From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music

Latest answer — September 24, 2026

15 Down

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Clue explained

STEPWISE describes movement by successive steps, and in music it means moving from one tone to the next adjacent tone rather than by a leap. The answer is an adverbial adjective describing that motion.

Clue type:
Definition
A musical scale diagram showing movement between adjacent notes.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 24, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Slang for an Italian dish ... or along with QI, the highest-value two-letter word in Scrabble
  2. 3Make an impression
  3. 7Hanger-on
  4. 12Blunder
  5. 14Recital pieces
  6. 16"Same here," more stiffly
  7. 17Canapé topping
  8. 18Traction enhancer
  9. 19Ships, say
  10. 20Cheerios grain
  11. 21American architect who invented Scrabble while unemployed during the Great Depression
  12. 23Hold tightly
  13. 25Like most manuscript submissions
  14. 26Many a Scottish native
  15. 28Circuit in which Martina Navratilova holds the most singles titles, in brief
  16. 33Dish featured in Broadway's "Sweeney Todd"
  17. 36Decline
  18. 37Scrabble's name prior to its acquisition by James Brunot in 1948
  19. 41Ford or Lincoln
  20. 42Full of vivid detail, as memory
  21. 43Supposed sign of a healthy pooch
  22. 45Onesie fastener
  23. 47Actress Rene of "Thor"
  24. 50Watchdog's warning
  25. 53Bonus score for a bingo (using all seven of one's tiles) in Scrabble
  26. 58Actress Sandra or Ruby
  27. 59Dr. Seuss' environmentalist
  28. 60Open, as a toothpaste tube
  29. 61Like Brahms's Symphony No. 3
  30. 62Cognizant
  31. 63Home to Oral Roberts University
  32. 64Verizon competitor, informally
  33. 65Power measures
  34. 66Witnessed
  35. 67The two most valuable Scrabble tiles

Down

  1. 1Weightless state, for short
  2. 2Cheering wildly
  3. 3Ones who have trouble finishing sentences?
  4. 4Ring
  5. 5Chin feature
  6. 6Old and trite
  7. 7Wavelength symbol
  8. 8Genesis twin
  9. 9Doctor
  10. 10Belmont entry
  11. 11Sound during a cat fight
  12. 13Put on sale, perhaps
  13. 15From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music
  14. 22Finds repugnant
  15. 24Biblical figure with a notoriously bad hair day?
  16. 27Gets ready to hit the ice
  17. 29Like some garages
  18. 30Crew need
  19. 31Hamburger connection?
  20. 32Some scale members
  21. 34Vies for a roster spot
  22. 35Group of seals
  23. 37Crow's cry
  24. 38Wish undone
  25. 39Addams Family cousin
  26. 40Record held by the Spruce Goose for over 70 years, at 320 feet
  27. 44Straight-horned antelopes
  28. 46Spots for addresses
  29. 48Kind of cavity
  30. 49Frère de la mère
  31. 51Forgot what you intended to say
  32. 52Didn't fill in, as a field on an application
  33. 53Design problem
  34. 54Part of the Corn Belt
  35. 55Row house?
  36. 56Patisserie pastry
  37. 57Stun, in a way

The answer to “From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music” in the New York Times crossword is STEPWISE — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 24, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 15-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.

“From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music” answer

STEPWISE (8 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 STEPWISE.

What does STEPWISE mean?

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

(adverb)

  • in a series of distinct stages; not continuously
  • by adjacent intervals in a scale

When else has “From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music” 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 24, 2026 (most recent) → STEPWISE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music”?

The answer is STEPWISE, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 24, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music”?

8 letters: STEPWISE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 24, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 15-Down.

Can “From one tone to the next adjacent tone, in music” 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 24, 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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