They may be fixed or variable

Latest answer — January 14, 2026

31 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, January 14, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Wasn't even close, as in comparison
  2. 6Fashion name that's become slang for "excellent"
  3. 11Binary 10, in decimal value
  4. 14Garlicky sauce
  5. 15Beef up the arsenal, say
  6. 16Tuna variety
  7. 17"Sunday in the Park With George," for one
  8. 20Big ___ (audacious thing to make)
  9. 21Ref. work with over 600,000 words
  10. 22Moves (over)
  11. 23Signs
  12. 25"Nonsense!"
  13. 27"Oh, that does make sense"
  14. 29Milker's handful
  15. 31They may be fixed or variable
  16. 35River at Memphis
  17. 36"We want more!"
  18. 38Ump's call
  19. 39Jerry's uncle on "Seinfeld"
  20. 40Sent away for
  21. 41Historic stretch
  22. 42That's a me problem
  23. 43Madison Square Garden team
  24. 44Sporty Pontiacs of the 1960s
  25. 45Actress Thompson of "Westworld"
  26. 47Oceanic
  27. 48Ill-considered
  28. 49Wired
  29. 51Unappetizing gruel
  30. 53Like a dress that falls short?
  31. 56Burlesque accessory
  32. 57Vietnamese noodle dish
  33. 60Pulitzer-winning composer and lyricist of "Sunday in the Park With George"
  34. 64Greenwich Village's Stonewall ___
  35. 65Poet who wrote "Only through time time is conquered"
  36. 66Grub, e.g.
  37. 67Pathetic
  38. 68Linking point
  39. 69German industrial city

Down

  1. 1Old sunscreen initialism
  2. 2Gets off one's chest
  3. 3Ones who probably aren't buying it?
  4. 4She, in São Paulo
  5. 5Performed well enough
  6. 6Alum
  7. 7180
  8. 8Bit of spy gear, informally
  9. 9Defeat decisively
  10. 10Mock "Ooh, you frighten me!"
  11. 11Kind of shell
  12. 12"Wait, ___?"
  13. 13Makes less noisy, in a way
  14. 18"The Magnificent Seven" or "The Hateful Eight"
  15. 19Where Caitlin Clark played Division I basketball
  16. 24Once called
  17. 25Warm-up lap leader
  18. 26They communicate through bill-clattering
  19. 27Cove
  20. 28Battle of Vicksburg in the Civil War, e.g.
  21. 30Salad green
  22. 32Tunes with an irresistible rhythm
  23. 33Change across the Atlantic
  24. 34Squirrel away
  25. 37Lies atop
  26. 40"Very well ..."
  27. 44Miracle-___
  28. 46Modern suffix with situation
  29. 50Key's longtime partner in sketch comedy
  30. 5251-Across server
  31. 53Trident-shaped letters
  32. 54Sicilian landmark
  33. 55Look after
  34. 56Most online customer service agents nowadays
  35. 58Queen's domain
  36. 59Sultanate near Yemen
  37. 61Cancel
  38. 62Trifling amount
  39. 63Is blessed with

The answer to “They may be fixed or variable” in the New York Times crossword is RATES — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 14, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 31-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.

“They may be fixed or variable” answer

RATES (5 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 RATES.

Why the answer is RATES

RATES is the 5-letter solution that fits "They may be fixed or variable" in the NYT Crossword crossword on January 14, 2026 (31-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does RATES mean?

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

(noun)

  • a measure, quantity, or frequency, typically one measured against another quantity or measure
  • a fixed price paid or charged for something

When else has “They may be fixed or variable” 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.

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “They may be fixed or variable”?

The answer is RATES, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 14, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “They may be fixed or variable”?

5 letters: RATES.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on January 14, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 31-Across.

Can “They may be fixed or variable” 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 January 14, 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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