*Motion of receding waves

Latest answer — September 16, 2025

31 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, September 16, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Relatives, informally
  2. 4Carved bit of jewelry
  3. 9Figure out
  4. 14Pub pintful
  5. 15___ Dictionary (crowdsourced online reference)
  6. 16Frog's sound
  7. 17*High-status American Express offering
  8. 19Cause of food poisoning, for short
  9. 20Thin and graceful
  10. 21Revolutionary Trotsky
  11. 23Barbie's boyfriend
  12. 24"Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)" singer
  13. 25*Task for a locksmith
  14. 28Science fiction princess
  15. 30Destiny
  16. 31*Motion of receding waves
  17. 35Office paper fastener
  18. 37Spanish article
  19. 38Miss Havisham's ward in "Great Expectations"
  20. 42Lennon's love
  21. 43Japanese soup flavoring
  22. 45*Bottom of the ocean
  23. 47Drinking aids
  24. 51"At Last" singer James
  25. 52*Product of meat scraps that, despite its name, is dairy-free
  26. 54Not bad, but not great
  27. 58Donkey
  28. 59Monk's hood
  29. 60Theater employee
  30. 61Shade akin to cream
  31. 63Train conductor's cry ... or a hint to each word in the answers to the starred clues
  32. 66Strung along
  33. 67Rock with a crystal-filled cavity
  34. 68Hwy.
  35. 69Highly skilled
  36. 70Opposite of delete
  37. 71Floppy part of a beagle

Down

  1. 1Story with a moral
  2. 2Bold poker bet
  3. 3Substantial
  4. 4Long, green veggie
  5. 5Curved path
  6. 6Wall St. credential
  7. 7Premature
  8. 8Next to bat
  9. 9Aromas
  10. 10Elf's foe
  11. 11A shopper, not a buyer, informally
  12. 12Fashion house named for its founder, Signor Garavani
  13. 13Scraping (by)
  14. 18Sidewalk writing medium
  15. 22Non's opposite
  16. 25Soul and Sorento
  17. 26Sunrise direction
  18. 27Cable inits. for cinephiles
  19. 29Farm mother
  20. 31Mooch, as a cigarette
  21. 32Licorice-flavored spice
  22. 33Rejected
  23. 34"___ Just Not That Into You" (2009 film)
  24. 36___ favor
  25. 39Levi's alternative
  26. 40Behind
  27. 41Rear, in the boat
  28. 44Chicago airport code
  29. 46Rodeo rope
  30. 48Southern drawl, for example
  31. 49Owl's question?
  32. 50Waste that's been flushed
  33. 52"Se ___ español"
  34. 53Actress Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy"
  35. 55Chicago airport
  36. 56Sealy competitor
  37. 57Big Mac meal with a Coke, e.g.
  38. 60Ride from an airport, maybe
  39. 62Republicans, for short
  40. 64Place to park
  41. 65Citrus drink suffix

The answer to “*Motion of receding waves” in the New York Times crossword is BACKWASH — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 16, 2025, a Tuesday puzzle, at 31-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.

“*Motion of receding waves” answer

BACKWASH (8 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 BACKWASH.

Why the answer is BACKWASH

BACKWASH is the 8-letter solution that fits "*Motion of receding waves" in the NYT Crossword crossword on September 16, 2025 (31-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does BACKWASH mean?

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

(noun)

  • the motion of receding waves

When else has “*Motion of receding waves” 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 16, 2025 (most recent) → BACKWASH. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “*Motion of receding waves”?

The answer is BACKWASH, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 16, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “*Motion of receding waves”?

8 letters: BACKWASH.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 16, 2025 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 31-Across.

Can “*Motion of receding waves” 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 16, 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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