Word before service or sync

Latest answer — July 26, 2026

12 Down

It's something often found before giving advice or comments! 😄

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, July 26, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1"Joanie Loves ___" ("Happy Days" spinoff)
  2. 7Peddles
  3. 12Chain whose merch includes mulch
  4. 17Encase in protection
  5. 18Something might disappear into it
  6. 20Lacking sense
  7. 21Darlings
  8. 22Yoga style in which each movement is synchronized with a breath
  9. 23Bag
  10. 24Whom this puzzle's subject must save!
  11. 26Source of fries, informally
  12. 27On
  13. 28Nuggets of wisdom
  14. 33Pizza parlor purchase
  15. 34Hough of "Dancing With the Stars" fame
  16. 38Green friend of this puzzle's subject
  17. 42Elitist
  18. 43"___ be an honor"
  19. 44Not say, say
  20. 45"___ right!"
  21. 47Vehicle puller
  22. 49Disqualifies (oneself)
  23. 52"Waaaah!"
  24. 54Union Army general who was victorious over Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg
  25. 55Texter's caveat
  26. 56How a "miracle product" is said to work
  27. 59Host of the 2016 Olympics
  28. 60Old pros
  29. 62Primates' realm
  30. 63Batman and Robin, e.g.
  31. 65Many a musical chord
  32. 69Total heat content of a thermodynamic system
  33. 71Platform with a "Super" popular character, in brief?
  34. 73"Kind of"
  35. 75Decorous
  36. 76"Scrumptious!"
  37. 78Way
  38. 80Someone who might put you on a list
  39. 81U.K. military branch
  40. 83Classic kids' toy weapon
  41. 85Sleepover "comfies"
  42. 86Bialik of "The Big Bang Theory"
  43. 88Antagonist of this puzzle's subject
  44. 89Shoe style with a small opening in the front
  45. 92Man whom Jesus raised from the dead in John 11
  46. 94Salmon and coral
  47. 96Takes full advantage of
  48. 97Dot follower
  49. 98"Beau ___"
  50. 100___ Davis, actor and eulogist for Malcolm X
  51. 102Until now
  52. 103Big name in trucks
  53. 104Useful
  54. 106Sportscaster Andrews
  55. 108Excessively uptight
  56. 110Enemy lair where 24-Across is held captive
  57. 118"To me, 'sexy' is a ___ with confidence": Allegra Versace
  58. 120Striking feature of Jessica Rabbit
  59. 121Achieve
  60. 122Brother of this puzzle's subject
  61. 123Author and entrepreneur Huffington
  62. 124Virtual animal companion popularized in the 2000s
  63. 125Secret supply
  64. 126Tabasco, for one
  65. 127Highlight for a QB

Down

  1. 1Cyrillic way to write "U.S.S.R."
  2. 2Short hand?
  3. 3When "One Day More" is sung in "Les Misérables"
  4. 4Collectible item from the box below
  5. 5Fried cornbread concoctions
  6. 6___ map
  7. 7Green transport from the box below
  8. 8Best-selling Irish solo musical artist
  9. 9Image Awards org.
  10. 10Spills
  11. 11Madrid Mrs.
  12. 12Word before service or sync
  13. 13Duty
  14. 14What this puzzle's subject uses to travel to a new location
  15. 15Like many primary bathrooms
  16. 16Like teams in March Madness
  17. 18Expensive Super Bowl purchase
  18. 19In
  19. 25___ lecithin (food additive)
  20. 29Raid target, at times
  21. 30Space
  22. 31Let down
  23. 32Sea connectors
  24. 34Obtains (from)
  25. 35Gold or silver, but not bronze
  26. 36This might be stuffed inside a shell
  27. 37Dot follower
  28. 39Recoiled
  29. 40Jupiter ___, first African American poet published in North America
  30. 41Catchphrase of this puzzle's subject
  31. 46Wilt
  32. 48Scented
  33. 50Carrier that takes its name from the Book of Hosea
  34. 51___ cup
  35. 53Achieved
  36. 57Excite
  37. 58Job for a stage assistant, maybe
  38. 61Australia's most popular wine
  39. 64"Extra life" item from the box below
  40. 66How a total dummkopf might handle something
  41. 67In jest
  42. 68Like New Jersey among all U.S. states, population-wise
  43. 70In the very recent past
  44. 72Gown fabrics
  45. 74___ Duncan, education secretary under Obama
  46. 77Razor blades?
  47. 79Cozy corners
  48. 82With 31-Down, power-up that lets this puzzle's subject throw flames
  49. 84Alternative to "sparkling"
  50. 86Catchphrase of this puzzle's subject
  51. 87With 30-Down, power-up that supersizes this puzzle's subject
  52. 90Flowed (from)
  53. 91Some film noir figures, for short
  54. 92Give for a time
  55. 93Business address abbr.
  56. 95Popular GMC pickup
  57. 97Proceeds like congested traffic
  58. 99Mount ___, highest peak in the Rockies
  59. 101Mumbled stumbles
  60. 105Daises
  61. 107"Sorry, my calendar's full"
  62. 109Falls behind
  63. 111"?!?!?!?!"
  64. 112Sensible
  65. 113___ für alle Mal (once and for all, in German)
  66. 114What a rest indicates ... or a word after rest
  67. 115Small bite abroad
  68. 116Makeup of a certain web
  69. 117Docs who really get in your face?
  70. 119Medical research ctr.
  71. 120Dorm leaders, in brief

The answer to “Word before service or sync” in the New York Times crossword is LIP — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 26, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 12-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.

“Word before service or sync” answer

LIP (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 LIP.

Why the answer is LIP

It's something often found before giving advice or comments! 😄

What does LIP mean?

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

(noun)

  • either of the two fleshy parts which form the upper and lower edges of the opening of the mouth
  • the edge of a hollow container or an opening
  • insolent or impertinent talk

When else has “Word before service or sync” 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 26, 2026 (most recent) → LIP. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Word before service or sync”?

The answer is LIP, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 26, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Word before service or sync”?

3 letters: LIP.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 26, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 12-Down.

Can “Word before service or sync” 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 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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