Spots that may need clearing up

Latest answer — October 07, 2026

52 Across

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An illustration showing acne blemishes on facial skin.

Clue explainedFact checked

Acne is a skin condition that can cause spots, often on the face, and those spots may clear up as the condition improves. The clue uses “spots” in its everyday sense for blemishes.

Clue type:
Definition

NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, October 07, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “Spots that may need clearing up” in the New York Times crossword is ACNE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 52-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.

“Spots that may need clearing up” answer

ACNE (4 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 ACNE.

What does ACNE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a skin condition characterized by red pimples on the skin, especially on the face, due to inflamed or infected sebaceous glands and prevalent chiefly among adolescents

When else has “Spots that may need clearing 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.

October 7, 2026 (most recent) → ACNE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Spots that may need clearing up”?

The answer is ACNE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Spots that may need clearing up”?

4 letters: ACNE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 7, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 52-Across.

Can “Spots that may need clearing 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 October 7, 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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