Optical effects caused by ice crystals

Editorially verified for the Aug 30, 2026

9 Down

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Bright sundog spots appearing on either side of the Sun.

Clue explained

Sundogs are bright spots or halos that appear beside the Sun when light is refracted by ice crystals in the atmosphere. The plural matches “effects.”

Clue type:
Definition

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 30, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Draw of a dim sum cart
  2. 6Space balls?
  3. 10"Sesame Street" basics
  4. 14Zipper alternative
  5. 19Mushroom with a pitted cap
  6. 20Home of the Nazca Lines
  7. 21Coachella aesthetic
  8. 22Fit to eat, to Muslims
  9. 23Bonus for never giving up?
  10. 26__ acid
  11. 27Part of a play
  12. 28Fusses over, with "on"
  13. 29Some contract negotiators
  14. 30Nursery arrival
  15. 33Win the heart of
  16. 35Flight board stats
  17. 37Quick meeting?
  18. 38Actor Simu
  19. 39Big spender?
  20. 42Recliner part
  21. 44Ibiza, por ejemplo
  22. 45Like draft beer
  23. 47Totally stoked
  24. 48UFO engineers
  25. 50Blue-roofed breakfast chain
  26. 53Symbol of resistance
  27. 56Tick away
  28. 58Device that might buzz during a night out?
  29. 61Kitchen cover-ups
  30. 63Just slightly
  31. 65Disc golf obstacle
  32. 66Blueprint deet
  33. 67Spearheaded
  34. 68Actor Sheridan
  35. 70Cause for a blessing
  36. 72Key below ~
  37. 74Legal addendum?
  38. 75Think piece?
  39. 77"This Is Us" director Ken
  40. 79Trade show
  41. 81Spoiled
  42. 83Elaborately embroidered falsehoods?
  43. 86"Buck-a-shuck" delicacy
  44. 88"Tropic Thunder" actor Nick
  45. 89Gooey lump
  46. 90Sock end
  47. 91Dining hall offerings
  48. 94Swahili for "lion"
  49. 96Washington Spirit player Morgan
  50. 99Mollusk often pan-seared
  51. 101Green light for a lunar expedition?
  52. 105Baton Rouge sch.
  53. 106Hip-hop's Salt-N-__
  54. 109Loads and loads
  55. 110Mean
  56. 111Gave the once-over
  57. 112Virtual persona
  58. 114Nonglossy lipstick option
  59. 116Blissful spots
  60. 118Starbucks size
  61. 119People who pack picnic lunches?
  62. 124Fizzled out
  63. 125Slushy treat
  64. 126Singer India.__
  65. 127Vibe
  66. 128Great balls of fire
  67. 129Fuse together
  68. 130Give conditionally
  69. 131Canary feed

Down

  1. 1Electric violin hookup
  2. 2Orange sushi topping
  3. 3Hockey great Bobby
  4. 4Like a bad breakup
  5. 5Sir __ Guinness
  6. 6Anxiety-reducing feature of some tests
  7. 7Double-check, in a way
  8. 8Garment once called a corselet-gorge
  9. 9Optical effects caused by ice crystals
  10. 10Help in a burglary
  11. 11Girl who lost her sheep
  12. 12Morally pure
  13. 13Vegan milk option
  14. 14Deep carpet
  15. 15Tells all
  16. 16Dress shape
  17. 17Trousers
  18. 18Wade clumsily
  19. 24Zigs or zags
  20. 25Color similar to salmon
  21. 29Org.
  22. 30Yawn-inducing
  23. 31Light as can be
  24. 32Special offers at a body shop?
  25. 34Nintendo virtual personae
  26. 36Bit of moisture
  27. 39Intellectual stickler
  28. 40Secular
  29. 41Great Plains people
  30. 43Settle elsewhere, casually
  31. 46Gathering for chile lovers?
  32. 49Nokcha or sencha
  33. 51__ fade: haircut with shaved sides
  34. 52Sculling tool
  35. 54Noisy migratory birds
  36. 55Curved
  37. 57Mil. mind game
  38. 58[Not my error]
  39. 59None of the above
  40. 60Smiles brightly
  41. 61Square up
  42. 62Pascal of "The Last of Us"
  43. 64Folk instrument
  44. 69Gracefully refined
  45. 71Clearasil rival
  46. 73Gotham City hero
  47. 76Power source for a warp drive in "Star Trek"
  48. 78Offline, online
  49. 80"Away from work" letters
  50. 82Casting need
  51. 84Promotional sample
  52. 85Lyft alternative
  53. 87"You got that right!"
  54. 90Take for a spin, perhaps
  55. 92Come up short
  56. 93Tater
  57. 95Hog with tusks
  58. 97Strike down, biblically
  59. 98Corundum, for one
  60. 100Hackathon participant
  61. 102Pulpy refuse
  62. 103Molar cover
  63. 104Enter via cracks
  64. 106Covers a lot of ground?
  65. 107Special occasion
  66. 108Bear in a bamboo forest
  67. 111Lauder of cosmetics
  68. 113Lends a hand
  69. 115Pranked with Charmin
  70. 117D.C. ballplayers
  71. 119"That's the guy!"
  72. 120Minecraft block
  73. 121Lowest sudoku number
  74. 122Casting need
  75. 123Soon-to-be alums

The answer to “Optical effects caused by ice crystals” in the The Washington Post crossword is SUNDOGS — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 30, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 9-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.

“Optical effects caused by ice crystals” answer

SUNDOGS (7 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 SUNDOGS.

When else has “Optical effects caused by ice crystals” 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 30, 2026 (most recent) → SUNDOGS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Optical effects caused by ice crystals”?

The answer is SUNDOGS, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 30, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Optical effects caused by ice crystals”?

7 letters: SUNDOGS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on August 30, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 9-Down.

Can “Optical effects caused by ice crystals” 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 30, 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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