Origin of a plot hole?

Latest answer — September 03, 2026

21 Across

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Clue explained

A HOE can create a hole while being used in a garden plot, so it is a playful “origin” of a plot hole. The question mark signals this nonliteral reading.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A garden hoe making a hole in cultivated soil

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 03, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Word with order or reel
  2. 4__ farming: asking for upvotes on Reddit
  3. 9Catches forty winks
  4. 13Hazy brew, briefly
  5. 14Raise in relief
  6. 16On-the-job protection org.
  7. 17"Step one: make sure everything is in tune"?
  8. 19Drill or clamp
  9. 20Party game with forbidden words
  10. 21Origin of a plot hole?
  11. 22Green Gables girl
  12. 23One with elitist tastes
  13. 24"Learn to recognize the pattern of sharps and flats"?
  14. 27Big heads
  15. 29Regretted
  16. 30Perpignan pal
  17. 33Put a new price on
  18. 36Wedding party member, perhaps
  19. 39"Don't wait for anyone else, go ahead and write a song"?
  20. 42Beer with the largest single-site brewery in the world
  21. 43Olympic judo medalist Rousey
  22. 44Place for a tug
  23. 45Opportunity org.
  24. 47Mirror pic letters on social media
  25. 49"Now play C major and C minor descending"?
  26. 53Aware of
  27. 57Onigiri wrapper
  28. 58Tonewood used to make ukuleles
  29. 59Parting mot
  30. 60Shortly, quaintly
  31. 61Score symbols, or a description of 17-, 24-, 39-, and 49-Across
  32. 64Run while sitting
  33. 65Draw out
  34. 66Groove
  35. 67Yuks, online
  36. 68Short digression
  37. 69Photo __

Down

  1. 1Talents
  2. 2Hive-minded?
  3. 3Greta known as the "Swedish Sphinx"
  4. 4Diet with fat bombs
  5. 5Feedback provider, maybe
  6. 6Triple Crown stat
  7. 7Fliers who are often light-headed?
  8. 8Tie at a racetrack?
  9. 9Zero interest
  10. 10"Sure, that's a very normal response ... "
  11. 11Baloney descriptor
  12. 12Retail statistic
  13. 15Like tulle
  14. 18Drink brand with lizards in its logo
  15. 24Springfield watering hole
  16. 25Sunflower kin
  17. 26Tommy Pickles, for one
  18. 28"__ Pointe Blank"
  19. 30Syracuse's gp.
  20. 31Sound from a pen
  21. 32"My streak continues!"
  22. 34Edebiri of "The Bear"
  23. 35"Why are you still here?"
  24. 37World Cup cheer
  25. 38Theater director's deg.
  26. 40Nutty confections
  27. 41Sukiyaki noodle, maybe
  28. 46Words on a docent's badge
  29. 48Bird that was once endemic to Mauritius
  30. 49__ mail
  31. 50Airbnb option
  32. 51Birth day party?
  33. 52Caravan's rest spot
  34. 54Cold brew style
  35. 55Pave the way for, as a topic of conversation
  36. 56Removes
  37. 59Prerequisite to a deal
  38. 62Here, in Le Havre
  39. 63Spain's El __

The answer to “Origin of a plot hole?” in the The Washington Post crossword is HOE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on September 3, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 21-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.

“Origin of a plot hole?” answer

HOE (3 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 HOE.

What does HOE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a long-handled gardening tool with a thin metal blade, used mainly for weeding

When else has “Origin of a plot hole?” 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.

September 3, 2026 (most recent) → HOE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Origin of a plot hole?”?

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

How many letters is the answer to “Origin of a plot hole?”?

3 letters: HOE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on September 3, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 21-Across.

Can “Origin of a plot hole?” 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 September 3, 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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