Decade of W.W. II ... or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 57-Across
Latest answer — September 21, 2026
39 Across
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Clue explained
The forties are the decade of the 1940s, when World War II occurred. The answer also sounds like “four Ts,” a hint that the four long theme entries contain multiple T’s or begin with the T sound.
- Clue type:
- Cross-reference
NYT Crossword
This clue's Monday, September 21, 2026 appearance
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The answer to “Decade of W.W. II ... or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 57-Across” in the New York Times crossword is FORTIES — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 21, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 39-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.
“Decade of W.W. II ... or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 57-Across” answer
FORTIES (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 FORTIES.
What does FORTIES mean?
Reading the plain dictionary sense of FORTIES is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.
(numeral)
- the number equivalent to the product of four and ten; ten less than fifty; 40
- the central North Sea between Scotland and southern Norway, so called from its prevailing depth of forty fathoms or more
When else has “Decade of W.W. II ... or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 57-Across” 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.
September 21, 2026 (most recent) → FORTIES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “Decade of W.W. II ... or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 57-Across”?
The answer is FORTIES, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 21, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “Decade of W.W. II ... or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 57-Across”?
7 letters: FORTIES.
When did this clue appear?
Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 21, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 39-Across.
Can “Decade of W.W. II ... or a homophonic hint to 17-, 23-, 50- and 57-Across” 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 September 21, 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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