Scratch the surface of, say

Latest answer — August 04, 2026

61 Across

Think of what a careless fingernail might do to a polished table. 🪵

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, August 04, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"Handy" kitchen item
  2. 5Smears with goo
  3. 11Music genre with offbeat rhythms
  4. 14So-called "servebot" in tennis, essentially
  5. 15Action on the front lines
  6. 16Hunk of cash
  7. 17Words uttered while sorting potential gowns for an Indian wedding?
  8. 19Word aptly hidden in "moldy"
  9. 20Some marksmen
  10. 21Stringed instruments of old
  11. 23Inc. alternative
  12. 24Kind of whale
  13. 27Wedding feast delivery from India's capital?
  14. 31Unwelcome responsibility
  15. 33Rawboned
  16. 34"Deadline" for a rush order
  17. 35Bit of tailoring
  18. 36Writer Rand
  19. 38Great Leap Forward leader
  20. 39Longoria with three Screen Actors Guild awards
  21. 40Celestial sphere
  22. 41Hold power, as a ruler
  23. 43"You said it!"
  24. 44Tying the knot during a colorful Hindu festival?
  25. 48One who makes a lasting impression while just scratching the surface
  26. 49Part of NATO: Abbr.
  27. 50When repeated, "You get the gist"
  28. 52Enter furtively
  29. 56Mysterious sight at night
  30. 57"Esteemed reception guests, we regret to report that we've run out of flatbread," e.g.?
  31. 61Scratch the surface of, say
  32. 62Like the physicist Niels Bohr and the astronomer Tycho Brahe
  33. 63Stock market unveilings, for short
  34. 64"___ you done?"
  35. 65Luxury transports
  36. 66Common workout target

Down

  1. 1The "m" in many a physics equation
  2. 2Self-assured words
  3. 3Actress Polo
  4. 4Toughest hits to get when hitting for the cycle in baseball
  5. 5Sear
  6. 6"___ of luck!"
  7. 7Quick communications, in brief
  8. 8Postgraduate deg. with management courses
  9. 9Musician's asset
  10. 10Stylish shoe feature
  11. 11Someone you will never stop despising
  12. 12Green smoothie staple
  13. 13Tosses in
  14. 18"Little" Dickens girl
  15. 22Up to this point
  16. 24___-free (plastics label)
  17. 25Tina Fey and Amy Poehler vis-à-vis "Saturday Night Live"
  18. 26Singer ___ Del Rey
  19. 27Longtime Hogwarts headmaster
  20. 28Set aflame
  21. 29Wander
  22. 30Graceful bird
  23. 31"Pick me! Pick me!"
  24. 32Infamous Roman ruler
  25. 36Attractive plus-one
  26. 37"You said it!"
  27. 42Canine warning
  28. 43Like a cherub
  29. 45"___ be a real honor"
  30. 46Transforms
  31. 47Cookie with an "enrobed" variety in the U.K.
  32. 50Arizona city or county
  33. 51At a distance
  34. 52Film information on IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes
  35. 53Cops, in slang
  36. 54Iconic lab assistant of film
  37. 55Where Anheuser-Busch is "BUD"
  38. 58Battery for a mouse
  39. 59Anti-apartheid org.
  40. 60U.S. medical research agcy.

The answer to “Scratch the surface of, say” in the New York Times crossword is MAR — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 4, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 61-Across, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. 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.

“Scratch the surface of, say” answer

MAR (3 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 MAR.

Why the answer is MAR

Think of what a careless fingernail might do to a polished table. 🪵

What does MAR mean?

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

(verb)

  • impair the quality or appearance of; spoil

When else has “Scratch the surface of, say” 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Scratch the surface of, say”?

The answer is MAR, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 4, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Scratch the surface of, say”?

3 letters: MAR.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 4, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 61-Across. Earlier appearances: November 16, 2025 → MAR.

Can “Scratch the surface of, say” 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 August 4, 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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