Source of the fruit flavor in many candies

Latest answer — July 31, 2026

9 Across

The sweet scent chemistry behind many fruity candies is often borrowed from this class of compounds 🍬

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WaPo Mini Crossword

This clue's Friday, July 31, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Luxury has a metaphorical one
  2. 4Like the smell of burning rubber
  3. 7What flows through Worms
  4. 8Folk or funk, e.g.
  5. 9Source of the fruit flavor in many candies

Down

  1. 1With 3-Down, using only big words?
  2. 2Regrets yesterday's gym session, perhaps
  3. 3See 1-Down
  4. 5Opening phrase from a dictator?
  5. 6One may be halted by headlights

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Luxury has a metaphorical one — Answer: LAP. Hint: Think of the soft part of an upscale ride, not a literal body part 🚗
  2. 4. Like the smell of burning rubber — Answer: ACRID. Hint: Sharp, harsh, and a little nose-wrinkling 😖
  3. 7. What flows through Worms — Answer: RHINE. Hint: A famous European river that passes by the city of Worms 🏞️
  4. 8. Folk or funk, e.g. — Answer: GENRE. Hint: A category that can swing from traditional tunes to groovy beats 🎶
  5. 9. Source of the fruit flavor in many candies — Answer: ESTER. Hint: The sweet scent chemistry behind many fruity candies is often borrowed from this class of compounds 🍬

Down

  1. 1. With 3-Down, using only big words? — Answer: LARGE. Hint: A word for something big and roomy, like it’s trying to sound extra fancy. 🐘
  2. 2. Regrets yesterday's gym session, perhaps — Answer: ACHES. Hint: What you may feel after overdoing it at the gym. 🤕
  3. 3. See 1-Down — Answer: PRINT. Hint: A copy from a printer, not the original page 📄
  4. 5. Opening phrase from a dictator? — Answer: INRE. Hint: A dictator might kick things off with a commanding first word, not a whole speech 😏
  5. 6. One may be halted by headlights — Answer: DEER. Hint: A forest wanderer can freeze in the glare of a car’s beams 🦌

Recent WaPo Mini Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Source of the fruit flavor in many candies” in the The Washington Post Mini crossword is ESTER — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on July 31, 2026 at 9-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.

“Source of the fruit flavor in many candies” answer

ESTER (5 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 ESTER.

Why the answer is ESTER

The sweet scent chemistry behind many fruity candies is often borrowed from this class of compounds 🍬

When else has “Source of the fruit flavor in many candies” 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.

July 31, 2026 (most recent) → ESTER. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More WaPo Mini answers for July 31, 2026

Stuck on more than one square? Here's every other clue from the WaPo Mini on July 31, 2026 — tap any clue for its answer and explanation.

Across

Down

Want the whole grid in one place? The full WaPo Mini answer list for July 31, 2026 is on the puzzle's answers page, and today's live WaPo Mini answers are always one click away from the today page.

About the WaPo Mini Crossword

The Washington Post Mini Crossword is a compact daily grid for a fast solve. Like other minis, every letter crosses something else, so one stuck clue can freeze the board — and one revealed answer usually unlocks the rest.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Source of the fruit flavor in many candies”?

The answer is ESTER, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on July 31, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Source of the fruit flavor in many candies”?

5 letters: ESTER.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on July 31, 2026, at 9-Across.

Can “Source of the fruit flavor in many candies” 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.

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