Gets closer?

Latest answer — September 17, 2026

8 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

The word GETS “gets closer” by ending with S, its final or closing letter. ESS is the spelled-out name of that letter.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A large letter S displayed clearly

WaPo Mini Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 17, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1[Poor, pitiful me!]
  2. 4See 3-Down
  3. 6Try to get some bread out of
  4. 7Their point guards prevent injury
  5. 8Gets closer?

Down

  1. 1Overnights, say
  2. 2"Maneater" co-writer John
  3. 3With 4-Across, largest animal known to have ever existed
  4. 4Yahoo! alternative?
  5. 5Records such as "The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection," in brief

The answer to “Gets closer?” in the The Washington Post Mini crossword is ESS — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 17, 2026 at 8-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.

“Gets closer?” answer

ESS (3 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 ESS.

What does ESS mean?

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

(noun)

  • a thing shaped like the letter S

When else has “Gets closer?” 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 17, 2026 (most recent) → ESS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Gets closer?”?

The answer is ESS, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 17, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Gets closer?”?

3 letters: ESS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on September 17, 2026, at 8-Across.

Can “Gets closer?” 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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