They're held in bondage

Latest answer — April 24, 2026

41 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, April 24, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Once-in-a-lifetime events
  2. 7They might have good track records
  3. 15"Ah, right right right"
  4. 16Field for both Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr.
  5. 17Oscar winner for "The African Queen"
  6. 18Low volume?
  7. 19Treat mercifully
  8. 20Charges
  9. 21Concern for a seamstress
  10. 22"Sounds good!"
  11. 23Best-selling author who founded Paris's Théâtre Historique
  12. 24"Green"
  13. 25Rocker Brian
  14. 26Green spots
  15. 27Game with a board numbered from 1 to 20
  16. 28Peace sign?
  17. 31"The best cheese of its type in the world," per George Orwell
  18. 32Approach surreptitiously
  19. 36Where somebody might be washed up?
  20. 38One who's generous to a fault, say
  21. 41They're held in bondage
  22. 42Org. whose motto translates to "Through adversity to the stars"
  23. 43Neural transmitter
  24. 44Certain exposition
  25. 45Children's author Kinney
  26. 46?!?!?!
  27. 47Something you might get at a wedding
  28. 48Grand duke of Luxembourg until 2025
  29. 49It has a light bulb
  30. 51No comment?
  31. 52Toss and turn, perhaps
  32. 53Role for John Travolta on "Welcome Back, Kotter"
  33. 54Takes to the next level
  34. 55Tree nymphs

Down

  1. 1Goes downhill at the Olympics, in a way
  2. 2"Perish the thought!"
  3. 3Tubes that go down?
  4. 4The first of these was Terrible
  5. 5Accounted for
  6. 6Murderer of Osiris, in myth
  7. 7Every now and then
  8. 8You just can't take it
  9. 9Recovers
  10. 10Competitor's setback
  11. 11Half of hip-hop's Run the Jewels, alongside Killer Mike
  12. 12How a troublemaker might go
  13. 13One prioritizing self-care?
  14. 14Electronica instruments, informally
  15. 20Professional
  16. 23Woodworkers' grooves
  17. 24Vicious circle?
  18. 26Animal known to hold another's paws while sleeping
  19. 27Attire
  20. 29From time past
  21. 30Coalesce
  22. 33Surname of a Tolstoy heroine
  23. 34Game
  24. 35Acrobat's display
  25. 37Secondhand offerings
  26. 38Dillydally
  27. 39Hearty soup ingredient in Caribbean cooking
  28. 40Brittle confection
  29. 44Finish up with
  30. 45Female donkey
  31. 47Where the Red Delicious apple originated
  32. 48Dauphin, e.g.
  33. 50Number one, informally
  34. 51It might have a director's commentary

The answer to “They're held in bondage” in the New York Times crossword is SERFS — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 24, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 41-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're held in bondage” answer

SERFS (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 SERFS.

Why the answer is SERFS

SERFS is the 5-letter solution that fits "They're held in bondage" in the NYT Crossword crossword on April 24, 2026 (41-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does SERFS mean?

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

(noun)

  • an agricultural labourer bound by the feudal system who was tied to working on their lord's estate

When else has “They're held in bondage” 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.

April 24, 2026 (most recent) → SERFS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “They're held in bondage”?

The answer is SERFS, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 24, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “They're held in bondage”?

5 letters: SERFS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on April 24, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 41-Across.

Can “They're held in bondage” 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 April 24, 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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