Shoot the breeze

Latest answer — August 14, 2026

24 Down

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Clue explained

To confabulate is to chat or converse informally, making it a fitting verb for “shoot the breeze.” The clue uses the idiom as a definition.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
Two friends having an informal conversation outdoors

NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 14, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1___ Plateau, home to the tomb of King Khufu
  2. 5Discovers
  3. 14"There's my cue"
  4. 15"Dios mío!"
  5. 16Superbright
  6. 17Couple's last coupling, perhaps
  7. 18Mounted warrior skilled in martial arts
  8. 20Retired pro wrestler Flair
  9. 21Sibling's cry of protest, maybe
  10. 22Guard for some time?
  11. 27Unit whose name derives from the Latin word for "heat"
  12. 29Completely lose it
  13. 30Bunk alternatives
  14. 31Leave a lasting mark on
  15. 33Because
  16. 34Self-doubter's question
  17. 35Huddling, as teammates
  18. 37Mom-and-pop group
  19. 38Rock musician Bob
  20. 40"Enough out of you!"
  21. 41Costco competitor, informally
  22. 42England's George V vis-à-vis Russia's Nicholas II
  23. 44Good places for a deep dive into research?
  24. 46Recollection, say
  25. 48Primates found only in and around Madagascar
  26. 50Slip
  27. 51Explode, as a paintball
  28. 52Enthusiastic cry when one's favorite song comes on the radio
  29. 57Idle
  30. 58Excessively greedy
  31. 59Berkshire town
  32. 60Of an indefinitely large number
  33. 61Spanish muralist José María ___

Down

  1. 1Kitchen brand inspired by 18-Across
  2. 2"Seriously?!"
  3. 3Issue in a modern remote work setting
  4. 4Corn and wheat, for two
  5. 5Garment worn with a bodice called a choli
  6. 6365th out of 365, in brief
  7. 7Words of comfort
  8. 8Not being real about
  9. 9Honey is high in this
  10. 10Deplete
  11. 11Yogis' utterances
  12. 12Purple drink ingredient at a boba tea shop
  13. 13"... plus ___"
  14. 17Unfruitful
  15. 19Animated 2011 film set in Brazil
  16. 22Person that's best left alone
  17. 23Wong of Netflix's "Beef"
  18. 24Shoot the breeze
  19. 25Philosophy of "Keep things simple," in a sense
  20. 26"How do ___ grow? They grow out of your life": Robert Penn Warren
  21. 28Scratch that!
  22. 30"Julius Caesar" role
  23. 32Plot device?
  24. 35Shimmer colorfully
  25. 36Hello or goodbye, abroad
  26. 39Computer key that might be pressed repeatedly in a panic
  27. 41Tastes
  28. 43Average Joe, in modern slang
  29. 45___ Bleus, nickname for France's World Cup team
  30. 47Check for fit
  31. 49What might go straight to the heart?
  32. 51Deep cut
  33. 52Monodrama that debuted in 1989
  34. 53Country ___
  35. 54Unwanted place for bugs
  36. 55Parlor offering, for short
  37. 56Project

The answer to “Shoot the breeze” in the New York Times crossword is CONFABULATE — a 11-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 14, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 24-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.

“Shoot the breeze” answer

CONFABULATE (11 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 CONFABULATE.

What does CONFABULATE mean?

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

(verb)

  • engage in conversation; talk
  • fabricate imaginary experiences as compensation for loss of memory

When else has “Shoot the breeze” 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.

August 14, 2026 (most recent) → CONFABULATE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Shoot the breeze”?

The answer is CONFABULATE, a 11-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 14, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Shoot the breeze”?

11 letters: CONFABULATE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 14, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 24-Down.

Can “Shoot the breeze” 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 14, 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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