Take the bait

Latest answer — August 21, 2026

45 Down

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Clue explained

To bite is to take bait, especially when a fish bites a hook or bait. The answer is the base-form verb used after the implied command “Take.”

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
A fish biting a baited hook underwater

Eugene Sheffer Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 21, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Early Peruvians
  2. 6Messy room
  3. 9Extinct bird
  4. 12Taj --
  5. 13Prompt
  6. 14Moreover
  7. 15Twin sister of He-Man
  8. 16Toronto’s province
  9. 18Pooh’s mopey pal
  10. 20Sty chow
  11. 21Schedule abbr.
  12. 23Pouch
  13. 24Meager
  14. 25Secular
  15. 27A Kardashian sister
  16. 29“Friends” role
  17. 31Chronicles
  18. 35Boom type
  19. 37Small amount
  20. 38Teeny
  21. 41-- Moines
  22. 43“Don’t -- stranger!”
  23. 44Japanese noodle
  24. 45Casual eatery
  25. 47Dr. in “Despicable Me”
  26. 49Hawk’s nest
  27. 52Half- -- (latte option)
  28. 53Cash dispenser
  29. 54Empties the boat of water
  30. 55CIA forerunner
  31. 56Director Craven
  32. 57Fire sign?

Down

  1. 1Online chats, briefly
  2. 2“Unh-unh”
  3. 3“Ta-ta!”
  4. 4Swiss river
  5. 5Does in
  6. 6Burn
  7. 7Melody
  8. 8However
  9. 9TV actress Gibbs
  10. 10Leek’s kin
  11. 11Take as one’s own
  12. 17Rise
  13. 19Like wine barrels
  14. 21Jungfrau, for one
  15. 22Fan’s shout
  16. 24Cain, to Eve
  17. 26Corporate jet maker
  18. 28Shoe fasteners
  19. 30Lad
  20. 32Rice in a risotto recipe
  21. 33Fib
  22. 34Govt. lender for some start-ups
  23. 36Figures of speech
  24. 38Con game
  25. 39Concepts
  26. 40Posh blokes
  27. 42Attempts
  28. 45Take the bait
  29. 46500 sheets
  30. 48Cold and damp
  31. 50Variety
  32. 51Jargon suffix

The answer to “Take the bait” in the Eugene Sheffer crossword is BITE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Eugene Sheffer crossword on August 21, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 45-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.

“Take the bait” answer

BITE (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 BITE.

What does BITE mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of a person or animal) use the teeth to cut into or through something
  • (of a fish) take the bait or lure on the end of a fishing line into the mouth
  • make firm contact with a surface

When else has “Take the bait” appeared?

Eugene Sheffer 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.

August 21, 2026 (most recent) → BITE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Take the bait”?

The answer is BITE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Eugene Sheffer crossword on August 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Take the bait”?

4 letters: BITE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Eugene Sheffer crossword on August 21, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 45-Down.

Can “Take the bait” have a different answer?

Yes — Eugene Sheffer 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 Eugene Sheffer answers?

The full grid for August 21, 2026 is on the Eugene Sheffer answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Eugene Sheffer Crossword is published by King Features Syndicate; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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