___ mater (brain protector)

Latest answer — September 19, 2025

2 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, September 19, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Take over
  2. 6Engage in magniloquence
  3. 10A double might get you some, for short
  4. 14Fly me to the moon!
  5. 16Actress Chaplin
  6. 17Ancient creepy-crawlies
  7. 18It "smiles on the frowning night," in "Romeo and Juliet"
  8. 19___ milk
  9. 20___ Seymour, third wife of King Henry VIII
  10. 21Added (on)
  11. 23One of four for a bat or a cat
  12. 24"Moulin Rouge" co-star, 1952
  13. 25Not with it
  14. 30With (it)
  15. 31In tandem
  16. 32Way out in space
  17. 34Biker role in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
  18. 36Pull-up target, for short
  19. 37Let it all out, in a way
  20. 39Nutmeg-flavored quaff, informally
  21. 40Ribbed silk material
  22. 43The "A" in STEAM
  23. 44"I, personally, wouldn't boast about that"
  24. 47Bring the receipts for, as they say
  25. 48Figs. on a 4-point scale
  26. 49Tennis star Stephens who won the 2017 U.S. Open
  27. 51Berth place
  28. 52A.L. East team, on scoreboards
  29. 55Car whose name means "listen" in Latin
  30. 56Ordered clubs, for example
  31. 59Quickly assembles, with "up"
  32. 60Frees
  33. 61"Gotcha"
  34. 62Editor's marking
  35. 63According to experiments, they can't "sleep" in space

Down

  1. 1Lead-in to stratus or cumulus
  2. 2___ mater (brain protector)
  3. 3Handling things
  4. 4Bud
  5. 5Memorial Coliseum athlete
  6. 6Provide that crucial spark for
  7. 7You may have learned your times tables by it
  8. 8Fin
  9. 9Develop over time
  10. 10"50 First Dates" or "(500) Days of Summer"
  11. 11Reader's digest
  12. 12Concerning
  13. 13It might be picked up from a trip to the beach
  14. 15Classic lunchbox staple, informally
  15. 22Tolerate
  16. 23Done: Fr.
  17. 24Big ol' teddy bear
  18. 25Word of approval, in French and Spanish
  19. 26Finance
  20. 27A little of this, a little of that
  21. 28Salutation for a mass email
  22. 29Lower than, on a score
  23. 33Learning center?
  24. 35Zac of "The Iron Claw"
  25. 38Pulitzer-winning graphic novel by Art Spiegelman
  26. 41British spots
  27. 42Throws out
  28. 45Declaration that might come from a bluffer
  29. 46Spirited sort?
  30. 49Wrapped dress
  31. 50Author Jorge ___ Borges
  32. 51Apt rhyme for fire
  33. 52Object marked with the speed limit, sometimes
  34. 53Word in an Italian veal dish
  35. 54"___ the Man" (2006 film inspired by "Twelfth Night")
  36. 57On the newsstand, say
  37. 58John

The answer to “___ mater (brain protector)” in the New York Times crossword is DURA — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 19, 2025, a Friday puzzle, at 2-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.

“___ mater (brain protector)” answer

DURA (4 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 DURA.

Why the answer is DURA

DURA is the 4-letter solution that fits "___ mater (brain protector)" in the NYT Crossword crossword on September 19, 2025 (2-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does DURA mean?

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

(noun)

  • the tough outermost membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cord

When else has “___ mater (brain protector)” 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 19, 2025 (most recent) → DURA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “___ mater (brain protector)”?

The answer is DURA, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 19, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “___ mater (brain protector)”?

4 letters: DURA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 19, 2025 (a Friday puzzle), at 2-Down.

Can “___ mater (brain protector)” 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 19, 2025 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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