___-famous (reel popular?)

Latest answer — October 07, 2026

9 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

A phone displaying a short video in Instagram Reels.

Clue explainedFact checked

“Insta-famous” means famous on Instagram. The parenthetical “reel popular” adds a wink to Instagram Reels, the platform’s short-video feature, pointing toward the “Insta” shorthand.

Clue type:
Fill-in-the-blank

NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, October 07, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"No seats" sign
  2. 4Dolly Parton vis-à-vis Dollywood
  3. 9___-famous (reel popular?)
  4. 14LOL lite
  5. 15Come again
  6. 16Curry complements
  7. 17Call to cruisers, for short
  8. 18Well-manored men?
  9. 19Some concert refuse
  10. 20Staunchly loyal
  11. 22Solo for a soprano
  12. 23Wrecks beyond repair
  13. 24Popular date night
  14. 28Event-planning platform
  15. 29Big blare
  16. 30"I do"
  17. 31Team with a stadium on the Ohio River
  18. 32"Been there, done that"
  19. 36React with exaggerated surprise ... or how to form the shorter shaded answers from the longer ones
  20. 40Cut back a bit
  21. 41Protein source
  22. 43"That's infuriating!"
  23. 46B.C. neighbor
  24. 47Kid's comeback
  25. 48Macs and wellies, e.g.
  26. 51Snow bunnies are inclined to hit them
  27. 52Spots that may need clearing up
  28. 53Aquaman's domain
  29. 55Brought into being
  30. 57Like the descendants of some dinosaurs
  31. 58In Rio, janeiro starts it
  32. 59Mislead
  33. 60Expression de gratitude
  34. 61Abbr. on a box for an air conditioner
  35. 62Bygone company whose website has been revived as satire
  36. 63Serious schleps
  37. 64Lush

Down

  1. 1Break to pieces
  2. 2Gently scolded
  3. 3Sly reply to "You can't possibly know that!"
  4. 4Knob on an amplifier
  5. 5Becomes good as new
  6. 6Silk shade
  7. 7Stereotypically uncooperative creatures
  8. 8IV sites
  9. 9Collecting org.
  10. 10E-cigarette claim
  11. 11Durable
  12. 12Shin guards protect them
  13. 13Some chemistry lab procedures
  14. 21Vexes
  15. 25Musical artist with the fastest video to reach one billion views on YouTube
  16. 26Helped through a rough patch, with "over"
  17. 27Peck or parsec
  18. 32Patterned fabric
  19. 33Afro-Cuban dance
  20. 34Big name in cloud services
  21. 35Hall with a self-titled daytime talk show
  22. 37Regalia for some queens
  23. 38Monitor closely, with "on"
  24. 39Slowly get familiar with
  25. 42Chuck
  26. 43Pinup icon Betty
  27. 44Arrive out of breath, perhaps
  28. 45Close lookalike
  29. 47Singer Morissette with the 1995 #1 album "Jagged Little Pill"
  30. 49Real swell
  31. 50All-night party attendee
  32. 51In need of tightening, maybe
  33. 54Start to fade
  34. 56Trucker's measure
  35. 57Paycheck fig.

The answer to “___-famous (reel popular?)” in the New York Times crossword is INSTA — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 9-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.

“___-famous (reel popular?)” answer

INSTA (5 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 INSTA.

When else has “___-famous (reel popular?)” 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.

October 7, 2026 (most recent) → INSTA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “___-famous (reel popular?)”?

The answer is INSTA, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “___-famous (reel popular?)”?

5 letters: INSTA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 9-Across.

Can “___-famous (reel popular?)” 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 October 7, 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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