Essence

Latest answer — June 18, 2026

21 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, June 18, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Prepares for offspring
  2. 6Hack
  3. 10Supplier to Wile E. Coyote
  4. 14Employee after working hours, on "Severance"
  5. 15Sole
  6. 16Horse with a muted coat
  7. 17Bro?
  8. 20"ur funny"
  9. 21Essence
  10. 22"Goosebumps" author
  11. 23Adrenaline surge providers
  12. 25Bit of Yahtzee equipment
  13. 27Word rhymed with "flash" in "A Visit From St. Nicholas"
  14. 28Obnoxiously blingy
  15. 30"___ Been to the Mountaintop" (M.L.K. Jr. speech)
  16. 31Feminine sides
  17. 33Gave a hand
  18. 35Sit?
  19. 38Alfred ___, co-creator of the original I.Q. test
  20. 39Rents out again
  21. 40Mix-___ (ice cream shop supply)
  22. 41Like shipping that's not quite overnight
  23. 43Downfall of the boy in 2018's "Beautiful Boy," in brief
  24. 47Total after costs
  25. 49"Next one's on me"
  26. 51[So heavy!]
  27. 52Mind-reading scan, in a way
  28. 531,000,000,000 years, in astronomy
  29. 54Ale?
  30. 57Relative of Hindi
  31. 58Follower of "4" on a love note
  32. 59Start of a selection process
  33. 60They might be seeded
  34. 61Some yellow-green sodas, informally
  35. 62Bob with the Silver Bullet Band

Down

  1. 1Argon, krypton and xenon, informally
  2. 2Moon of Jupiter that has a liquid ocean under its surface
  3. 3Absolut alternatives
  4. 4Hermana de la madre
  5. 5"The ___ is wither'd from the lake": Keats
  6. 6Bona fide numbskull
  7. 7Big name in archery equipment
  8. 8Fuyumi ___, author of the "Twelve Kingdoms" fantasy novels
  9. 9Colas in the "cola wars"
  10. 10Former governor Schwarzenegger, informally
  11. 11Occur at the same time
  12. 12Skillful move
  13. 13Lit. course
  14. 18Improvise
  15. 19Chemical agent used to make frosted glass
  16. 24The terrible twos, for one
  17. 25"Use at your own risk" and "Not professional advice," for two
  18. 26"Of the foot" prefix
  19. 29Rose (up), in dialect
  20. 32___ Lion, Penn State mascot
  21. 34Nonspecific response to "Who's there?"
  22. 35Like pickles and some potato salads
  23. 36Chill way to take things
  24. 37Kid-lit character who says "It's not much of a tail, but I'm sort of attached to it"
  25. 38Where many things get tossed
  26. 42Follower of quick or dim
  27. 44Checking out
  28. 45$2 coin, eh?
  29. 46Drive
  30. 48Masters
  31. 50Cellar stock
  32. 52What time did in fun times
  33. 54Traditional parka material
  34. 55Boston's Mass ___
  35. 561.0 G.P.A.

The answer to “Essence” in the New York Times crossword is GIST — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 18, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 21-Across. Other answers we've seen for this clue include PITH, and CRUX. 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.

“Essence” answer

GIST (4 letters) — most recent; also seen as PITH, CRUX

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 GIST.

Why the answer is GIST

GIST is the 4-letter solution that fits "Essence" in the NYT Crossword crossword on June 18, 2026 (21-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does GIST mean?

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

(noun)

  • the substance or general meaning of a speech or text
  • the real point of an action
  • chat or gossip

Other answers for “Essence”

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Essence”?

The answer is GIST, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 18, 2026. Other answers for this clue include PITH, and CRUX.

How many letters is the answer to “Essence”?

4 letters: GIST. Earlier fills for this clue have also been PITH (4), CRUX (4).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on June 18, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 21-Across. Earlier appearances: May 14, 2026 → PITH; April 16, 2025 → CRUX.

Can “Essence” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides GIST, New York Times has also used PITH, and CRUX 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 June 18, 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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