Rubs the wrong way

Latest answer — September 27, 2025

10 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, September 27, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Thin underlayer
  2. 5Comment often made with an eye roll
  3. 9African capital whose name translates to "ants"
  4. 14Derby, e.g.
  5. 16Commit a library taboo
  6. 17Ship-to-ship communication
  7. 18Lacks
  8. 19Parent whose child is taking steps to improve?
  9. 20Backbiter?
  10. 21Puts in a protected place
  11. 23They arose from Ra's tears, according to Egyptian mythology
  12. 24Cries of disappointment
  13. 25Components of some brick buildings
  14. 28It might be living on the edge
  15. 31Showing tough love, say
  16. 32Mash at a luau
  17. 33"Please avoid brutal honesty!"
  18. 35Wise
  19. 37Certain drug classification, in brief
  20. 38Ally of Athens during the Peloponnesian War
  21. 40Fathers
  22. 41Two-humper
  23. 43Period that begins on July 23
  24. 44It's not an option
  25. 45Zest source
  26. 50Brown alternative
  27. 51Enterprise enterprise
  28. 52WWE star Randy ___
  29. 54Part of a high-tech security system
  30. 55"Lift ___ Voice and Sing" (protest anthem)
  31. 56They go from season to season
  32. 57Short
  33. 58Hibernation stations
  34. 59Seven ___

Down

  1. 1Contempt, in slang
  2. 2Actress with a dual role in 1998's "The Parent Trap"
  3. 3Tends to some pressing matters
  4. 4Punk
  5. 5The first Musketeer, alphabetically
  6. 6Kept hidden, as information
  7. 7Product for winter sidewalk safety
  8. 8"Mean Girls" writer
  9. 9Firewood choice, or its destiny
  10. 10Rubs the wrong way
  11. 11Alternative to a crib
  12. 12Classic rock?
  13. 13Paratha flour
  14. 15Digital file?
  15. 22Runs slowly
  16. 23Kind of contest with multiple chances to participate
  17. 26[This makes me mad!]
  18. 27Is on the bottom?
  19. 28One who's slow to pick things up
  20. 29What an insensitive joke might do
  21. 30Locale for many community courts
  22. 31"Love Story" author Erich
  23. 34Diagnostic tool, in brief
  24. 36Natural history museum collection
  25. 39Simplest possible phone plan
  26. 42Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, among others
  27. 43Solo sorts
  28. 46Particle accelerator byproduct
  29. 47Statement that might follow a hug
  30. 48___ Lines (ancient Peruvian geoglyphs)
  31. 49Bandage
  32. 50Burns, e.g.
  33. 53What comes before 1/1
  34. 54Drug discussed in Aldous Huxley's "Heaven and Hell"

The answer to “Rubs the wrong way” in the New York Times crossword is CHAFES — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 27, 2025, a Saturday puzzle, at 10-Down. Other answers we've seen for this clue include IRKS. 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.

“Rubs the wrong way” answer

CHAFES (6 letters) — most recent; also seen as IRKS

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 CHAFES.

Why the answer is CHAFES

CHAFES is the 6-letter solution that fits "Rubs the wrong way" in the NYT Crossword crossword on September 27, 2025 (10-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does CHAFES mean?

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

(verb)

  • (with reference to a part of the body) make or become sore by rubbing against something
  • rub (a part of the body) to restore warmth or sensation
  • become or make annoyed or impatient because of a restriction or inconvenience

Other answers for “Rubs the wrong way”

New York Times has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides CHAFES, it has also been IRKS. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

  • September 27, 2025 (most recent) → CHAFES
  • June 23, 2025 → IRKS

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Rubs the wrong way”?

The answer is CHAFES, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 27, 2025. Other answers for this clue include IRKS.

How many letters is the answer to “Rubs the wrong way”?

6 letters: CHAFES. Earlier fills for this clue have also been IRKS (4).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 27, 2025 (a Saturday puzzle), at 10-Down. Earlier appearances: June 23, 2025 → IRKS.

Can “Rubs the wrong way” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides CHAFES, New York Times has also used IRKS for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for September 27, 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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