Spirited and determined

Latest answer — August 10, 2026

28 Down

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Clue explained

PLUCKY describes someone spirited, brave, and determined despite difficulties. It is an adjective, as indicated by the descriptive wording of the clue.

Clue type:
Definition
A cheerful, determined person facing a difficult challenge.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 10, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"Planet of the ___"
  2. 5Wood strip found in many Ikea bed supports
  3. 9Take pleasure in
  4. 14Size opposite of mini-
  5. 15Prepares to throw a dart, say
  6. 16Crystal-filled rock
  7. 17Newspaper opinion piece
  8. 18*Title of a 1990s ABC sitcom and a 1990s New Kids on the Block hit
  9. 20Cereal often found with pretzels in a party snack mix
  10. 22Vertical jumping ability, in basketball lingo
  11. 23Sheep's cry
  12. 24"___ to Go!," 2024 Chappell Roan hit sometimes compared to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A."
  13. 25Attracted to people of any gender, for short
  14. 28*Detailed, real-time description of events
  15. 33Shape for a red-and-white striped Christmas candy
  16. 34Rodeo rope
  17. 35Foggy mental state
  18. 36Raisins, when on a celery-and-peanut-butter "log"
  19. 37Wrinkly citrus fruit
  20. 38"What a shame"
  21. 39Riverbank deposit
  22. 40Prompted, on stage
  23. 41Lyft competitor
  24. 42Zellweger of "Bridget Jones's Diary"
  25. 43Joint sometimes bent in protest
  26. 44*How to tackle big writing projects, per a seminal Anne Lamott book
  27. 46Go on and on and on
  28. 47LAX posting
  29. 48Frito-___
  30. 49Not just some or most
  31. 50Got off the ground, as a start-up company
  32. 55*Many an off-road vehicle ... or a literal description of the answer to each asterisked clue (including this one!)
  33. 59Otherworldly glow
  34. 60It means slow (not big!) in music
  35. 61"Well, ___ that special!"
  36. 62Poetry competition
  37. 63"See what I'm talkin' 'bout?"
  38. 64Brooklyn basketballers ... and what they swish
  39. 65Effortlessness

Down

  1. 1Spanish love
  2. 2Big ___ (nickname of baseball's David Ortiz)
  3. 3Company bigwig
  4. 4*Next to each other, like many washers and dryers
  5. 5Strut down the "RuPaul's Drag Race" runway, say
  6. 6Lo-cal
  7. 7Visa or Mastercard rival, informally
  8. 8Small recipe amt.
  9. 9Home of the Great Pyramid
  10. 10Loch ___ monster
  11. 11Scribble (down)
  12. 12Sappho's "___ to Aphrodite"
  13. 13Slangy affirmative
  14. 19Lifted, as one's spirits
  15. 21___ San Lucas, Mexico
  16. 24Venture, as a guess
  17. 25Pressed sandwich
  18. 26Part of a reindeer's rack
  19. 27Prepared one's home for a new arrival
  20. 28Spirited and determined
  21. 29"___ Beach: The Real Orange County" (MTV reality show of the mid-aughts)
  22. 30Catching some Z's
  23. 31Irrational fear
  24. 32Word before printer or pointer
  25. 33*Considered individually
  26. 38In a nonobvious way
  27. 42"Deadpool" actor Reynolds
  28. 45Says out loud without thinking
  29. 47Spot for a roller skater's pad
  30. 49Best Picture winner found hiding in "and the Oscar goes to ..."
  31. 50"Heads, I win. Tails, you ___!" (sneaky coin flip agreement)
  32. 51Parent's sister
  33. 52Hawaiian storytelling dance
  34. 53Times of one's life, say
  35. 54Title for Helen Mirren and Emma Thompson
  36. 55Take to the sky
  37. 56Acorn-bearing tree
  38. 57Caterer's coffee dispenser
  39. 58Above-water sign of a shark

The answer to “Spirited and determined” in the New York Times crossword is PLUCKY — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 10, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 28-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.

“Spirited and determined” answer

PLUCKY (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 PLUCKY.

What does PLUCKY mean?

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

(adjective)

  • having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties

When else has “Spirited and determined” 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 10, 2026 (most recent) → PLUCKY. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Spirited and determined”?

The answer is PLUCKY, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 10, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Spirited and determined”?

6 letters: PLUCKY.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 10, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 28-Down.

Can “Spirited and determined” 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 10, 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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