What's distorted in a Mercator projection

Latest answer — September 25, 2026

49 Down

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Clue explained

AREA is what becomes distorted in a Mercator projection: regions near the poles appear much larger than their true relative sizes. The answer is a geographic noun.

Clue type:
Definition
A Mercator world map showing enlarged areas near the poles.

NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, September 25, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “What's distorted in a Mercator projection” in the New York Times crossword is AREA — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 25, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 49-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.

“What's distorted in a Mercator projection” answer

AREA (4 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 AREA.

What does AREA mean?

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

(noun)

  • a region or part of a town, a country, or the world
  • the extent or measurement of a surface or piece of land
  • a subject or range of activity or interest

When else has “What's distorted in a Mercator projection” 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.

September 25, 2026 (most recent) → AREA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “What's distorted in a Mercator projection”?

The answer is AREA, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 25, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “What's distorted in a Mercator projection”?

4 letters: AREA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 25, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 49-Down.

Can “What's distorted in a Mercator projection” 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 September 25, 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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