Was a ham

Latest answer — August 26, 2026

11 Down

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An actor making an exaggerated theatrical gesture

Clue explained

Someone who “was a ham” OVERACTED, or performed in an exaggerated and showy manner. The answer is the past-tense verb matching “Was.”

Clue type:
Word form

NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, August 26, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “Was a ham” in the New York Times crossword is OVERACTED — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 26, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 11-Down. 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.

“Was a ham” answer

OVERACTED (9 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 OVERACTED.

What does OVERACTED mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of an actor or actress) act a role in an exaggerated manner

When else has “Was a ham” 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 26, 2026 (most recent) → OVERACTED. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Was a ham”?

The answer is OVERACTED, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 26, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Was a ham”?

9 letters: OVERACTED.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 26, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 11-Down.

Can “Was a ham” 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 26, 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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