Something cut or defused

The answer to “Something cut or defused” in the New York Times crossword is TENSION — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on March 14, 2026, a Saturday 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.

“Something cut or defused” answer

TENSION (7 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 TENSION.

Why the answer is TENSION

TENSION is the 7-letter solution that fits "Something cut or defused" in the NYT Crossword crossword on March 14, 2026 (24-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does TENSION mean?

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

When else has “Something cut or defused” 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.

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

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