Puts through the paces

Latest answer — November 20, 2025

40 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, November 20, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Duds in bed?
  2. 4Place for a castle
  3. 9Retailer across the street from Rockefeller Center
  4. 13Bread for dipping
  5. 14Very, very
  6. 15Very, very particular
  7. 16Cubing needs
  8. 18Like an S-Tier video game character
  9. 19Computer pros
  10. 20In position
  11. 22Beurre demi-___ (salted butter, in France)
  12. 23Turns on
  13. 25___ ejemplo
  14. 26"Hail," in Latin
  15. 27Scottsbluff's state: Abbr.
  16. 28Overlook for an award, say
  17. 30Hitchhiker's hope
  18. 32Niihau neighbor
  19. 36Make, as money
  20. 38Ensnare
  21. 40Puts through the paces
  22. 41On the topic of
  23. 43Spanx founder Blakely
  24. 44Spanish diminutive suffix
  25. 46"Excuse me!"
  26. 47Video game customization, informally
  27. 48Fops
  28. 52Surfboard stabilizer
  29. 53Vesper Lynd portrayer in "Casino Royale"
  30. 54"Star Wars" character originally portrayed by a puppet that weighed over a ton
  31. 56They may be threaded
  32. 57He doesn't belong ... or a hint to the circled letters in 16-, 23-, 36-, 38- and 48-Across
  33. 60Singer with the #1 hits "Umbrella" and "Disturbia," familiarly
  34. 61Levi's Stadium player, informally
  35. 62Actor who participated in the first WrestleMania event, in 1985
  36. 63Came down to earth
  37. 64"Jumping Jehoshaphat!"
  38. 65Supporting article?

Down

  1. 1Subtle attention-getter
  2. 2"Guess I'm the dummy"
  3. 3Dry seasons?
  4. 4Signs of spring
  5. 5Yalie
  6. 6Off-road rover, for short
  7. 7Sporting a tuft of feathers
  8. 8Knows the solution
  9. 9Restaurants' "serve yourself" features
  10. 10Baker of RB
  11. 11Actress Sagal
  12. 12They make runs at the Winter Olympics
  13. 17Blues' grp.
  14. 18"I've got the answer!"
  15. 21Atomic number of neon
  16. 23Rustic wedding venue
  17. 24Musical with the showstopper "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
  18. 25Exam for some sophs.
  19. 29Humor with an edge
  20. 31First name in cosmetics
  21. 33Dish that creates an explosion of rich flavors, in modern parlance
  22. 34Narrator/antagonist in "Hamilton"
  23. 35Pixel alternative
  24. 37Perfume compounds
  25. 39Most characters in Pixar's first film
  26. 42Bash
  27. 45"___ to Joy"
  28. 48Messing around on TV?
  29. 49Mars follower, in Marseille
  30. 50Source of the word "tiki"
  31. 51Sierra ___
  32. 52Summer cooler
  33. 54Tipping points?
  34. 55Palindromic flour
  35. 58The stuff of life
  36. 59___ school

The answer to “Puts through the paces” in the New York Times crossword is TESTS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on November 20, 2025, a Thursday puzzle, at 40-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.

“Puts through the paces” answer

TESTS (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 TESTS.

Why the answer is TESTS

TESTS is the 5-letter solution that fits "Puts through the paces" in the NYT Crossword crossword on November 20, 2025 (40-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does TESTS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something, especially before it is taken into widespread use
  • a movable hearth in a reverberating furnace, used for separating gold or silver from lead

When else has “Puts through the paces” 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.

November 20, 2025 (most recent) → TESTS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Puts through the paces”?

The answer is TESTS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on November 20, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Puts through the paces”?

5 letters: TESTS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on November 20, 2025 (a Thursday puzzle), at 40-Across.

Can “Puts through the paces” 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 November 20, 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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