Thing to rule, proverbially

Latest answer — July 15, 2026

29 Across

It's where a leader might metaphorically keep their followers in line! 🐔

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, July 15, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Bold way to go when bluffing
  2. 6Blade brand
  3. 10Mocked, in a way
  4. 14One of approximately three million in Finland (for a population of less than six million)
  5. 15Artery
  6. 16Place for a hero
  7. 17Giving up one's amateur status
  8. 19Valhalla V.I.P.
  9. 20Ben Jonson wrote one to himself
  10. 21Name repeated in a hit 1963 rock song
  11. 22Emulate Cicero
  12. 23Frantic rushes
  13. 25Apple variety named for the state it was developed in
  14. 28Daffy Duck characteristic
  15. 29Thing to rule, proverbially
  16. 30Moon's path
  17. 33Largest human cells
  18. 36Rapper born Tracy Lauren Marrow
  19. 37Good source of vitamin C
  20. 38Thunderstruck
  21. 39Ballpark fig.
  22. 40Liam Neeson action trilogy
  23. 41Many a rosé wine
  24. 42Budget airline of Ireland, informally
  25. 44Word with college or message
  26. 45Something it's good to pass with
  27. 50Places for hot dates?
  28. 51Moves pawn to e4, e.g.
  29. 52"Hazy" drink
  30. 55One flying in to the coast, maybe
  31. 56Competitor suggested by 17-, 23- and 45-Across ... or by the name of the inventor jumbled in the circled letters
  32. 58Mortarboard wearer
  33. 59Steve with nine N.B.A. titles as a player and coach
  34. 60Island country that's an anagram of TAHITI minus T
  35. 61Major export of Ghana
  36. 62Brit's exclamation
  37. 63Thompson who plays Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Down

  1. 1Regarding
  2. 2Hail
  3. 3Draw
  4. 4Days or Knights follower
  5. 5Finger painting?
  6. 6Many-eyed giant of Greek myth
  7. 7Hot ___ (fast-fashion company)
  8. 8Like triplets vis-à-vis twins
  9. 9Botheration
  10. 10Cute to the max
  11. 11Standard bicycle propulsion
  12. 12Upper echelon
  13. 13Patronizes a four-star restaurant, say
  14. 18Central point
  15. 22Pass over
  16. 23Atomizer output
  17. 24Came to rest
  18. 25The "E" in HOMES
  19. 26Some comfy kicks
  20. 27Spoken-word event
  21. 30Mork's planet on an old sitcom
  22. 31Narrator on "Euphoria"
  23. 32Storage container
  24. 34Peddle
  25. 35Tacks on
  26. 37Vampire double feature?
  27. 38"What a pity!"
  28. 40Catches some rays
  29. 41Sour soup
  30. 43Rates of return
  31. 44Whom Austin Powers parodies
  32. 45Like San Francisco, frequently
  33. 46Early 2000s first lady
  34. 47Hangs in there
  35. 48Work with a libretto
  36. 49Distrustful
  37. 52Sacred bird of ancient Egypt
  38. 53Contents of some carriers
  39. 54Highlight of a 48-Down
  40. 56Word with run or lift
  41. 57Burj Khalifa's home, in brief

The answer to “Thing to rule, proverbially” in the New York Times crossword is ROOST — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 15, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 29-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.

“Thing to rule, proverbially” answer

ROOST (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 ROOST.

Why the answer is ROOST

It's where a leader might metaphorically keep their followers in line! 🐔

What does ROOST mean?

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

(noun)

  • a place where birds regularly settle or congregate to rest at night, or where bats congregate to rest in the day

When else has “Thing to rule, proverbially” 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.

July 15, 2026 (most recent) → ROOST. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Thing to rule, proverbially”?

The answer is ROOST, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 15, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Thing to rule, proverbially”?

5 letters: ROOST.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 15, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 29-Across.

Can “Thing to rule, proverbially” 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 July 15, 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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