Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way

Latest answer — August 16, 2026

101 Down

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Clue explained

To preen is to groom or arrange oneself, often in a way that shows pride in one’s appearance. PREENS is the third-person singular verb form used with an implied subject such as “one.”

Clue type:
Definition
A person carefully adjusts their appearance while looking in a mirror.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 16, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 108Calm
  2. 120Even

Down

  1. 40Bum
  2. 58Bag
  3. 109Poop
  4. 111Hide
  5. 113Vet

The answer to “Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way” in the New York Times crossword is PREENS — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 16, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 101-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.

“Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way” answer

PREENS (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 PREENS.

What does PREENS mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of a bird) tidy and clean its feathers with its beak

When else has “Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way” 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 16, 2026 (most recent) → PREENS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way”?

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

How many letters is the answer to “Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way”?

6 letters: PREENS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 16, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 101-Down.

Can “Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way” 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 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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