What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry

Latest answer — June 20, 2026

42 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Saturday, June 20, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Dad's pop, perhaps
  2. 10Attempt, informally
  3. 15One might be used to launch promotional materials
  4. 16It's often set on the stove while cooking
  5. 17That's not the whole story!
  6. 18Fancy and then some
  7. 19Like the eyes of an American coot
  8. 20Be prepared to take a weight off someone's shoulders?
  9. 21___ Howard, activist known as the "Mother of Pride"
  10. 22Said who's who or what's what?
  11. 24Allies often share one
  12. 26Turnovers, but not crumpets
  13. 27"Be my guest" and "Go right ahead"
  14. 29Fixture at a chocolate factory
  15. 30Rate of passage
  16. 31With 28-Down, set hanging by a door
  17. 34Soprano Fleming
  18. 36Call for a pass?
  19. 37"I've done better"
  20. 40Hooter
  21. 41Resonates beautifully
  22. 42What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry
  23. 43___ Ewbank, Hall-of-Fame football coach
  24. 45I
  25. 46Margaret featured in "Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution"
  26. 47Punch
  27. 48State-sponsored "wealth redistribution" scheme
  28. 50Support of a sort
  29. 54"I'm not sure what to make of that"
  30. 56Helen with the podcast "Go Fact Yourself"
  31. 58Natural resource seen in arboretums?
  32. 59Blushing matter
  33. 60Creature whose appendages allow it to camouflage in masses of kelp
  34. 62N.B.A. analyst Burke
  35. 63"That's what they say, anyway"
  36. 64Smooth and shiny
  37. 65Celebratory opening

Down

  1. 1Destination for a day trip from Sorrento
  2. 2Got to
  3. 3Break the bank, say?
  4. 4What one might put on to impress others
  5. 5Plans, with "out"
  6. 6Website with a "Submit a Rumor" tab
  7. 7Bulb that becomes translucent when heated
  8. 8"That's a subject you should absolutely avoid"
  9. 9Fire ___
  10. 10Big name in lights
  11. 11Like Belmont's Big Sandy, among Triple Crown racetracks
  12. 12"Nice try, wise guy"
  13. 13Jokey warning before diving into a niche topic
  14. 14One of a noted quintet
  15. 21Small storage units
  16. 23Stories of college students?
  17. 25Things that lions and zebras have in common
  18. 28See 31-Across
  19. 31Fair weather followers
  20. 32Saw getting turned on, say
  21. 33Chillaxing, more formally
  22. 34Man's name whose first four letters spell a word describing its last letter
  23. 35Score with some acid
  24. 38Arena
  25. 39"Get outta here!"
  26. 44Get down
  27. 46Some vacation rentals
  28. 49Moment of high spirits?
  29. 51"Got it"
  30. 52Rijeka native
  31. 53___ Louis Gates Jr., host of PBS's "Finding Your Roots"
  32. 55Anchor position
  33. 57Shakehand or penhold, in table tennis
  34. 60___ de Mayo (symbol on the flags of Argentina and Uruguay)
  35. 61Sound made when something snaps into place?

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Dad's pop, perhaps — Answer: CREAMSODA
  2. 10. Attempt, informally — Answer: SWING
  3. 15. One might be used to launch promotional materials — Answer: AIRCANNON
  4. 16. It's often set on the stove while cooking — Answer: TIMER
  5. 17. That's not the whole story! — Answer: PLOTPOINT
  6. 18. Fancy and then some — Answer: ADORE
  7. 19. Like the eyes of an American coot — Answer: RED
  8. 20. Be prepared to take a weight off someone's shoulders? — Answer: SPOT
  9. 21. ___ Howard, activist known as the "Mother of Pride" — Answer: BRENDA
  10. 22. Said who's who or what's what? — Answer: IDED
  11. 24. Allies often share one — Answer: ENEMY
  12. 26. Turnovers, but not crumpets — Answer: STAT
  13. 27. "Be my guest" and "Go right ahead" — Answer: OKS
  14. 29. Fixture at a chocolate factory — Answer: VAT
  15. 30. Rate of passage — Answer: TOLL
  16. 31. With 28-Down, set hanging by a door — Answer: SPARE
  17. 34. Soprano Fleming — Answer: RENEE
  18. 36. Call for a pass? — Answer: YEA
  19. 37. "I've done better" — Answer: NOTMYFINESTWORK
  20. 40. Hooter — Answer: OWL
  21. 41. Resonates beautifully — Answer: SINGS
  22. 42. What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry — Answer: CHUTE
  23. 43. ___ Ewbank, Hall-of-Fame football coach — Answer: WEEB
  24. 45. I — Answer: EGO
  25. 46. Margaret featured in "Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution" — Answer: CHO
  26. 47. Punch — Answer: BRIO
  27. 48. State-sponsored "wealth redistribution" scheme — Answer: LOTTO
  28. 50. Support of a sort — Answer: ARCH
  29. 54. "I'm not sure what to make of that" — Answer: ITSODD
  30. 56. Helen with the podcast "Go Fact Yourself" — Answer: HONG
  31. 58. Natural resource seen in arboretums? — Answer: ORE
  32. 59. Blushing matter — Answer: ROUGE
  33. 60. Creature whose appendages allow it to camouflage in masses of kelp — Answer: SEADRAGON
  34. 62. N.B.A. analyst Burke — Answer: DORIS
  35. 63. "That's what they say, anyway" — Answer: ORSOIHEAR
  36. 64. Smooth and shiny — Answer: SLEEK
  37. 65. Celebratory opening — Answer: LETSPARTY

Down

  1. 1. Destination for a day trip from Sorrento — Answer: CAPRI
  2. 2. Got to — Answer: RILED
  3. 3. Break the bank, say? — Answer: ERODE
  4. 4. What one might put on to impress others — Answer: ACT
  5. 5. Plans, with "out" — Answer: MAPS
  6. 6. Website with a "Submit a Rumor" tab — Answer: SNOPES
  7. 7. Bulb that becomes translucent when heated — Answer: ONION
  8. 8. "That's a subject you should absolutely avoid" — Answer: DONTEVENGOTHERE
  9. 9. Fire ___ — Answer: ANT
  10. 10. Big name in lights — Answer: STAR
  11. 11. Like Belmont's Big Sandy, among Triple Crown racetracks — Answer: WIDEST
  12. 12. "Nice try, wise guy" — Answer: IMONTOYOU
  13. 13. Jokey warning before diving into a niche topic — Answer: NERDALERT
  14. 14. One of a noted quintet — Answer: GREATLAKE
  15. 21. Small storage units — Answer: BYTES
  16. 23. Stories of college students? — Answer: DORM
  17. 25. Things that lions and zebras have in common — Answer: MANES
  18. 28. See 31-Across — Answer: KEYS
  19. 31. Fair weather followers — Answer: SNOWBIRDS
  20. 32. Saw getting turned on, say — Answer: POWERTOOL
  21. 33. Chillaxing, more formally — Answer: ATLEISURE
  22. 34. Man's name whose first four letters spell a word describing its last letter — Answer: RINGO
  23. 35. Score with some acid — Answer: ETCH
  24. 38. Arena — Answer: FIELD
  25. 39. "Get outta here!" — Answer: WHOA
  26. 44. Get down — Answer: BOOGIE
  27. 46. Some vacation rentals — Answer: CONDOS
  28. 49. Moment of high spirits? — Answer: TOAST
  29. 51. "Got it" — Answer: ROGER
  30. 52. Rijeka native — Answer: CROAT
  31. 53. ___ Louis Gates Jr., host of PBS's "Finding Your Roots" — Answer: HENRY
  32. 55. Anchor position — Answer: DESK
  33. 57. Shakehand or penhold, in table tennis — Answer: GRIP
  34. 60. ___ de Mayo (symbol on the flags of Argentina and Uruguay) — Answer: SOL
  35. 61. Sound made when something snaps into place? — Answer: AHA

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry” in the New York Times crossword is CHUTE — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 20, 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.

“What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry” answer

CHUTE (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 CHUTE.

Why the answer is CHUTE

CHUTE is the 5-letter solution that fits "What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry" in the NYT Crossword crossword on June 20, 2026 (42-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry” 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.

June 20, 2026 (most recent) → CHUTE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on June 20, 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 June 20, 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 “What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry”?

The answer is CHUTE, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry”?

5 letters: CHUTE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on June 20, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 42-Across.

Can “What might lead to a pile of dirty laundry” 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 June 20, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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