"The ___ thickens"
Latest answer — August 17, 2026
9 Across
Scroll down for rest of crossword answers
Clue explained
The familiar expression is “The plot thickens,” meaning that a situation is becoming more complicated or mysterious. PLOT is a noun here.
- Clue type:
- Phrase or idiom
NYT Crossword
This clue's Monday, August 17, 2026 appearance
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The answer to “"The ___ thickens"” in the New York Times crossword is PLOT — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 17, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 9-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.
“"The ___ thickens"” answer
PLOT (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 PLOT.
What does PLOT mean?
Reading the plain dictionary sense of PLOT is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.
(noun)
- a plan made in secret by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful
- the main events of a play, novel, film, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence
- a small piece of ground marked out for a purpose such as building or gardening
When else has “"The ___ thickens"” 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 17, 2026 (most recent) → PLOT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the answer to “"The ___ thickens"”?
The answer is PLOT, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 17, 2026.
How many letters is the answer to “"The ___ thickens"”?
4 letters: PLOT.
When did this clue appear?
Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 17, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 9-Across.
Can “"The ___ thickens"” 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 17, 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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