Like an earworm

Latest answer — September 25, 2026

45 Across

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Clue explained

An earworm is a song or melody that is unusually catchy and keeps replaying in someone’s mind. CATCHY is the adjective describing that quality.

Clue type:
Definition
An illustration of musical notes circling a person’s head.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, September 25, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “Like an earworm” in the New York Times crossword is CATCHY — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 25, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 45-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.

“Like an earworm” answer

CATCHY (6 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 CATCHY.

What does CATCHY mean?

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

(adjective)

  • (of a tune or phrase) instantly appealing and memorable

When else has “Like an earworm” 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 25, 2026 (most recent) → CATCHY. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Like an earworm”?

The answer is CATCHY, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Like an earworm”?

6 letters: CATCHY.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 25, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 45-Across.

Can “Like an earworm” 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 25, 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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