Soak up

Latest answer — April 21, 2026

20 Across

Take in liquid or information, as a sponge or attentive listener might. 🧽

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, April 21, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

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

Across

  1. 1Surrenders
  2. 7Wise thinker
  3. 11Form of poetry Pablo Neruda used to praise socks, onions and salt
  4. 14Realm of the Aztecs or Incas
  5. 15Do some farmwork
  6. 16___ de plume
  7. 17Mentor from the beyond
  8. 19Whitney who invented the cotton gin
  9. 20Soak up
  10. 21"___ have to do"
  11. 22Grifters' schemes
  12. 25Major charity whose recipients include the Red Cross and Salvation Army
  13. 28Lexington or Madison in N.Y.C.: Abbr.
  14. 29Mo. with Aries and Taurus signs
  15. 31Soon-to-be graduates
  16. 32Offering from an entrepreneurial child's stand
  17. 35Song and dance
  18. 36Wild West way of settling disputes
  19. 41Broadway's ___-Manuel Miranda
  20. 42In a gloomy way
  21. 43Starbucks alternatives from the Golden Arches
  22. 47BB
  23. 48Bambi's mother, for one
  24. 491972 country hit for Tanya Tucker
  25. 51Reptiles on papyrus
  26. 52Ballet bend
  27. 53Puts pen to paper
  28. 56"But Daddy I Love ___" (Taylor Swift song)
  29. 57Early advantage ... or a hint to the beginnings of 17-, 25-, 36- and 49-Across
  30. 62"Blueprint" for life
  31. 63Falsehoods
  32. 64Chemical "twin"
  33. 65"On the Basis of ___" (Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic)
  34. 66Circular tent
  35. 67Words often accompanying a present

Down

  1. 1Answer equivalent to "I do"
  2. 2Mischievous devil
  3. 3Prefix with center
  4. 4Coins spent in Turkey
  5. 5Tiny drop
  6. 6Tennis match units
  7. 7Snub
  8. 8They may crumble under cross-examination
  9. 9Zeus or Odin
  10. 10Female form of the animal that outnumbers humans in Iceland
  11. 11Boxing combo
  12. 12Big name in rental cars
  13. 13___ List (PAC for Democratic female candidates)
  14. 18Haitian currency unit
  15. 21Not the brightest bulbs, so to speak
  16. 22Bovine baby
  17. 23___ the moon
  18. 24Captain in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea"
  19. 26Steeping container
  20. 27Finishes with
  21. 29Left-wing protest group
  22. 30Tormented
  23. 33Like "The Tonight Show" and "Saturday Night Live"
  24. 34Hesitation sound across the pond
  25. 37Enter the chat, so to speak
  26. 38Some military hazards, for short
  27. 39Hoofbeat
  28. 40Visually sizes up
  29. 43Dual degrees for physicians
  30. 44___ Dion, the "Queen of Power Ballads"
  31. 45Apex
  32. 46Literary friend of Finn
  33. 50Body part that's flicked
  34. 51Businessman John Jacob ___
  35. 54"Almost time for the weekend!"
  36. 55Canadian gas brand
  37. 57Cool, in '90s slang
  38. 58Common Chinese surname
  39. 59Funny Schumer or Poehler
  40. 60___ Speedwagon
  41. 61"___ dat" (slangy agreement)

The answer to “Soak up” in the New York Times crossword is ABSORB — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 21, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 20-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.

“Soak up” answer

ABSORB (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 ABSORB.

Why the answer is ABSORB

Take in liquid or information, as a sponge or attentive listener might. 🧽

What does ABSORB mean?

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

(verb)

  • take in or soak up (energy or a liquid or other substance) by chemical or physical action
  • take up the attention of (someone); interest greatly

When else has “Soak up” 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.

  • April 21, 2026 (most recent) → ABSORB
  • May 1, 2025 → ABSORB

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Soak up”?

The answer is ABSORB, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Soak up”?

6 letters: ABSORB.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on April 21, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 20-Across. Earlier appearances: May 1, 2025 → ABSORB.

Can “Soak up” 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 April 21, 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.

Crossword Clues

Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.