Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do

Latest answer — September 27, 2026

85 Across

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Clue explained

To loop back is to return to an earlier subject in a conversation. The answer also describes the puzzle’s six special entries, which literally loop back across phrase boundaries.

Clue type:
Cross-reference
A circular arrow returning to an earlier point in a sequence

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, September 27, 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. 1Bad association
  2. 7Shoot for dinner?
  3. 12Jeweler's wares
  4. 19... in global commerce)(Conflict ...
  5. 20Emerge
  6. 21DeVore who co-founded one of the first U.S. agencies for nonwhite models in 1946
  7. 22Potential benefit
  8. 23Was almost out of supplies
  9. 25That's saying something!
  10. 26Turned into an internet gag
  11. 27Japanese graphic novels
  12. 28... outdoor festivals)(Bathrooms at ...
  13. 30Dukes, countesses, etc.
  14. 32Put down in writing
  15. 37Actress Sink of "Stranger Things"
  16. 39Baby who's up all night?
  17. 40Where many papyrus plants grow
  18. 41Frenzied locale at a rock concert
  19. 44Press a case?
  20. 45"Spring forward" hrs.
  21. 47Test room
  22. 48Cut back on
  23. 49Kind of effect that deflects motion in one direction in the Northern Hemisphere and the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere [with a hint to this puzzle's shaded squares]
  24. 53Carnivore whose vocalization sounds like giggling
  25. 55Google's domain
  26. 58Hindu festival of colors
  27. 59Auto brand whose logo is meant to evoke the precision of a caliper
  28. 62Instant
  29. 63Challenge to a potential investor
  30. 66... transport)(Bigwig's ...
  31. 68Straightaway driving contests
  32. 70Philadelphia-area university that's a powerhouse in men's hoops
  33. 73... park an auto)(Narrow space in which to ...
  34. 74Marvelous
  35. 77One in 100: Abbr.
  36. 78"It ___ Me" (2000 Shaggy hit)
  37. 79Word with dish or drag
  38. 80Locale for many a commercial logo
  39. 82German brewery since 1873
  40. 85Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do
  41. 89Cause of some red cheeks
  42. 90Entertainment source for general audiences, in brief?
  43. 91Bub
  44. 94___ Lanka
  45. 95Custom-tailored
  46. 98One of Cuba's Castros
  47. 100Lose it
  48. 102Best-case
  49. 103Crafts used in NASA's Galileo and Juno missions
  50. 107Good position to be in?
  51. 112... clarify or explain)(Seeking to ...
  52. 113Hide-outs
  53. 115Itsy-bitsy
  54. 116Disk-flipping strategy game
  55. 119Like wheat beers
  56. 121Certain factory machine
  57. 122Chaperones
  58. 123Many a John Williams composition
  59. 124... of hindsight)(With the benefit ...
  60. 125Clear coat
  61. 126Oafs
  62. 127Deal made on the spot?

Down

  1. 1Bewilder
  2. 2Conical accommodations
  3. 3Unhelpful way to respond to "Hello?"
  4. 4"Jackie Brown" star Pam
  5. 5Unruly rush
  6. 6Commercial suffix with Power
  7. 7Singer Bareilles
  8. 8Have a spring in one's step
  9. 9One of the Beatles
  10. 10Faith with five pillars
  11. 11Prefix with cache
  12. 12Assumed ownership over
  13. 13Pulls out, as weeds
  14. 14Choreographer Twyla
  15. 15Achieve a sunbather's goal
  16. 16___ rating (chess stat)
  17. 17Old space station
  18. 18Perhaps
  19. 24Chinese artist Ai ___
  20. 27Triage provider
  21. 29The Cardinals, on scoreboards
  22. 31Clothing brand named for perceived generational differences in the '60s
  23. 33"___ Rouge"
  24. 34It's driven into the ground
  25. 35Flair
  26. 36Redheaded "Queen of Country"
  27. 38Diminutive Spanish suffix
  28. 41Bill of HBO's "Real Time"
  29. 42Mine craft?
  30. 43Do some garment-making
  31. 44Performances for one
  32. 46Competitor of Bluesky and X
  33. 48Affliction for some vets, in brief
  34. 50Greek PPP
  35. 51Promise of payback
  36. 52Chef Nosrat who wrote the best seller "Salt Fat Acid Heat"
  37. 54Tall tale
  38. 56Sonic euphoria, colloquially
  39. 57Scottish hillsides
  40. 60Far from the target, in a guessing game
  41. 61Illuminated from below
  42. 64Univ. course that's in demand?
  43. 65Streisand musical
  44. 67"That's freaking epic!"
  45. 69Rubberneck
  46. 70___ cava (major blood vessel)
  47. 71Sci-fi pioneer Jules
  48. 72It gets you a hand
  49. 74Portmanteau sandwich cookie with a layer of marshmallow
  50. 75Big ___, nickname for M.L.B.'s David Ortiz
  51. 76Lefty, to a righty
  52. 81"Ni ___" (Chinese "hello")
  53. 82___ Khalifa, tower scaled by Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol"
  54. 83Heir with much hair in the Bible
  55. 84Great success
  56. 86Fish hawk
  57. 87Purportedly calming compound in some gummies, in brief
  58. 88Play for ___
  59. 92Shaders of gray?
  60. 93Cultural group of SW Britain
  61. 96___ soda
  62. 97Astronomically demoted, as per a 2006 Word of the Year
  63. 99Persist
  64. 101Fitting
  65. 102"Am I crazy ...?"
  66. 104Twin sister of Sherri on "The Simpsons"
  67. 105Malaise, with "the"
  68. 106Lets up
  69. 108Violently eliminates, in gamer-speak
  70. 109Volkswagen sedan
  71. 110Buck enshrined in Cooperstown
  72. 111David who fronted Talking Heads
  73. 114Some loaves or liquors
  74. 116Something gas cars do noisily that electric vehicles don't
  75. 117That, in Spanish
  76. 118Forerunner of the DVD player
  77. 120"when r u coming?"
  78. 121Relaxing getaway

The answer to “Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do” in the New York Times crossword is LOOPBACK — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 27, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 85-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.

“Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do” answer

LOOPBACK (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 LOOPBACK.

When else has “Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do” 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 27, 2026 (most recent) → LOOPBACK. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do”?

The answer is LOOPBACK, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 27, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do”?

8 letters: LOOPBACK.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 27, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 85-Across.

Can “Return to an earlier topic of conversation ... or what six answers in this puzzle literally do” 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 27, 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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