Ruler with an iron fist

Latest answer — April 16, 2026

48 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, April 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Ventricle suppliers
  2. 6Accepted unquestioningly
  3. 11Rx for a root canal
  4. 14___ Moshfegh, "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" novelist
  5. 16Performer known for her runs
  6. 17Sommeliers' assets
  7. 18Like some gins and cleaning products
  8. 19Wipe clean
  9. 20Fast fliers
  10. 22Insect nicknamed for its small size
  11. 25"Midsommar" director Aster
  12. 26"Nova" network
  13. 28Sport that takes place in an octagon, in brief
  14. 29Ilk
  15. 31Risks it
  16. 33Leaning
  17. 34Upper hand
  18. 35"I, Robot" author Asimov
  19. 36Big deals
  20. 37Facilities, informally
  21. 39Booking, for short
  22. 41Torah writers
  23. 45Unit for ultra-high-speed internet
  24. 49This isn't working!
  25. 50Fault line?
  26. 51Big payroll service co.
  27. 52Wail
  28. 54Word seen between here and there
  29. 55Joel's smuggling partner on "The Last of Us"
  30. 57Bouquet
  31. 59Tzatziki scooper
  32. 60Some delivery data, in brief
  33. 61Number of Super Bowl rings for Tom Brady
  34. 62Abbr. seen before a person's name
  35. 63With 65-Across, with extreme precision ... or a hint to reading 15 of this puzzle's answers
  36. 64Serious
  37. 65See 63-Across

Down

  1. 1X, for one
  2. 2Fields medalist Terence
  3. 3Like a lake on a breezy day
  4. 4Charge
  5. 5Question from someone seeking reassurance
  6. 6"Finally!"
  7. 7Service with cups and saucers
  8. 8Dear
  9. 9Exercise
  10. 10Negation word in French
  11. 12Occasion
  12. 13Previous times
  13. 14Welcome sight in musical chairs
  14. 15Source of a deal with The Devil?
  15. 20Sham
  16. 21Like most of Nevada
  17. 23"Yeah, nice try"
  18. 24Gymnasts' rolls?
  19. 27Kid who might get grounded
  20. 30Take off the market
  21. 31Reroute
  22. 32Something a reality show lacks
  23. 33Igneous rock that makes up most of Venus's surface
  24. 38Be against, in a way
  25. 40Achievement for Whoopi Goldberg and Rita Moreno, in brief
  26. 41Planned
  27. 42Officially give
  28. 43Tool with coarse teeth
  29. 44"It's a ___!"
  30. 45Portmanteau for a queer Fortnite player, say
  31. 46Fish whose name is Spanish for "pretty"
  32. 47"There's no stopping me!"
  33. 48Ruler with an iron fist
  34. 53Meander
  35. 56Fig. with two hyphens
  36. 57Modern intensifying suffix
  37. 58Journalist Curry
  38. 59Glib

The answer to “Ruler with an iron fist” in the New York Times crossword is TYRANT — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 16, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 48-Down. 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.

“Ruler with an iron fist” answer

TYRANT (6 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 TYRANT.

Why the answer is TYRANT

TYRANT is the 6-letter solution that fits "Ruler with an iron fist" in the NYT Crossword crossword on April 16, 2026 (48-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does TYRANT mean?

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

(noun)

  • a cruel and oppressive ruler
  • a tyrant flycatcher

When else has “Ruler with an iron fist” 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.

April 16, 2026 (most recent) → TYRANT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Ruler with an iron fist”?

The answer is TYRANT, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Ruler with an iron fist”?

6 letters: TYRANT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on April 16, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 48-Down.

Can “Ruler with an iron fist” 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 April 16, 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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