Zest

Latest answer — September 20, 2026

128 Across

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Clue explained

Élan means zest, energy, or stylish enthusiasm. Crossword answers typically omit the accent, producing ELAN.

Clue type:
Definition
A dancer performing with energetic style and flair

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, September 20, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Special-ordered
  2. 7Sections of a circle's circumference
  3. 11NASCAR stat that varies widely by venue
  4. 18Banderas of 2024's "Babygirl"
  5. 20Coaster feature, maybe
  6. 21Assembles in proper order
  7. 22Mar, as a reputation
  8. 23See 25-Across
  9. 24Maligns
  10. 25With 23-Across, March Madness tournament round
  11. 27Mouths (off)
  12. 29Pact that preceded the U.S.M.C.A.
  13. 30Burnable bog stuff
  14. 31Burnt chimney stuff
  15. 33High-speed Olympic sport
  16. 34See 37-Across
  17. 35One who might have perfect pitch?
  18. 37With 34-Across, full extent of something
  19. 43"Holy moly!"
  20. 45Defensive player who keeps an eye on the QB, in football lingo
  21. 46Red-coated cheese
  22. 47"___ funny!"
  23. 48Bigwig
  24. 52Own (up)
  25. 55It's off the wall!
  26. 57"Red" or "1989," to Swifties
  27. 58Buck ___, first African American coach in Major League Baseball
  28. 60Extremely soft, in music: Abbr.
  29. 62See 64-Across
  30. 63Chew the fat
  31. 64With 62-Across, Beatles classic with the lyric "Will you still need me / Will you still feed me"
  32. 67Noted exile isle
  33. 69Energy-efficient bulb, for short
  34. 71___ orange, tree whose fruit has a brainlike appearance
  35. 72Native Nebraskans
  36. 75See 78-Across
  37. 76Author who purportedly drew inspiration from a filing cabinet labeled "O-Z"
  38. 78With 75-Across, "So very appreciated!"
  39. 81Hold up
  40. 83Narnia or Neverland
  41. 86Give it a whirl
  42. 87Violinmaker of Cremona
  43. 88Letters from your folks?
  44. 89"So cool!"
  45. 92Follower of John in the New Testament
  46. 94Chef with "New New Orleans"-style cooking
  47. 96Greatest guy?
  48. 97See 101-Across
  49. 98Vent
  50. 100Part of SCOTUS
  51. 101With 97-Across, Vegas casino machine
  52. 107No-cash deal
  53. 111Lay off
  54. 112Culprit, in police lingo
  55. 113Modern pentathlon equipment
  56. 115Metaphor for a too-hot room
  57. 116Actress Christine whose last name sounds like a pair of musical notes
  58. 118Ill will
  59. 120Number written above and to the right of another number ... as seen five times in this puzzle?
  60. 122Weigh down, and then some
  61. 124Number with a 120-Across, mathematically
  62. 126Armand of "American Gangster"
  63. 127Many mailbox stuffers
  64. 128Zest
  65. 129Iced tea request
  66. 130Clumsy
  67. 131Move fast, as a cloud
  68. 132Road trip stopovers

Down

  1. 1Pampering place for a Persian
  2. 2Not impressed
  3. 3Watch via Hulu, say
  4. 4Online forum qualifiers such as /j ("joking") or /s ("sarcastic")
  5. 5"I'll deal with this right now!"
  6. 6Keeps hydrated, as vegetables in the produce aisle
  7. 7Sitcom character from Melmac
  8. 8Aussie animals
  9. 9Item
  10. 10Alfalfa shoot
  11. 11Stockholder's setback
  12. 12Weisshorn or Finsteraarhorn
  13. 13Not merely enough to go around
  14. 14Island containing Kiribati's capital
  15. 15"Don't pay any mind to this"
  16. 16Zoom, e.g.
  17. 17Feminine pronoun in Florence
  18. 19"Would you look at that!"
  19. 21Wedding reception hiree
  20. 26Partner of aahs
  21. 28"So-o-o gross!"
  22. 32A-one
  23. 36With nary a chance
  24. 38Ingredient in some hair relaxers
  25. 39Make a long story short, say
  26. 40Individually
  27. 41Female rabbit
  28. 42Elbow-bender
  29. 44Popular singer of the Hawaiian folk song "Pearly Shells"
  30. 48"Sup!"
  31. 49Sonicare competitor
  32. 50Reschedule, so to speak
  33. 51Things that drivers sometimes leave behind?
  34. 53Letters on a lip balm tube
  35. 54Scare stiff
  36. 56Some old Disney collectibles
  37. 59Arriving by
  38. 61Tables
  39. 65Stiller's comedic partner
  40. 66Incur a cellphone surcharge, perhaps
  41. 68Electrical impulse transmitters
  42. 70Face off
  43. 73Catchall abbr.
  44. 74Priced to be, as bail
  45. 77Fortified wine from Spain
  46. 79Home of NoHo and SoHo
  47. 80"Catch ya in the morn!"
  48. 82Main squeeze, in newer slang
  49. 84Lascivious look
  50. 85Old-timey teacher
  51. 89Sped or bled ... or led
  52. 90___ Lilly (Mounjaro maker)
  53. 91Pointe shoe accessories
  54. 93Amy who wrote "Saving Fish From Drowning"
  55. 95Balloon pilot, say
  56. 99Worth a pick?
  57. 102Stick to simple and unprocessed foods, say
  58. 103State with only three counties: Abbr.
  59. 104Illegal offerings
  60. 105High-level H.S. class with derivatives
  61. 106Star football player?
  62. 108Get even for
  63. 109Kind of insurance for bridges
  64. 110Types in
  65. 114Surrey's Derby town
  66. 116Singer/dancer/actress Falana
  67. 117Say for sure
  68. 118Org. supporting sobriety checkpoints
  69. 119Father of five sons in the Bible
  70. 121___ buco
  71. 123Adornment on a boathouse wall
  72. 125Heel, e.g.

The answer to “Zest” in the New York Times crossword is ELAN — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 20, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 128-Across. Other answers we've seen for this clue include BRIO, and PEEL. 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.

“Zest” answer

ELAN (4 letters) — most recent; also seen as BRIO, PEEL

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 ELAN.

What does ELAN mean?

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

(noun)

  • energy, style, and enthusiasm

Other answers for “Zest”

New York Times has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides ELAN, it has also been BRIO, and PEEL. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Zest”?

The answer is ELAN, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 20, 2026. Other answers for this clue include BRIO, and PEEL.

How many letters is the answer to “Zest”?

4 letters: ELAN. Earlier fills for this clue have also been BRIO (4), PEEL (4).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on September 20, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 128-Across. Earlier appearances: May 22, 2026 → BRIO; August 31, 2025 → PEEL.

Can “Zest” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides ELAN, New York Times has also used BRIO, and PEEL for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for September 20, 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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