Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant

Latest answer — August 22, 2026

34 Across

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Clue decoded

QAT, also spelled khat, is a Mideast and East African shrub whose leaves are chewed for their stimulant effects. The answer uses the short three-letter spelling common in crossword fill.

Clue type:
Definition
Green leaves from a qat, or khat, shrub.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, August 22, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Dish such as Germany's hasenpfeffer
  2. 11Set of 24 for a box jellyfish
  3. 15"Hello?" follower
  4. 16Straight-up
  5. 17Beset by impossible circumstances
  6. 18___ noche (tonight, in Spanish)
  7. 19"Let's talk about it afterward"
  8. 20From scratch
  9. 21Haul
  10. 22Convinced of
  11. 24Benjamin Franklin invention of the 1780s
  12. 29Hardly a luxury
  13. 30Fellow fellows
  14. 31Net alternative
  15. 34Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant
  16. 35It includes a series of stations
  17. 38"Lemme think ..."
  18. 39Irreverence, of a sort
  19. 42Name shared by the locales of University of South Carolina and the University of Missouri
  20. 45What might wind up in your mattress?
  21. 47Refrain from foul language, say
  22. 48Follow around
  23. 50Portal released concurrently with Windows 95
  24. 51Many a guest writer's piece
  25. 52Genetically rare feline that represents autumn in Chinese astronomy
  26. 58Tied up with?
  27. 59It's commonly made upside down
  28. 60___ Lydic of "The Daily Show"
  29. 61"This is a travesty!"
  30. 62Acknowledged
  31. 63"Relax, it'll be fine"

Down

  1. 1"Into each life some ___ must fall": Longfellow
  2. 2Common word in Latin dating
  3. 3Tournament passes?
  4. 4Analytical graphic that divides data into quartiles
  5. 5Having communication
  6. 6She played Sandy Lester in "Tootsie"
  7. 7Author Silverstein
  8. 8"As I see it ..."
  9. 9Many members of Kuwait's al-Sabah royal line
  10. 10Crisco competitor
  11. 11Volume control device?
  12. 12"Absolutely, positively!"
  13. 13Down the hatch, perhaps
  14. 14Popular topping for fish tacos
  15. 23Segment
  16. 24Smoking events, for short
  17. 25Major exporter of pistachios
  18. 26Tidbits of Greek culture?
  19. 27Francis's successor
  20. 28Dipped (out)
  21. 32Icebreaker, e.g.
  22. 33Iconic hairstyle of Jane Fonda and Stevie Nicks
  23. 36Support while "en pointe"
  24. 37I, O, U and Y, but not A or E
  25. 40Success in another's field, say
  26. 41Engage in tomfoolery
  27. 43Arriviste
  28. 44Subcompact vehicle
  29. 46Contract winner, typically
  30. 48Binge
  31. 49Maker of the Hacky Sack and Hula-Hoop
  32. 51The longer they are, the harder they'll be to beat
  33. 53Part of
  34. 54Lacking slack
  35. 55Greenish plum variety
  36. 56Barely makes (out)
  37. 57Wine list header

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Dish such as Germany's hasenpfeffer — Answer: RABBITSTEW. Hint: This hearty dish features slow-cooked meat in a savory sauce. 🍲
  2. 11. Set of 24 for a box jellyfish — Answer: EYES. Hint: This sea creature is unusually well equipped for seeing. 👀
  3. 15. "Hello?" follower — Answer: ANYONEHOME. Hint: A caller may ask this when no one answers the door. 🚪
  4. 16. Straight-up — Answer: REAL. Hint: Think genuine rather than exaggerated or fanciful. ✅
  5. 17. Beset by impossible circumstances — Answer: INEXTREMIS. Hint: This phrase describes a desperate, last-resort situation. 🆘
  6. 18. ___ noche (tonight, in Spanish) — Answer: ESTA. Hint: The Spanish word meaning “this” completes the phrase for tonight. 🇪🇸
  7. 19. "Let's talk about it afterward" — Answer: NOSPOILERS. Hint: A considerate request from someone avoiding plot details until later. 🤫
  8. 20. From scratch — Answer: ANEW. Hint: This means starting over with nothing preexisting. 🔄
  9. 21. Haul — Answer: LUG. Hint: To pull or carry something heavy with effort is to do this. 💪
  10. 22. Convinced of — Answer: SOLDON. Hint: If you are fully persuaded, you find an idea worthwhile. 💡
  11. 24. Benjamin Franklin invention of the 1780s — Answer: BIFOCALS. Hint: These spectacles let one pair serve both reading and distance vision. 👓
  12. 29. Hardly a luxury — Answer: NEED. Hint: This is a basic necessity, not an indulgence. 🧰
  13. 30. Fellow fellows — Answer: BRETHREN. Hint: This formal word can mean brothers or close comrades. 🤝
  14. 31. Net alternative — Answer: GROSS. Hint: On a paycheck, this figure appears before deductions. 💵
  15. 34. Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant — Answer: QAT. Hint: Chewed leaves from this shrub provide a stimulating effect in parts of East Africa and Arabia. 🌿
  16. 35. It includes a series of stations — Answer: ROUTE. Hint: This is a path or itinerary connecting multiple stops. 🚌
  17. 38. "Lemme think ..." — Answer: UHH. Hint: This hesitant sound can fill a pause while someone searches for words. 🤔
  18. 39. Irreverence, of a sort — Answer: SNARK. Hint: This is a sharp, sarcastic kind of wit. 😏
  19. 42. Name shared by the locales of University of South Carolina and the University of Missouri — Answer: COLUMBIA. Hint: This name belongs to both a South Carolina city and a Missouri city. 🗺️
  20. 45. What might wind up in your mattress? — Answer: COIL. Hint: A spring-shaped piece of metal could end up inside it. 🛏️
  21. 47. Refrain from foul language, say — Answer: KEEPITPG. Hint: A parent might use this phrase to request cleaner speech. 🤐
  22. 48. Follow around — Answer: SHADOW. Hint: Think of what a persistent companion does wherever you go. 👣
  23. 50. Portal released concurrently with Windows 95 — Answer: MSN. Hint: Recall Microsoft's online service launched alongside that iconic operating system. 💻
  24. 51. Many a guest writer's piece — Answer: OPED. Hint: A guest contributor often submits an opinion editorial. 📰
  25. 52. Genetically rare feline that represents autumn in Chinese astronomy — Answer: WHITETIGER. Hint: Look to the rare cat symbol associated with the western autumn sky in Chinese tradition. 🐅
  26. 58. Tied up with? — Answer: DREW. Hint: This playful answer describes a contest that ended even. ⚖️
  27. 59. It's commonly made upside down — Answer: BANANACAKE. Hint: This dessert places a familiar yellow fruit beneath the batter while baking. 🍌
  28. 60. ___ Lydic of "The Daily Show" — Answer: DESI. Hint: Supply the comedian and correspondent's first name. 🎙️
  29. 61. "This is a travesty!" — Answer: IMOUTRAGED. Hint: It is a theatrical declaration from someone protesting fiercely. 😤
  30. 62. Acknowledged — Answer: SEEN. Hint: A brief confirmation shows that a message was noticed. 👀
  31. 63. "Relax, it'll be fine" — Answer: DONTSTRESS. Hint: This reassuring phrase tells someone not to worry. 😌

Down

  1. 1. "Into each life some ___ must fall": Longfellow — Answer: RAIN. Hint: Longfellow fills the quotation with a kind of weather. 🌧️
  2. 2. Common word in Latin dating — Answer: ANNO. Hint: Look for the Latin term meaning “in the year” before a date. 📅
  3. 3. Tournament passes? — Answer: BYES. Hint: In a bracket, these let competitors advance without playing a round. 🏆
  4. 4. Analytical graphic that divides data into quartiles — Answer: BOXPLOT. Hint: This statistical display combines a rectangle, median, quartiles, and often whiskers. 📊
  5. 5. Having communication — Answer: INTOUCH. Hint: Someone maintaining regular communication is described this way. 📞
  6. 6. She played Sandy Lester in "Tootsie" — Answer: TERIGARR. Hint: Identify the actress who portrayed Sandy Lester in the comedy about an actor's disguise. 🎬
  7. 7. Author Silverstein — Answer: SHEL. Hint: The children's poet behind “Where the Sidewalk Ends” used a famously brief first name. 📚
  8. 8. "As I see it ..." — Answer: TOME. Hint: This phrase introduces a speaker's personal viewpoint. 🤔
  9. 9. Many members of Kuwait's al-Sabah royal line — Answer: EMIRS. Hint: These titleholders are rulers or princes in Arabic-speaking realms. 👑
  10. 10. Crisco competitor — Answer: WESSON. Hint: This cooking-oil brand shares shelf space with the shortening giant. 🛒
  11. 11. Volume control device? — Answer: EREADER. Hint: It manages a book collection without needing a bookshelf. 📚
  12. 12. "Absolutely, positively!" — Answer: YESNODOUBT. Hint: This emphatic phrase leaves no room for uncertainty. ✅
  13. 13. Down the hatch, perhaps — Answer: EATEN. Hint: Whatever goes down the hatch may soon be consumed. 🍽️
  14. 14. Popular topping for fish tacos — Answer: SLAW. Hint: Its cool, crunchy texture balances spicy fish tacos. 🌮
  15. 23. Segment — Answer: LEG. Hint: A portion of a whole—or part of a journey—is this. 🧩
  16. 24. Smoking events, for short — Answer: BBQS. Hint: These abbreviated cookouts often fill the air with smoky goodness. 🔥
  17. 25. Major exporter of pistachios — Answer: IRAN. Hint: This country is a major source of the green, shell-covered snack. 🥜
  18. 26. Tidbits of Greek culture? — Answer: FETACHEESE. Hint: These Greek morsels crumble nicely over salads. 🧀
  19. 27. Francis's successor — Answer: LEO. Hint: The current pope followed Francis in the papal line. ⛪
  20. 28. Dipped (out) — Answer: SNUCK. Hint: It means slipped away quietly, often before anyone noticed. 🤫
  21. 32. Icebreaker, e.g. — Answer: SHIP. Hint: This can split frozen water—or start a conversation. 🚢
  22. 33. Iconic hairstyle of Jane Fonda and Stevie Nicks — Answer: SHAG. Hint: This feathered, layered cut was a signature look for both stars. ✂️
  23. 36. Support while "en pointe" — Answer: TOE. Hint: A ballerina relies on this tiny body part while dancing on tiptoe. 🩰
  24. 37. I, O, U and Y, but not A or E — Answer: ELEMENTS. Hint: In this set, four letters qualify while two are left out. 🔤
  25. 40. Success in another's field, say — Answer: ROADWIN. Hint: A team can celebrate this after triumphing away from home. 🏆
  26. 41. Engage in tomfoolery — Answer: KID. Hint: To toy with someone or act silly is to do this. 😄
  27. 43. Arriviste — Answer: UPSTART. Hint: A newcomer who acts overly ambitious may earn this label. 🚀
  28. 44. Subcompact vehicle — Answer: MINICAR. Hint: This tiny automobile is built for tight city parking. 🚗
  29. 46. Contract winner, typically — Answer: LOWBID. Hint: The job often goes to the contractor offering the cheapest acceptable proposal. 📄
  30. 48. Binge — Answer: SPREE. Hint: A wild bout of spending or indulgence 🎉
  31. 49. Maker of the Hacky Sack and Hula-Hoop — Answer: WHAMO. Hint: This toy company brought playful classics to backyards everywhere 🪀
  32. 51. The longer they are, the harder they'll be to beat — Answer: ODDS. Hint: These chances become less favorable as they grow 📈
  33. 53. Part of — Answer: INON. Hint: A compact phrase meaning included or involved 🧩
  34. 54. Lacking slack — Answer: TAUT. Hint: Pulled tight with no looseness to spare. 🪢
  35. 55. Greenish plum variety — Answer: GAGE. Hint: A small, sweet plum with greenish skin 🍑
  36. 56. Barely makes (out) — Answer: EKES. Hint: Manages something with just enough effort to get by 😅
  37. 57. Wine list header — Answer: REDS. Hint: Look here for the ruby-colored selections 🍷

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant” in the New York Times crossword is QAT — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 22, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 34-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.

“Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant” answer

QAT (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 QAT.

When else has “Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant” 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.

August 22, 2026 (most recent) → QAT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on August 22, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for August 22, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Saturday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant”?

The answer is QAT, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 22, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant”?

3 letters: QAT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 22, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 34-Across.

Can “Mideast shrub with leaves that are chewed as a stimulant” 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 August 22, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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