Smooths out some rough edges

Latest answer — October 03, 2025

1 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, October 03, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Smooths out some rough edges
  2. 6Content commonly consumed by commuters
  3. 14One end of a lap
  4. 15Service to foster parents?
  5. 16Like Miss Piggy and Captain Kirk, by birth
  6. 17Path to the Oscars
  7. 18Condition that may be treated with SSRIs
  8. 19"Bygones will be bygone, ___ fadin' into gray" (Taylor Swift lyric)
  9. 20They help you get a grip
  10. 21Slapdash
  11. 23Diploma equivalent, for short
  12. 24Poet who wrote "This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper"
  13. 25Animals whose name sounds like a letter that doesn't appear in its name
  14. 27Graduates in green-and-black regalia, in brief
  15. 30Stops on a world tour, say
  16. 31Something placed by a confident person
  17. 32Choo-choo train sound
  18. 33Professional juggling act?
  19. 36Pest control targets
  20. 37When repeated, a nonverbal "Can you hear me?"
  21. 38On deck
  22. 39"May I help you?"
  23. 40Vans alternative
  24. 41Staggering blows?
  25. 42Set unit
  26. 43Alfresco dining spot
  27. 45Stuffed
  28. 48Word after trumpet or tiger
  29. 49Welcoming
  30. 51Ones who are quick to complain
  31. 53Modern-day home of the oldest discovered library in the world
  32. 54"If you don't believe me ..."
  33. 55Fished off the coast of Maine, maybe
  34. 56Something raised during Oktoberfest
  35. 57Sprang

Down

  1. 1Not listen to, as on Spotify
  2. 2"Apparently we weren't done with these"
  3. 3Some push notifications
  4. 4Bad internet connections?
  5. 5The first one was issued in 1936, for short
  6. 6"Hold on -- we're working as fast as we can"
  7. 7Chances
  8. 8Boxing Day mo.
  9. 9More than wants
  10. 10Stinging the eyes, say
  11. 11Ones easily fooled
  12. 12Cherry, but not strawberry
  13. 137-5 and 6-0, e.g.
  14. 15Forgets to proorfeed, say
  15. 19Can't get enough of something
  16. 22One under a mare's care
  17. 23Lose it
  18. 26Net
  19. 27Luxurious European gambling mecca
  20. 28Reality shows?
  21. 29One of 1,665 in the Eiffel Tower
  22. 30What comes before we go?
  23. 32One skilled at withholding details
  24. 34Besties, maybe
  25. 35Stage character who says "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is / To have a thankless child!"
  26. 40Stickler, of a sort
  27. 42Ridged rod in construction
  28. 44"Who ___?"
  29. 45Not a striking personality?
  30. 46British bum
  31. 47Kiddo
  32. 48National symbol of England
  33. 50Self-___
  34. 52What a wave might mean
  35. 53Vast amount

The answer to “Smooths out some rough edges” in the New York Times crossword is SANDS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 3, 2025, a Friday puzzle, at 1-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.

“Smooths out some rough edges” answer

SANDS (5 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 SANDS.

Why the answer is SANDS

SANDS is the 5-letter solution that fits "Smooths out some rough edges" in the NYT Crossword crossword on October 3, 2025 (1-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does SANDS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a loose granular substance, typically pale yellowish brown, resulting from the erosion of siliceous and other rocks and forming a major constituent of beaches, river beds, the seabed, and deserts
  • a light yellow-brown colour like that of sand
  • firmness of purpose

When else has “Smooths out some rough edges” 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.

October 3, 2025 (most recent) → SANDS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Smooths out some rough edges”?

The answer is SANDS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 3, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Smooths out some rough edges”?

5 letters: SANDS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 3, 2025 (a Friday puzzle), at 1-Across.

Can “Smooths out some rough edges” 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 October 3, 2025 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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