Word with sponge or fish

Latest answer — January 15, 2026

44 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, January 15, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Cattle calls
  2. 5Visible sign of hard work
  3. 10El ___ (precursor of the Expressionists)
  4. 15Novelist Quindlen who wrote "One True Thing"
  5. 16One of five ... or maybe six?
  6. 17Like darts
  7. 18*Oft-quoted advice in Matthew 7:7
  8. 21Herb related to parsley
  9. 22Part of L.G.B.T.Q.
  10. 23Races longer than marathons, informally
  11. 24First name in rap?
  12. 25Stat for Aaron Judge
  13. 27Puts the finishing touches on, in a way
  14. 28*24/7/365
  15. 32Some scanners, for short
  16. 35Jan. 1 through today
  17. 36Oodles of time
  18. 37Elate
  19. 38Nobelist Joliot-Curie who synthesized radioactive isotopes
  20. 41Stereotypical dog
  21. 42Bases of shipbuilding
  22. 43Sol, but not Luna
  23. 44Word with sponge or fish
  24. 45Quarterback's asset
  25. 46Shiny little platters
  26. 47*Evening spent playing with the kids, say
  27. 52Stare in astonishment
  28. 53Just peachy
  29. 54Possible response to "Tu veux du chocolat?"
  30. 55Idiomatic partner of "lose"
  31. 58Disney still
  32. 60Directive written in currants in "Alice in Wonderland"
  33. 62Tendency to reinforce one's established beliefs ... or a hint to answering this puzzle's starred clues
  34. 65Playwright Chekhov
  35. 66Following
  36. 67"Sorry ... hard pass"
  37. 68Corporate musical chairs, for short
  38. 69Rib
  39. 70Quinceañera celebrant, e.g.

Down

  1. 1Indian spice blend
  2. 2Low soccer score
  3. 3Food writer Molly
  4. 4Fifth Avenue store
  5. 5W-9 fig.
  6. 6One method of sibling torture
  7. 7Oscar-nominated singer/songwriter for "May It Be" (2001)
  8. 8Like a used firepit
  9. 9What might give you a brewed awakening?
  10. 10Narrow kitchen
  11. 11Results of feuds
  12. 12Title for any male in the House of Saud
  13. 13Actor John who has granted more than 650 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation
  14. 14Sportsbook calculation
  15. 19Make bubbly
  16. 20Created Yoda, he did
  17. 26Brief letters?
  18. 27Fig. on a driver's license
  19. 29Unit of force
  20. 30Energy-healing practice
  21. 31Fluctuate between normal singing and falsetto
  22. 32Bit of concert merch
  23. 33Show that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, in brief
  24. 34About a third of an N.F.L. broadcast
  25. 37Highway behemoth
  26. 38Fortune competitor
  27. 395.5 yards
  28. 40Subject of astrobiology, in brief
  29. 41Star quality
  30. 42Seattle N.H.L. team
  31. 44April fool, e.g.
  32. 45Sixth word of the Gettysburg Address
  33. 47Throwing for a loop
  34. 48Bulldog supporters
  35. 49The moment of truth
  36. 50"The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being ___": Mahatma Gandhi
  37. 51Dons, as an apron
  38. 52Really try to get
  39. 55C-section reminder
  40. 56Nada
  41. 57Not fooled by
  42. 58Where the coffee and Wi-Fi might both be strong
  43. 59"At Last" singer James
  44. 61Adjoin
  45. 63Place to strike a pose?
  46. 64Seam contents

The answer to “Word with sponge or fish” in the New York Times crossword is CAKE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 15, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 44-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.

“Word with sponge or fish” answer

CAKE (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 CAKE.

Why the answer is CAKE

CAKE is the 4-letter solution that fits "Word with sponge or fish" in the NYT Crossword crossword on January 15, 2026 (44-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does CAKE mean?

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

(noun)

  • an item of soft sweet food made from a mixture of flour, fat, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and sometimes iced or decorated
  • an item of savoury food formed into a flat round shape, and typically baked or fried

When else has “Word with sponge or fish” 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.

January 15, 2026 (most recent) → CAKE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Word with sponge or fish”?

The answer is CAKE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 15, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Word with sponge or fish”?

4 letters: CAKE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on January 15, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 44-Across.

Can “Word with sponge or fish” 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 January 15, 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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