In hot water?

Editorially verified for the Aug 23, 2026

94 Across

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Tea leaves steeping in hot water inside a teapot

Clue explained

STEEPING means soaking tea leaves in hot water, while “in hot water” also describes being in trouble; the question mark signals this double meaning. The answer is the present participle form of “steep.”

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 23, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “In hot water?” in the The Washington Post crossword is STEEPING — a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 23, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 94-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.

“In hot water?” answer

STEEPING (8 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 STEEPING.

What does STEEPING mean?

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

(verb)

  • soak (food or tea) in water or other liquid so as to extract its flavour or to soften it
  • surround or fill with a quality or influence

When else has “In hot water?” appeared?

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “In hot water?”?

The answer is STEEPING, a 8-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “In hot water?”?

8 letters: STEEPING.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on August 23, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 94-Across.

Can “In hot water?” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post 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 WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for August 23, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post 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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