Scruff of the neck

Latest answer — July 23, 2026

10 Across

Think of a playful animal known for swinging through trees! 🐒

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, July 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1More than just a disapproving look
  2. 10Scruff of the neck
  3. 13Fondita offerings
  4. 15Three-time A.L. M.V.P. of the 2000s, familiarly
  5. 16"The Devil's radio"
  6. 17Pollution portmanteau
  7. 18Really peeved
  8. 19What a pointless game has?
  9. 21Outfitted
  10. 25Password preceder
  11. 26Former Toyota sports cars named for a Latin prefix
  12. 27Passover month
  13. 29___-turvy
  14. 30Sprint, e.g.
  15. 31Home run hitter's gait
  16. 35Downed
  17. 36Part in a play
  18. 37"That's the spot!"
  19. 38"Tyrone" singer Erykah
  20. 40Not much
  21. 41"Will you let me?"
  22. 43Desert for which an African country is named
  23. 45Like obsidian rock, once
  24. 46Symbol of rebirth in ancient Egypt
  25. 49Last hurrah
  26. 51Trials by fire
  27. 53Wholly, but not holey or holy, e.g.: Abbr.
  28. 54Helen of Troy's mother
  29. 55Ignominious outcome
  30. 61Tech product discontinued in 2022
  31. 62Proposed cosmological phenomenon that could make up 70% of the universe -- and six squares in this puzzle's grid?
  32. 63Not admit
  33. 64Pottery so named for its hardness

Down

  1. 1Agnus ___
  2. 2Word after tight or defensive
  3. 3Knee stabilizer, in brief
  4. 4Not just any
  5. 5Attractive feature of a job
  6. 6Single-masted vessels
  7. 7Sweet or sour
  8. 8Podcast interruptions
  9. 9Frequent forecast in Seattle
  10. 10Strong suit?
  11. 11Unleavened South Asian flatbread
  12. 12Follower of double or gilt
  13. 14Champion, as a cause
  14. 15Budding
  15. 20Org. with a list of popular baby names
  16. 21Minimum, in a way
  17. 22Increased
  18. 23Letters before ".gov"
  19. 24Forensic facilities
  20. 26Sign abbr. meaning "founded in"
  21. 28Coffee or tea specification
  22. 30Unleavened South Asian flatbread
  23. 32Sought comfort from, say
  24. 33Like granola
  25. 34Unnamed article
  26. 39Ill-prepared
  27. 40Didn't stay on topic
  28. 41Come together
  29. 42Lou Gehrig's disease, for short
  30. 44One level below the majors
  31. 45Infuriate
  32. 46Sphere, e.g.
  33. 47Crinkly fabric
  34. 48Extension
  35. 50Totally bizarre
  36. 52Places to get masks
  37. 56Original N.Y.C. subway line
  38. 57Handful
  39. 58Long stretch
  40. 59Cabinet dept. since 1889
  41. 60Gospel musician Tribbett

The answer to “Scruff of the neck” in the New York Times crossword is APE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 23, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 10-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.

“Scruff of the neck” answer

APE (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 APE.

Why the answer is APE

Think of a playful animal known for swinging through trees! 🐒

What does APE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a large primate that lacks a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzees, orangutan, and gibbons
  • an unintelligent or clumsy person
  • an inferior imitator or mimic

When else has “Scruff of the neck” 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 23, 2026 (most recent) → APE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Scruff of the neck”?

The answer is APE, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Scruff of the neck”?

3 letters: APE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 23, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 10-Across.

Can “Scruff of the neck” 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 23, 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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