Makes a noise like an electric fan

Latest answer — February 19, 2026

38 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, February 19, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Punk rocker Joan
  2. 5Choctaw or Chickasaw
  3. 10Design detail
  4. 14"Up and ___!" (catchphrase for a physicist)
  5. 15In possession of
  6. 17Tibetan title
  7. 18Courting disaster, slangily
  8. 21Fraternity party order
  9. 22Symbol of protection
  10. 23Part of a window above the apron
  11. 24One-half of a golf partnership, perhaps
  12. 25Sound of disapproval
  13. 27Concludes
  14. 29Uses a shampoo bottle as a microphone, perhaps
  15. 34Swindled
  16. 35Boxing champ Laila
  17. 36Subject of the Edward Snowden leaks, in brief
  18. 37Jot down
  19. 38Makes a noise like an electric fan
  20. 40Australian actor Eric
  21. 44"___ Father ..."
  22. 46Concert souvenir
  23. 47River to the Rio Grande
  24. 48They may have knowledge of corporate secrets
  25. 51Be defeated by
  26. 52"___ of the D'Urbervilles"
  27. 53Big name in London
  28. 54Big beginning?
  29. 56Servant of Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings"
  30. 57Short flight
  31. 60Better choice, given the options ... or the circled squares vis-à-vis the shaded ones?
  32. 64Volunteer's words
  33. 65Completely immersed, perhaps
  34. 66Some colorful plastic items in the seasonal aisle in the spring
  35. 67Noted Punxsutawney resident
  36. 68Source of some aerial shots
  37. 69"Take ___!"

Down

  1. 1Part of a royal flush
  2. 2Raison d'___
  3. 3Metaphor for a challenging puzzle
  4. 4"Eww ... just eww"
  5. 5Want very much, with "for"
  6. 6Major, e.g.
  7. 7Reproductive option, for short
  8. 8Some paragraphs in playbills
  9. 9Improve
  10. 10High-end camera, for short
  11. 11Penniless one
  12. 12Mideast leaders
  13. 13Spot to play baccarat
  14. 16Gas units
  15. 19Talking back to
  16. 20Is really bad, in slang
  17. 26Formed from molten lava
  18. 28Sunken treasure sites
  19. 29You can request a new one on religious grounds if it contains "666": Abbr.
  20. 30"What was ___ think?"
  21. 31"Yeah, right!"
  22. 32Ruling class
  23. 33Fathers
  24. 38Dickens and Dickinson
  25. 39Varnish ingredient
  26. 41Card game clarification
  27. 42Neither's partner
  28. 43Buffoon
  29. 45"I'm at your disposal"
  30. 47Bishop, e.g.
  31. 48Japanese word that's sometimes translated as "planted in a pot"
  32. 49Commentator's call after a missed field goal
  33. 50Took steps
  34. 51Medieval cure-all
  35. 53Radar operator's concern
  36. 55Over yonder
  37. 56Wilson of the Frat Pack
  38. 58Actress Kurylenko
  39. 59"Over here!"
  40. 61Sketch show with Colin Jost, in brief
  41. 62Fight-ending letters
  42. 63Screen, as a candidate

The answer to “Makes a noise like an electric fan” in the New York Times crossword is WHIRRS — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 19, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 38-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.

“Makes a noise like an electric fan” answer

WHIRRS (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 WHIRRS.

Why the answer is WHIRRS

WHIRRS is the 6-letter solution that fits "Makes a noise like an electric fan" in the NYT Crossword crossword on February 19, 2026 (38-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does WHIRRS mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of something rapidly rotating or moving to and fro) make a low, continuous, regular sound

When else has “Makes a noise like an electric fan” 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.

February 19, 2026 (most recent) → WHIRRS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Makes a noise like an electric fan”?

The answer is WHIRRS, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on February 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Makes a noise like an electric fan”?

6 letters: WHIRRS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on February 19, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 38-Across.

Can “Makes a noise like an electric fan” 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 February 19, 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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