Mathematician Terence

Latest answer — January 07, 2026

40 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, January 07, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Actress Pinkett Smith of "Girls Trip"
  2. 5Gets better
  3. 10"Great" animals
  4. 14Super-cool
  5. 15Subject of 2001 bankruptcy headlines
  6. 16"That's crazy!," on the internet
  7. 17Wing woman?
  8. 19Not right
  9. 20Second-most-common surname in Korea, after Kim
  10. 21Right away
  11. 22Sports center
  12. 23They have pH's below 7
  13. 25Cover girl?
  14. 28Kind of makeup you're born with?
  15. 30XXX counterpart
  16. 31Org. with a 3-1-1 rule
  17. 32Gave a meal
  18. 33W-9 fig.
  19. 34San Francisco or San Antonio
  20. 35Homecoming queen?
  21. 38Unhealthy haze
  22. 40Mathematician Terence
  23. 41Musical genre that's the subject of the 2007 book "Everybody Hurts"
  24. 42Game of pursuit
  25. 43On behalf of
  26. 44Places for pampering pups
  27. 48Sister-in-law?
  28. 51Witherspoon who played 48-Across
  29. 52"We need to talk"
  30. 53Smurf elder
  31. 55Miss, e.g.
  32. 56Hot stuff
  33. 57Cat lady?
  34. 60Uno más dos
  35. 61Grads, now
  36. 62Potatoes, in Indian cooking
  37. 63Text sent upon arrival
  38. 64Rapper ___ Elliott
  39. 65Course list?

Down

  1. 1Circadian dysrhythmia, less fancily
  2. 2By the item
  3. 3Enjoy a home-cooked meal, say
  4. 4"Oh no!," in comics
  5. 5Certain possessive pronoun
  6. 6With all judges present
  7. 7Grilled cornmeal cake
  8. 8"haha"
  9. 9"Black Jeopardy!" show, in brief
  10. 10Nobel, for one
  11. 11Bold accessory for a suit
  12. 12Sincere
  13. 13Back off (from)
  14. 18Day for hunting
  15. 22"The Bear" actress Edebiri
  16. 24Clear up, as a windshield
  17. 26Snoopy
  18. 27Savory rice porridge
  19. 29Words of concurrence
  20. 33"___ 'nuff!"
  21. 34Almost there
  22. 35Cynophilist
  23. 36Purple boba choice
  24. 37Travel option that serves 46 states
  25. 38Secrecy
  26. 39Virus of sorts
  27. 43Chain email abbr.
  28. 44Biblical collection of 150 poems
  29. 45Kitchen grinder
  30. 46Kutcher of "That '70s Show"
  31. 47"Later"
  32. 49Clear, as a whiteboard
  33. 50Equivalent of a 1.3 G.P.A., say
  34. 54Small bouquet
  35. 57Hawaiian pizza topping
  36. 58Lilly of pharmaceuticals
  37. 59Dr. Seuss's Sam-___

The answer to “Mathematician Terence” in the New York Times crossword is TAO — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 7, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 40-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.

“Mathematician Terence” answer

TAO (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 TAO.

Why the answer is TAO

TAO is the 3-letter solution that fits "Mathematician Terence" in the NYT Crossword crossword on January 7, 2026 (40-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does TAO mean?

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

(noun)

  • (in Chinese philosophy) the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of yin and yang and signifying the way, or code of behaviour, that is in harmony with the natural order. The interpretation of Tao in the Tao-te-Ching developed into the philosophical religion of Taoism

When else has “Mathematician Terence” 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.

January 7, 2026 (most recent) → TAO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Mathematician Terence”?

The answer is TAO, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Mathematician Terence”?

3 letters: TAO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on January 7, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 40-Across.

Can “Mathematician Terence” 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 January 7, 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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