Embellish as with unnecessary words

The answer to “Embellish as with unnecessary words” in the New York Times crossword is LARD — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 12, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 16-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.

“Embellish as with unnecessary words” answer

LARD (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 LARD.

Why the answer is LARD

Sometimes, less is more when it comes to words, but some like to add a little extra flavor! 🥄

What does LARD mean?

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

When else has “Embellish as with unnecessary words” 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 12, 2026 (most recent) → LARD. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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