Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers

Latest answer — July 25, 2026

36 Across

These formal dances are a highlight of senior year celebrations! 🎉

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, July 25, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Fashionable spots?
  2. 10Meeting that's been cut short?
  3. 14Device used in making snow cones
  4. 16Lead
  5. 17What might provide you an opportunity to walk in someone else's shoes?
  6. 18Group with the hits "Honey, Honey" and "Money, Money, Money"
  7. 19Something won by successful Olympians
  8. 20Alternative to caps: Abbr.
  9. 21Emmy winner Ann of "The Handmaid's Tale"
  10. 22"Awesome!"
  11. 23Shared fantasies?
  12. 25"The gloves are off!"
  13. 27Lab in one's house, maybe
  14. 28Like some high-fiber snacks
  15. 30Ingredient in Swedish knäckebröd
  16. 31"Wrong answer"
  17. 34Grind up, in a way
  18. 36Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers
  19. 38"You and me both"
  20. 41Waft fragrant smoke around
  21. 42Actress Taylor-Joy
  22. 43Tricksters
  23. 44Prey for a mountain lion
  24. 45It has its time and place: Abbr.
  25. 47Things that could happen
  26. 49Light
  27. 51Let on a court, say
  28. 53Co-founder of the A.C.L.U.'s Women's Rights Project, familiarly
  29. 56Plains people
  30. 57Second person seen in "Hamlet"
  31. 59Immodest outburst
  32. 61The so-called "hurricane bird," because of its reputation for seeking shelter from storms at the last possible moment
  33. 62Knockout alternative
  34. 64"Santa Claus in Camp" artist, 1863
  35. 65"This has waited long enough, yes?"
  36. 66Like koalas, in Australia
  37. 67Some craft outlets

Down

  1. 1One of a nursery rhyme quintet
  2. 2Seat of Marion County, Fla.
  3. 3Jim Croce's ___ Brown, who is "meaner than a junkyard dog"
  4. 41980s Chrysler innovation
  5. 5It's made of diamonds
  6. 6Directly
  7. 7Actor/playwright Davis who wrote "Purlie Victorious"
  8. 8"It was only a practice round!"
  9. 9Ward of "Sisters"
  10. 10A great deal
  11. 11Coach's lack, often
  12. 12Underground scheme?
  13. 13Providers of support for travelers
  14. 15Fired up again
  15. 24Shingles problem that a set of nails might address
  16. 26Word with set, cast or writer
  17. 27Predigital recording devices
  18. 29Where an annoying person might be told to go?
  19. 31"Good job!"
  20. 32A.M. station
  21. 33Ambient sound said to be more soothing than its "white" counterpart
  22. 35Whole lot (of)
  23. 37Tally of those driven home, for short
  24. 39Color of an ovarian cancer awareness ribbon
  25. 40One might check a box for it
  26. 46Kind of dish
  27. 48Dallies
  28. 50Easily set off
  29. 52What some sisters become
  30. 53Secretary of state beginning in 2025
  31. 54Game day sight
  32. 55Pool set?
  33. 58They might be thrown out if they run
  34. 60Philip with two National Book Awards
  35. 63Unprofessional letters?

The answer to “Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers” in the New York Times crossword is PROMS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 25, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 36-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.

“Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers” answer

PROMS (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 PROMS.

Why the answer is PROMS

These formal dances are a highlight of senior year celebrations! 🎉

What does PROMS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a paved public walk, typically one along the seafront at a resort
  • a ball or formal dance at a school or college, especially one held at the end of the academic year for students who are in their final year
  • a concert of classical music at which part of the audience stands, in particular one of a series of concerts performed annually at the Royal Albert Hall in London

When else has “Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers” 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 25, 2026 (most recent) → PROMS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers”?

The answer is PROMS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers”?

5 letters: PROMS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 25, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 36-Across.

Can “Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers” 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 July 25, 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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