Prodigal ___

The answer to “Prodigal ___” in the New York Times crossword is SON — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 12, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 60-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.

“Prodigal ___” answer

SON (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 SON.

Why the answer is SON

Think of the classic story about a wayward child returning home! 👦

What does SON mean?

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

When else has “Prodigal ___” 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 12, 2026 (most recent) → SON. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions