Gradually tapered cuts

Latest answer — September 09, 2026

53 Down

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Clue explained

FADES are gradually tapered cuts, especially in hairstyling, in which the hair becomes shorter toward the skin. The plural answer names multiple such cuts.

Clue type:
Definition
Several modern haircuts featuring gradually tapered fades.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 09, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"OK," in modern slang
  2. 4Develop
  3. 9Postlarval insects
  4. 14Prefix with skeleton
  5. 15Ewok's home
  6. 16Blow, as 13-Down does repeatedly
  7. 17Top starter
  8. 18*Unsecured artillery that can slide across the deck
  9. 20"Semper Fidelis," for one
  10. 22Advantage
  11. 23Me-time destination
  12. 24Creature of Egyptian myth
  13. 26Bus schedule component
  14. 28Some landscaping equipment
  15. 31Worker who's behind the Times?
  16. 35Plow puller of old
  17. 37"Verb," ironically
  18. 39Part of a black suit
  19. 40Its three largest cities all have names starting with C
  20. 41Completely lost ... or where the now-idiomatic answer to each italicized clue has a literal meaning
  21. 43Barely made (out)
  22. 44Chat, informally
  23. 46Old-timey "Listen!"
  24. 47Out of juice
  25. 48Paint options
  26. 50Permanent-press
  27. 52Part of many a shallow-water ecosystem
  28. 54Music genre for some yoga classes
  29. 57Suffix with devil
  30. 60Expresses approval, in a way
  31. 63Remove from its original packaging, say
  32. 64*Equatorial ocean area notorious for lack of winds
  33. 67Consumed
  34. 68Character in "Monsters, Inc."
  35. 69Like many a campfire story
  36. 70Hiker to a QB: Abbr.
  37. 71Elevate, as a flag
  38. 72Shell out cash
  39. 73Word with sewing or starter

Down

  1. 1Has a happy face
  2. 2Former member of the force
  3. 3*Stand barefoot in formation along seams of deck planks
  4. 4Fit in
  5. 5Game in which players draw and skip
  6. 6Big celebrity
  7. 7When repeated, leading only to bad outcomes
  8. 8Leftovers
  9. 9Stir-fry add-ins
  10. 10Decorative vessel
  11. 11"Sofa, so good" and such
  12. 12Each
  13. 13Sicilian smoker
  14. 19___ as a bug's ear
  15. 21*Drift with the natural flow of currents
  16. 25TV's "Warrior Princess"
  17. 27*Bosun's whistled call signaling a shift change
  18. 29I.R.A. classification
  19. 30Lazy ___
  20. 32*Flattened against the masts in a changing wind
  21. 33Roman theaters
  22. 34Comedian Foxx
  23. 35Soft leather shoes, for short
  24. 36"That's not good"
  25. 38Fiddler-emperor, legend has it
  26. 42Similar
  27. 45Minimal paint job
  28. 49Promote
  29. 51Not just thrown away, say
  30. 53Gradually tapered cuts
  31. 55Jailed New York crime boss
  32. 56Wield, as authority
  33. 57Bite reminder, maybe
  34. 58"Get away!"
  35. 59Prefix with sphere
  36. 61Dice peppers, e.g.
  37. 62Positive
  38. 65Personally contacts online, for short
  39. 66Max's opposite

The answer to “Gradually tapered cuts” in the New York Times crossword is FADES — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 9, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 53-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.

“Gradually tapered cuts” answer

FADES (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 FADES.

What does FADES mean?

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

(verb)

  • gradually grow faint and disappear
  • (with reference to film and television images) come or cause to come gradually into or out of view, or to merge into another shot
  • (of the ball) deviate to the right (or, for a left-handed golfer, the left), typically as a result of spin given to the ball

When else has “Gradually tapered cuts” 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 9, 2026 (most recent) → FADES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Gradually tapered cuts”?

The answer is FADES, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Gradually tapered cuts”?

5 letters: FADES.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 9, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 53-Down.

Can “Gradually tapered cuts” 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 9, 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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