Not fooled by
Latest answer — September 23, 2026
29 Down
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Clue explained
If you are onto someone or something, you are not fooled by it and have recognized what is really happening. The answer completes the idiom “be onto.”
- Clue type:
- Phrase or idiom
NYT Crossword
This clue's Wednesday, September 23, 2026 appearance
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The answer to “Not fooled by” in the New York Times crossword is ONTO — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 23, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 29-Down, and it has also run on 2 earlier dates with the same answer. 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.
“Not fooled by” answer
ONTO (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 ONTO.
What does ONTO mean?
Reading the plain dictionary sense of ONTO is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.
(adposition)
- expressing the relationship of a set to its image under a mapping when every element of the image set has an inverse image in the first set
When else has “Not fooled by” 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 23, 2026 (most recent) → ONTO
- January 15, 2026 → ONTO
- October 7, 2025 → ONTO
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “Not fooled by”?
The answer is ONTO, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 23, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “Not fooled by”?
4 letters: ONTO.
When did this clue appear?
Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 23, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 29-Down. Earlier appearances: January 15, 2026 → ONTO; October 7, 2025 → ONTO.
Can “Not fooled by” 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 23, 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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