Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination

Editorially verified for the Aug 27, 2026

52 Down

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A fig wasp associated with a fig fruit

Clue explained

Fig wasps are the insects responsible for pollinating virtually all cultivated and wild fig species. WASPS is plural because the clue asks for the insects collectively.

Clue type:
Example

NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 27, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Open with one's teeth?
  2. 6Network that launched in 1994 with the film "Scent of a Woman"
  3. 11Bed threads
  4. 14Pre-Inca civilization known for its underground aqueducts and geoglyphs
  5. 15November birthstone
  6. 16CNBC subj.
  7. 17Currently being tried
  8. 18Apt synonym for "wake-up call"
  9. 20Seattle pro soccer team
  10. 22Look at this!
  11. 23Make a right turn?
  12. 24Greek organization, informally
  13. 264x platinum self-titled album of 2001
  14. 27More saplike
  15. 29"Sesame Street" character with a pet rock named Rocco
  16. 32Alertness aid
  17. 34Founder of Stoicism
  18. 35Go the other way
  19. 36Not just my
  20. 37Loaded with energy
  21. 40When doubled, first name in classic Hollywood
  22. 41___ Khamenei, former supreme leader of Iran
  23. 42Daughter of Saturn, in Roman myth
  24. 43Just sat around
  25. 45One sitting on a coop board?
  26. 46Colombian offerings that may be served with hogao
  27. 49Conditions
  28. 50"___ counting?"
  29. 51Check-in from a texter
  30. 53Discombobulated
  31. 56Large storage unit
  32. 59Be a rat
  33. 622007 horror sequel
  34. 63"The Simpsons" character ___ Nahasapeemapetilon
  35. 64Monotonous hum
  36. 65Hat decoration in a marching band
  37. 66Relay division
  38. 67Word before park or after cheap
  39. 68Less candid, perhaps

Down

  1. 1Some, in León
  2. 2Allied grp.
  3. 3Astronaut for whom a Pixar character is named
  4. 4"You're not the only one!"
  5. 5Longtime "Saturday Night Live" announcer Don
  6. 6Start to type?
  7. 7Action figures and such
  8. 8Parrot
  9. 9Indian P.M., 1991-96
  10. 10Totino's frozen food offering
  11. 11Tropical fruta
  12. 12Pic file format
  13. 13Put out
  14. 19911 responder
  15. 21"Music for Airports" composer
  16. 24Feudal estate
  17. 25Lens solution brand
  18. 2610,000,000 ergs
  19. 282004 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ... and a hint to 3-, 10-, 29- and 33-Down
  20. 29Bear of children's rhyme
  21. 30Desert havens
  22. 31"Heavens to Murgatroyd!"
  23. 32Biblical "captain"
  24. 33Gesture also known as "spirit fingers"
  25. 38French bread?
  26. 39Console for Chrono Trigger, in brief
  27. 44Completely missed shot
  28. 47"It makes sense now!"
  29. 48Soak
  30. 50Microscopic
  31. 52Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination
  32. 53Obsessively oriented
  33. 54Record, in a way
  34. 55A little too pleased with oneself
  35. 56Bloke
  36. 57"The devourer of all things," per Ovid
  37. 58Perpetually
  38. 60Clumsy vessel
  39. 61Bygone cousin of a kiwi

The answer to “Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination” in the New York Times crossword is WASPS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 27, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 52-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.

“Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination” answer

WASPS (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 WASPS.

What does WASPS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a social winged insect which has a narrow waist and a sting and is typically yellow with black stripes. It constructs a paper nest from wood pulp and raises the larvae on a diet of insects
  • a solitary winged insect with a narrow waist, mostly distantly related to the social wasps and including many parasitic kinds

When else has “Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination” 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.

August 27, 2026 (most recent) → WASPS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination”?

The answer is WASPS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 27, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination”?

5 letters: WASPS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 27, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 52-Down.

Can “Insects responsible for virtually all fig pollination” 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 August 27, 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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