"Wayne's World" exclamation

Latest answer — August 15, 2026

42 Across

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Clue decoded

“Not!” is Wayne Campbell’s emphatic contradiction in Wayne’s World, often delivered after someone makes an assertion he rejects. The quotation marks identify the catchphrase.

Clue type:
Pop culture
Wayne Campbell from the film Wayne’s World

NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, August 15, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Began
  2. 7Show faces?
  3. 15Bring back into the fold, so to speak
  4. 16Worth looking back on
  5. 17One from "Japan's kitchen"
  6. 18Appeal
  7. 19Bit of ceramic ware
  8. 20Cast off
  9. 227/
  10. 23"Lovely" and "wonderful" food, per Monty Python
  11. 25Rose Bowl Stadium athlete
  12. 26Big ring
  13. 27Patient privacy law, in brief
  14. 29World Cup team nicknamed "The Three Lions": Abbr.
  15. 30Say "Hey," say
  16. 31"Speak up"
  17. 34Intermezzo and trou normand dishes, essentially
  18. 38Hoedown get-down?
  19. 39Long-___ squid
  20. 42"Wayne's World" exclamation
  21. 43Christina of "Buffalo '66"
  22. 44Ring location
  23. 45Oil wells?
  24. 47Nickname for Eleanor
  25. 48Eye-catching stage prop
  26. 49"Got it?"
  27. 51Thru
  28. 52Underlining, e.g.
  29. 54Classical figure in an 1898 Gustav Klimt oil
  30. 56Some back-and-forth
  31. 57Big name in fashion
  32. 58Go in the wrong way?
  33. 59"I beg you!"

Down

  1. 1Cut out the middleman, for delivery
  2. 2Fabulous collection
  3. 3"You're the best!"
  4. 4No-good ending?
  5. 5Diamond figs.
  6. 6Leftmost star of the Summer Triangle
  7. 7Classic 1926 novel often published with a bull and matador on its cover
  8. 8Dressing group
  9. 9Gamgee player in "Lord of the Rings"
  10. 10___-C
  11. 11The second one on the Statue of Liberty is longer than its first one
  12. 12Toothache care option
  13. 13Communion, e.g.
  14. 14Charybdis' man-eating opposite, in myth
  15. 21Upper regions of forests
  16. 24Sea cow
  17. 26French Baroque artist Nicolas
  18. 28Challenged on X, say
  19. 30Scout's follower?
  20. 32Bad spell
  21. 33Partner of pitch and roll
  22. 35"You get the point"
  23. 36Kicks back, in a way
  24. 37Crime writer Mickey who created the Mike Hammer stories
  25. 39Prince of Monaco beginning in 2005
  26. 40Certain tenant
  27. 41French soccer superstar Kylian
  28. 45Some bow ties
  29. 46Where roots take hold
  30. 49Complain
  31. 50Citation shortener
  32. 53Tricks
  33. 55Orange or lime

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Began — Answer: DAWNED. Hint: It came into awareness or got underway 🌅
  2. 7. Show faces? — Answer: TVACTORS. Hint: They portray characters on the small screen 🎬
  3. 15. Bring back into the fold, so to speak — Answer: REHIRE. Hint: Give a former worker another chance on the payroll 🔄
  4. 16. Worth looking back on — Answer: HISTORIC. Hint: Significant enough to deserve remembrance through the ages 🏛️
  5. 17. One from "Japan's kitchen" — Answer: OSAKAN. Hint: This person hails from Japan’s bustling culinary city 🍣
  6. 18. Appeal — Answer: ENTREATY. Hint: A heartfelt request for help or action 🙏
  7. 19. Bit of ceramic ware — Answer: POT. Hint: A small piece of kitchenware that can hold or cook something 🍲
  8. 20. Cast off — Answer: SETSAIL. Hint: Depart on a voyage, leaving the harbor behind ⛵
  9. 22. 7/ — Answer: JUL. Hint: This calendar shorthand names the seventh month 📅
  10. 23. "Lovely" and "wonderful" food, per Monty Python — Answer: SPAM. Hint: Monty Python famously turned canned meat into a repeated comic refrain 🥫
  11. 25. Rose Bowl Stadium athlete — Answer: BRUIN. Hint: This mascot represents UCLA’s athletic teams 🐻
  12. 26. Big ring — Answer: PEAL. Hint: A grand bell’s booming sound 🔔
  13. 27. Patient privacy law, in brief — Answer: HIPAA. Hint: U.S. rules protecting medical information, in brief 🏥
  14. 29. World Cup team nicknamed "The Three Lions": Abbr. — Answer: ENG. Hint: The shortened name of the nation behind the Three Lions ⚽
  15. 30. Say "Hey," say — Answer: HOLLA. Hint: Offer a casual greeting or shout-out 🗣️
  16. 31. "Speak up" — Answer: ICANTHEARYOU. Hint: A playful response when someone’s voice is too faint 📢
  17. 34. Intermezzo and trou normand dishes, essentially — Answer: PALATECLEANSERS. Hint: These reset your taste buds between courses 🍋
  18. 38. Hoedown get-down? — Answer: TEXASTWOSTEP. Hint: A lively country dance built around paired stepping and plenty of swagger 🤠
  19. 39. Long-___ squid — Answer: ARMED. Hint: The missing word describes squid with unusually lengthy appendages 🦑
  20. 42. "Wayne's World" exclamation — Answer: NOT. Hint: A punchy word used to reject or contradict something emphatically 🎸
  21. 43. Christina of "Buffalo '66" — Answer: RICCI. Hint: She portrayed Layla in this cult indie film. 🎬
  22. 44. Ring location — Answer: LOBE. Hint: A small body part often decorated with a hoop. 👂
  23. 45. Oil wells? — Answer: PORES. Hint: These tiny openings can release natural oils to the skin’s surface. 🛢️
  24. 47. Nickname for Eleanor — Answer: NELL. Hint: This short nickname for Eleanor has a vintage charm. 🎀
  25. 48. Eye-catching stage prop — Answer: BOA. Hint: A feathery accessory can steal the spotlight. 🪶
  26. 49. "Got it?" — Answer: CAPISCE. Hint: This Italian-flavored question asks whether you understand. 🤌
  27. 51. Thru — Answer: TIL. Hint: This casual abbreviation means until. 🗓️
  28. 52. Underlining, e.g. — Answer: EMPHASIS. Hint: Boldface or underlining can provide this. ✍️
  29. 54. Classical figure in an 1898 Gustav Klimt oil — Answer: ATHENA. Hint: Klimt painted this Greek goddess in a late-nineteenth-century work. 🏛️
  30. 56. Some back-and-forth — Answer: REPARTEE. Hint: Quick, witty exchanges have this sparkling quality. 💬
  31. 57. Big name in fashion — Answer: LAUREN. Hint: A designer famous for polo shirts shares a first name with Bacall. 👗
  32. 58. Go in the wrong way? — Answer: TRESPASS. Hint: Enter where you have no permission, perhaps by taking a forbidden route. 🚫
  33. 59. "I beg you!" — Answer: PLEASE. Hint: A polite plea often softens a request. 🙏

Down

  1. 1. Cut out the middleman, for delivery — Answer: DROPSHIP. Hint: A retailer can send an order straight from supplier to customer this way. 📦
  2. 2. Fabulous collection — Answer: AESOPICA. Hint: A gathering of fables points to the ancient storyteller. 🦊
  3. 3. "You're the best!" — Answer: WHATAPAL. Hint: This exuberant compliment celebrates an exceptional friend. 🏆
  4. 4. No-good ending? — Answer: NIK. Hint: This suffix can label a person associated with a trait or habit. 🧩
  5. 5. Diamond figs. — Answer: ERAS. Hint: On a baseball stat line, these measure pitchers’ run prevention. ⚾
  6. 6. Leftmost star of the Summer Triangle — Answer: DENEB. Hint: Look to the swan for the triangle’s far-left point. 🦢
  7. 7. Classic 1926 novel often published with a bull and matador on its cover — Answer: THESUNALSORISES. Hint: Hemingway’s expatriate tale follows friends through postwar Europe. 📖
  8. 8. Dressing group — Answer: VINAIGRETTES. Hint: Several oil-and-vinegar salad toppings form this collection 🥗
  9. 9. Gamgee player in "Lord of the Rings" — Answer: ASTIN. Hint: The actor who played Samwise also starred in a famous sports drama 🎬
  10. 10. ___-C — Answer: CTRL. Hint: This keyboard prefix teams up with C for copying ⌨️
  11. 11. The second one on the Statue of Liberty is longer than its first one — Answer: TOE. Hint: Think of the foot’s smallest digit, not the whole limb 🦶
  12. 12. Toothache care option — Answer: ORAJEL. Hint: A drugstore gel can temporarily soothe a painful tooth 🦷
  13. 13. Communion, e.g. — Answer: RITUAL. Hint: A repeated sacred observance fits this broad category ⛪
  14. 14. Charybdis' man-eating opposite, in myth — Answer: SCYLLA. Hint: In the old sea-monster pairing, look for the creature with multiple snapping heads 🌊
  15. 21. Upper regions of forests — Answer: TREECANOPIES. Hint: Look up to the leafy ceilings where woodland branches meet 🌳
  16. 24. Sea cow — Answer: MANATEE. Hint: This gentle aquatic mammal grazes on vegetation in warm coastal waters 🐋
  17. 26. French Baroque artist Nicolas — Answer: POUSSIN. Hint: This painter is known for classical scenes and carefully ordered compositions 🎨
  18. 28. Challenged on X, say — Answer: ATTED. Hint: On social media, someone may receive this when publicly called out 📱
  19. 30. Scout's follower? — Answer: HONOR. Hint: A promise associated with a youth outdoors group supplies this follower 🏕️
  20. 32. Bad spell — Answer: HEX. Hint: A witch’s curse is the sort of magic sought here 🧙
  21. 33. Partner of pitch and roll — Answer: YAW. Hint: An aircraft’s three-dimensional motion includes this side-to-side rotation ✈️
  22. 35. "You get the point" — Answer: ETCETERA. Hint: This phrase gestures toward all the remaining examples without listing them 👉
  23. 36. Kicks back, in a way — Answer: RECLINES. Hint: After a long day, someone may do this by leaning comfortably backward 🛋️
  24. 37. Crime writer Mickey who created the Mike Hammer stories — Answer: SPILLANE. Hint: The hard-boiled author behind Mike Hammer had a suitably dramatic surname 📚
  25. 39. Prince of Monaco beginning in 2005 — Answer: ALBERT. Hint: He succeeded his father Rainier as Monaco’s reigning prince 👑
  26. 40. Certain tenant — Answer: ROOMER. Hint: A person renting a bedroom rather than an entire home fits this description 🏠
  27. 41. French soccer superstar Kylian — Answer: MBAPPE. Hint: This French forward became a global soccer star with dazzling speed ⚽
  28. 45. Some bow ties — Answer: PASTA. Hint: Think of the noodle shape named for its resemblance to a bow tie. 🍝
  29. 46. Where roots take hold — Answer: SCALP. Hint: Look to the skin atop the head where hair grows. 💇
  30. 49. Complain — Answer: CARP. Hint: To do this is to grumble about something. 😤
  31. 50. Citation shortener — Answer: ETAL. Hint: In references, this Latin abbreviation means “and others.” 📚
  32. 53. Tricks — Answer: HAS. Hint: As a verb, this means deceives or fools. 🎭
  33. 55. Orange or lime — Answer: HUE. Hint: Either fruit can describe a color shade. 🎨

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “"Wayne's World" exclamation” in the New York Times crossword is NOT — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 15, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 42-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.

“"Wayne's World" exclamation” answer

NOT (3 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 NOT.

When else has “"Wayne's World" exclamation” 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 15, 2026 (most recent) → NOT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on August 15, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for August 15, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Saturday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “"Wayne's World" exclamation”?

The answer is NOT, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 15, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “"Wayne's World" exclamation”?

3 letters: NOT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 15, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 42-Across.

Can “"Wayne's World" exclamation” 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 15, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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