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A dark, cinematic city scene suggesting an organized-crime underworld.

Clue explained

The UNDERWORLD is a figurative realm associated with criminals and organized crime. The clue uses “sphere” in the sense of a domain or milieu.

Clue type:
Definition

NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 24, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Apex
  2. 5Curry ingredient
  3. 10Hay unit
  4. 14Robert Frost creation
  5. 15Grilled, at a taqueria
  6. 16Mined metals
  7. 17Criminals' sphere
  8. 19Have a hankering for
  9. 20Floral Van Gogh subject
  10. 21Latin gods
  11. 22Enemy
  12. 23End of the Greek alphabet
  13. 25Tsunami
  14. 28Common motive in a murder case
  15. 30Follower of latch or catch
  16. 31Nashville honor, briefly
  17. 32Oft-torn knee part, in brief
  18. 34Confederate soldier, informally
  19. 35Any foreseeable difficulty ... with a hint to 17-, 25-, 50- and 60-Across
  20. 42Clerical vestment
  21. 43Writer Edgar Allan ___
  22. 44She, in Portuguese
  23. 45Zing ___ (brand of Bloody Mary mix)
  24. 47Zoomed past
  25. 50Stop in the afterlife
  26. 54Fill in for
  27. 55Fury
  28. 56Source of fleece
  29. 57Jazz great Fitzgerald
  30. 58White part of an orange
  31. 60Natural wonder in Venezuela
  32. 64Sound in a cavernous empty room
  33. 65Arctic creatures with flippers
  34. 66International retailer with a three-syllable name
  35. 67Dance whose name is also a hairstyle
  36. 68Golfer Els
  37. 69Letters on an invitation

Down

  1. 1Storekeeper on "The Simpsons"
  2. 2Trick
  3. 3Like the period known as the Middle Ages
  4. 4Leave the cocoon
  5. 5Sparrows : cheeps :: crows : ___
  6. 6Grp. that entertains troops
  7. 7Tuesday, in Lyon
  8. 8Sat at a red light
  9. 9Gymnast Comaneci
  10. 10Cousin of a curtsy
  11. 11Yasir of the P.L.O.
  12. 12Chinese computer giant
  13. 13Lauder of cosmetics
  14. 18"Knives Out" director Johnson
  15. 23Philharmonic grp.
  16. 24Many a viral post
  17. 25Word after Georgia, Virginia or low
  18. 26Big name in movie theaters
  19. 27Caitlin Clark's league
  20. 29Apparel
  21. 33Place for gloss
  22. 34Actress Perlman of "Cheers"
  23. 36"Auld ___ Syne"
  24. 37"Three Sisters" sister
  25. 38Like many horror flicks
  26. 39Presentations with an 18-minute limit
  27. 40Actor Idris
  28. 41Tampa Bay players
  29. 45Financial center of Switzerland
  30. 46Franklin who sang "Chain of Fools"
  31. 48Baby bovine
  32. 49Filled pastry
  33. 50Plumbing conduits
  34. 51Needle mischievously
  35. 52Renter's counterpart
  36. 53Daughter of King Lear
  37. 57Coder's counterpart to "if"
  38. 59Non-sharer
  39. 61One of football's Mannings
  40. 62"The Magicians" novelist Grossman
  41. 63Maple syrup base

The answer to “Criminals' sphere” in the New York Times crossword is UNDERWORLD — a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 24, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 17-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.

“Criminals' sphere” answer

UNDERWORLD (10 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 UNDERWORLD.

What does UNDERWORLD mean?

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

(noun)

  • the world of criminals or of organized crime
  • the mythical abode of the dead, imagined as being under the earth

When else has “Criminals' sphere” 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 24, 2026 (most recent) → UNDERWORLD. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Criminals' sphere”?

The answer is UNDERWORLD, a 10-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 24, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Criminals' sphere”?

10 letters: UNDERWORLD.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 24, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 17-Across.

Can “Criminals' sphere” 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 24, 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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