Do some cleaning

Latest answer — January 16, 2026

20 Across

48 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, January 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Coming-out party?
  2. 11Finish (up)
  3. 15"Hello-o-o?"
  4. 16Dialect featured in the literature of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, for short
  5. 17Scenario calling for self-reliance
  6. 18Summer flier
  7. 19Classic 1926 poem associated with the Harlem Renaissance
  8. 20Do some cleaning
  9. 21Creatures that can turn into humans on land, in Scottish folklore
  10. 22Sound around a summer cornfield
  11. 23Wood used for flooring
  12. 24Trunk item
  13. 25Shortest-reigning English monarch (9 days)
  14. 28Molecule that can self-splice
  15. 29Enthusiasm-curbing
  16. 32"Here we go!"
  17. 34Uncovered
  18. 35Some cuts of meat
  19. 37Tennis great who had a tennis scholarship from U.C.L.A.
  20. 38Place for trading stories?
  21. 40Diverts
  22. 42It takes a long time to get this
  23. 43Leading character on social media?
  24. 45White House partner, for short
  25. 47Assume, as costs
  26. 48Do some cleaning
  27. 51Market for currencies, informally
  28. 52Financial aid basis
  29. 54Hand count?
  30. 55Ian : Scotland :: ___ : Wales
  31. 56One might help you hitch a ride
  32. 58Parmesan cheese feature
  33. 59Novel whence the line "Four legs good, two legs bad"
  34. 60Rests
  35. 61They're green year-round

Down

  1. 1Bare-bones
  2. 2Oscar-winning musical role for Rita Moreno
  3. 3Already
  4. 4"The Memory Police" author ___ Ogawa
  5. 5Brand lead-in to Caps or Balls
  6. 6Unwieldy situation, metaphorically
  7. 7"As if!"
  8. 8Blows away
  9. 9Release
  10. 10Kind of cycle
  11. 11Listing on a W-2 form
  12. 12Stumbled upon
  13. 13Overwhelming amount
  14. 14Some terrarium denizens
  15. 21Declares
  16. 23Tai chi accessory
  17. 24Receives unfair criticism
  18. 25Nimble, zigzagging maneuver
  19. 26Best Original Song Oscar winner from 2014's "Selma"
  20. 27P.E. unit
  21. 29Invitations to come on board
  22. 30First NASA mission broadcast live from orbit
  23. 31Secret offering?
  24. 33Julia of "The Addams Family"
  25. 36___ Excellency
  26. 39Like leatherette
  27. 41Witticism
  28. 44Start of a secret invitation, perhaps
  29. 46Leans
  30. 48Locale of a semiannual fashion week
  31. 49Opposite of subtle
  32. 50Makes do for a while?
  33. 52Gram, by another name
  34. 53Composer Satie
  35. 54Goal-oriented global org.?
  36. 56Half-___
  37. 57Totally

The answer to “Do some cleaning” in the New York Times crossword is DUST — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 16, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 20-Across. Other answers we've seen for this clue include MOP. 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.

“Do some cleaning” answer

DUST (4 letters) — most recent; also seen as MOP

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 DUST.

Why the answer is DUST

DUST is the 4-letter solution that fits "Do some cleaning" in the NYT Crossword crossword on January 16, 2026 (20-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does DUST mean?

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

(noun)

  • fine, dry powder consisting of tiny particles of earth or waste matter lying on the ground or on surfaces or carried in the air
  • an act of dusting

Other answers for “Do some cleaning”

New York Times has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides DUST, it has also been MOP. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Do some cleaning”?

The answer is DUST, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 16, 2026. Other answers for this clue include MOP.

How many letters is the answer to “Do some cleaning”?

4 letters: DUST. Earlier fills for this clue have also been MOP (3).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on January 16, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 20-Across. Earlier appearances: January 16, 2026 → MOP.

Can “Do some cleaning” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides DUST, New York Times has also used MOP for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for January 16, 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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