Metaphorical beginning or ending

Latest answer — July 11, 2026

48 Across

Think of what remains after a fire, representing both loss and renewal. 🔥

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, July 11, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1___ bowl
  2. 5Eschews English, say
  3. 15Dragon's spot
  4. 16.08 for 49 of the 50 states
  5. 17"Not good ..."
  6. 18Classic Indian film series by Satyajit Ray, with "The"
  7. 19Some docking helpers
  8. 20"Sweeney Todd" subject
  9. 21Heading on a Spanish menu
  10. 22However, in a tweet
  11. 23Statue in East Asian temples
  12. 24Org. with an annual Thanksgiving competition
  13. 25Business tycoon Sam
  14. 27"Splendid" things in a Khaled Hosseini title
  15. 29Offering at a BBQ joint
  16. 32Words to a genie
  17. 33"Keep Commerce Human" sloganeer
  18. 34Angsty feeling associated with exclusion
  19. 35Team sometimes called the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball
  20. 38Something often labeled with the name of a gem or precious metal
  21. 39Bush and Obama had theirs
  22. 40Eurasian divide
  23. 41"Spamalot" title
  24. 42Get out of Dodge
  25. 43Cheap tissue descriptor
  26. 44___ joint
  27. 45Some DNA sharers
  28. 47Huck Finn's father
  29. 48Metaphorical beginning or ending
  30. 51Being in Bordeaux
  31. 52First name in classic horror
  32. 53G-rated verbal double-take
  33. 55School on the Thames
  34. 56Nookie nook?
  35. 57Isn't wrong?
  36. 58What's kraken?
  37. 59Big 12 team from Salt Lake City

Down

  1. 1Features of many M. Night Shyamalan films
  2. 2Home to Pearl Harbor
  3. 3Bandleader who mentored Louis Armstrong
  4. 4Greek counterpart of 12-Down
  5. 5Haphazardly add
  6. 6Military hats that may be worn with epaulets
  7. 7"Well, it seems nothing more can be done"
  8. 8Some congratulations
  9. 9Classic analog camera style
  10. 10Falls for some bait, maybe
  11. 11Aromatic bloom
  12. 12Roman counterpart of 4-Down
  13. 13Finalize, in a way
  14. 14Target of a therapeutic tea bag
  15. 23One of 21 popes
  16. 24Actress Taylor-Joy
  17. 26Title abolished in 1917
  18. 28Some ports, for short
  19. 29Julia Child catchphrase
  20. 30Statement of existential solitude
  21. 31Best-selling comedic autobiography of 2011
  22. 33Title seen in a tea caddy
  23. 34Price of passage
  24. 36Arkansas : Nebraska :: Argon : ___
  25. 37Some characters in the Tony winning play "Doubt"
  26. 42Dining spot with a European vibe
  27. 43Subservient sort
  28. 44Boxing ring encouragement
  29. 46Voltaire's penultimate play
  30. 48Tools in a saddle shop
  31. 49Clog, e.g.
  32. 50"___ Nagila" (Jewish folk song)
  33. 51Some creatures in the ocean's "midnight zone"
  34. 52Courting gentleman
  35. 54On-air marketplace, for short

The answer to “Metaphorical beginning or ending” in the New York Times crossword is ASHES — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 11, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 48-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.

“Metaphorical beginning or ending” answer

ASHES (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 ASHES.

Why the answer is ASHES

Think of what remains after a fire, representing both loss and renewal. 🔥

What does ASHES mean?

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

(noun)

  • the powdery residue left after the burning of a substance
  • a trophy for the winner of a series of Test matches in a cricket season between England and Australia

When else has “Metaphorical beginning or ending” 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.

July 11, 2026 (most recent) → ASHES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Metaphorical beginning or ending”?

The answer is ASHES, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 11, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Metaphorical beginning or ending”?

5 letters: ASHES.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 11, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 48-Across.

Can “Metaphorical beginning or ending” 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 July 11, 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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