Guard at the gates of Mordor

Latest answer — September 11, 2026

49 Across

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Clue explained

In J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, an ORC is one of the creatures serving as a guard or soldier for Sauron near Mordor. The clue refers to the fictional setting of The Lord of the Rings.

Clue type:
Pop culture
A fantasy orc standing guard in a dark volcanic landscape

NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, September 11, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Impediments to collaboration
  2. 5It's the thing
  3. 9Motion on a screen
  4. 14Anchor's spot
  5. 15"I've had enough of this!"
  6. 17People who worshiped the rain god Illapa
  7. 18Unexpected twists
  8. 19Singer/actress Carrere
  9. 20U.S. senators Warnock and Duckworth, for two
  10. 21How often blue moons occur
  11. 22Track-and-field challenges
  12. 24Nods at a lot?
  13. 25Barrel (along)
  14. 26Big name in 23-Down
  15. 27Lentils prepared with ghee, perhaps
  16. 30Jazz Age Disney princess
  17. 31Drives for money?
  18. 33Actor Elba
  19. 34A long time follower?
  20. 35Expert in worldwide fulfillment and distribution operations?
  21. 36"I'll wait for your update"
  22. 38Attire for a high-pressure job?
  23. 39Put down
  24. 40Pad
  25. 41Ramadan, e.g.
  26. 42Particles in a particle accelerator
  27. 43Comforts
  28. 45Fairly low-risk investment
  29. 48Chip source, informally
  30. 49Guard at the gates of Mordor
  31. 50Tool for adding sparkle to lackluster prose?
  32. 52Tiger ___ (spiky houseplant)
  33. 53Steered too close to the shoreline, say
  34. 54How one might feel at a support group meeting
  35. 55"Ergo ..."
  36. 56Wraps
  37. 57[Look at me!]

Down

  1. 1___ Ann (classic Lily Tomlin character)
  2. 2"That's brilliant!"
  3. 3Hollywood post-broadcast fete
  4. 4Export from Jamaica
  5. 5Had a hankering
  6. 6Sounds of fall?
  7. 7Sound wave amplifiers
  8. 8Network debut of 1981
  9. 9Assessment of something enjoyed ironically
  10. 10Sports
  11. 11Part of a key chain
  12. 12Prop in "The Matrix"
  13. 13"Keep Commerce Human" website
  14. 16Infer (from)
  15. 20"I'll be sad if you leave"
  16. 23Fabric related to chambray
  17. 24Down under
  18. 26Bricks used in some castles
  19. 27Timbits from Tim Hortons, e.g.
  20. 28Flawed protagonists
  21. 29Trial that an attorney may not remember fondly?
  22. 30Cash register part
  23. 31Blue ___ (coral reef swimmers like Pixar's Dory)
  24. 32Lacks
  25. 37More compassionate
  26. 41Candy bar in the jingle that begins "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't"
  27. 42Ptolemy III?
  28. 43Welcome advice from a financial planner
  29. 44Lavender or lilac
  30. 45City where Shah Jahan built a monument to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal
  31. 46Film composer Silvestri
  32. 47Pickle
  33. 48Like silk or yarn
  34. 51Pseudonym cited repeatedly in the 2022 Dobbs decision
  35. 52"The pretty worm of Nilus," per Shakespeare's Cleopatra

The answer to “Guard at the gates of Mordor” in the New York Times crossword is ORC — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 11, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 49-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.

“Guard at the gates of Mordor” answer

ORC (3 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 ORC.

What does ORC mean?

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

(noun)

  • (in fantasy literature and games) a member of an imaginary race of humanlike creatures, characterized as ugly, warlike, and malevolent

When else has “Guard at the gates of Mordor” 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 11, 2026 (most recent) → ORC. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Guard at the gates of Mordor”?

The answer is ORC, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 11, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Guard at the gates of Mordor”?

3 letters: ORC.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 11, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 49-Across.

Can “Guard at the gates of Mordor” 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 11, 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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