Short time?

Latest answer — September 01, 2026

31 Across

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Clue explained

SEC is a short form of “second,” a unit of time. The question mark makes “Short time?” a playful reference both to the brief duration and to the abbreviation.

Clue type:
Abbreviation
A close-up of an analog clock showing the second hand

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, September 01, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1"Furthermore ... "
  2. 5Moral transgressions
  3. 9Picnic race bag
  4. 13+ or - particles
  5. 14Need ibuprofen, say
  6. 15Stash
  7. 16Major multistate lottery
  8. 18Salsa ingredient
  9. 19Music genre with Jamaican roots
  10. 20Japanese currency
  11. 21Began gradually
  12. 23Opening bid
  13. 26__ Allen furniture
  14. 28Dog's warning sound
  15. 29Animation frame
  16. 30Sharp-witted
  17. 31Short time?
  18. 32Break a fast
  19. 34Final part of a chess match
  20. 36Florida home of the Harry S. Truman Little White House
  21. 40Buckeyes' sch.
  22. 41Way cool
  23. 42__ vera
  24. 43Six-pack muscles
  25. 46"Jurassic World" actor Chris
  26. 48Demon
  27. 49Cool way to keep food fresh?
  28. 52Let go
  29. 53Meh, slangily
  30. 54Viper in 43-Down
  31. 57Volunteer's phrase
  32. 58Slam dunk's value, or what 16-, 23-, 34-, 36-, and 49-Across have
  33. 61Long for
  34. 62Door fastener
  35. 63Important cards in solitaire
  36. 64Santa __: hot California winds
  37. 65"Furthermore ... "
  38. 66Small salamander

Down

  1. 1Domino spots
  2. 2"Check this out"
  3. 3Like dirty dishes
  4. 4NNW opposite
  5. 5Curved fencing sword
  6. 6"Down in front!"
  7. 7Anaheim Ducks' org.
  8. 8Gomez of "Only Murders in the Building"
  9. 9More rational
  10. 10Not basic, in chemistry
  11. 11Beef grade below prime
  12. 12Animal shelter shelter
  13. 15Dress up at a fan convention
  14. 17Olympic swimmer Lochte
  15. 22"I was thinking the same thing"
  16. 24Dramatic ballroom dance
  17. 25LLC alternative
  18. 26__ out a win
  19. 27Square root of 100
  20. 31Blue cartoon characters
  21. 33Creator of Finn and Sawyer
  22. 35Parking lot surface
  23. 36Supermodel who is a contributing editor for British Vogue
  24. 37Refinement
  25. 38Anderson Cooper, to Gloria Vanderbilt
  26. 39Apple TV's "__ Lasso"
  27. 41GPS suggestion
  28. 43Continent with the most countries
  29. 44Tried to cool down, as hot soup
  30. 45DNA sample source
  31. 47Soul legend Franklin
  32. 48Classic dog name
  33. 501990s tennis star Monica
  34. 51Zilch
  35. 55Hearty meal
  36. 56Quiet "Hey!"
  37. 59"The __-Mart Effect": 2006 economics book
  38. 60Bond novelist Fleming

The answer to “Short time?” in the The Washington Post crossword is SEC — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on September 1, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 31-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.

“Short time?” answer

SEC (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 SEC.

What does SEC mean?

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

(abbreviation)

  • secant

When else has “Short time?” 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 1, 2026 (most recent) → SEC. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Short time?”?

The answer is SEC, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on September 1, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Short time?”?

3 letters: SEC.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on September 1, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 31-Across.

Can “Short time?” 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 1, 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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