Come out of one's shell, maybe

Latest answer — September 23, 2026

4 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

To molt is to shed an outer covering, such as a snake’s skin or an insect’s exoskeleton, so the creature may literally come out of its “shell.” The question mark signals the playful, non-human reading of the phrase.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A snake emerging from its shed skin

WaPo Mini Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1They follow mis
  2. 4Come out of one's shell, maybe
  3. 5"Big Three" conference city of 1945
  4. 6Werner whose first name sounds like an award he was nominated for
  5. 7Setting of the HBO miniseries "Chernobyl"

Down

  1. 1People in general
  2. 24-Down fixture
  3. 3Sticker on a great spelling test, perhaps
  4. 4Holy Communion
  5. 5People in general

The answer to “Come out of one's shell, maybe” in the The Washington Post Mini crossword is MOLT — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 23, 2026 at 4-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.

“Come out of one's shell, maybe” answer

MOLT (4 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's MOLT.

What does MOLT mean?

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

(verb)

  • (of an animal) shed old feathers, hair, or skin to make way for a new growth

When else has “Come out of one's shell, maybe” appeared?

The Washington Post Mini 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 23, 2026 (most recent) → MOLT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Come out of one's shell, maybe”?

The answer is MOLT, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Come out of one's shell, maybe”?

4 letters: MOLT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 23, 2026, at 4-Across.

Can “Come out of one's shell, maybe” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post Mini 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 today's WaPo Mini answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the WaPo Mini answers page.

The Washington Post Mini Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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