Start of a pencil game

Latest answer — September 30, 2026

64 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

TIC is the beginning of TIC-TAC-TOE, the pencil-and-paper game. The clue asks for its start rather than the full game name.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
A hand-drawn tic-tac-toe board on paper

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 30, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

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

Across

  1. 1Place to retire
  2. 4Let gravity do most of the work, perhaps
  3. 9Estrangements
  4. 14"Rules __ rules"
  5. 15Infuriate
  6. 16Salon abrasive
  7. 17Word often said while holding a treat
  8. 18Slasher flick actress on a split screen?
  9. 20Summer quaff
  10. 22Links
  11. 23Emmy and Grammy winner Burnett
  12. 24Sandwich shop
  13. 25Merchant Ivory works featuring split peas?
  14. 32Protective cover
  15. 35W.H. Auden's "__ to the Medieval Poets"
  16. 36Slowly wear down
  17. 37Develops over time
  18. 39Dish garnished with peanuts and lime
  19. 41Marisa with a cameo in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day"
  20. 42Have a cold, say
  21. 43Schools of thought
  22. 44Auras around people with split ends?
  23. 48Close by
  24. 49Chemistry class models
  25. 53Willing to wait a long time
  26. 57Sure thing
  27. 59Lack of recognition for working a split shift?
  28. 61Nest egg letters
  29. 62Camp David Accords figure
  30. 63Eight-related
  31. 64Start of a pencil game
  32. 65Oscar and Grammy winner Burnett
  33. 66Tabloid TV host Povich
  34. 67Squalid space

Down

  1. 1No-frills
  2. 2"I Luh God" singer Campbell
  3. 3Prevent
  4. 4Neuschwanstein __
  5. 5As soon as
  6. 6City in India's Golden Triangle
  7. 7"What'd I tell you?"
  8. 8Copied, in a way
  9. 9Not elective
  10. 10"My turn!"
  11. 11Have a hunch
  12. 12Sequoia, e.g.
  13. 13Thesaurus entries: Abbr.
  14. 19Blue part of blue cheese
  15. 21__ radar
  16. 24A deer, a female deer
  17. 26School of tomorrow?
  18. 27Puts a name to
  19. 28Skilled performer
  20. 29Mineralogist with a hardness scale
  21. 30Scott of "Severance"
  22. 31Cuatro y dos
  23. 32Spot for un chapeau
  24. 33Mary Kay rival
  25. 34City on the Tiber
  26. 38Brief scene
  27. 39Dessert for Little Jack Horner
  28. 40ATV component
  29. 42Atmosphere
  30. 45Hankerings
  31. 46Fully grasp
  32. 47In a senseless way
  33. 50Memorial bios
  34. 51Warrant
  35. 52London of "What Not To Wear"
  36. 53Discreet summons
  37. 54Ishmael's captain
  38. 55Brouhaha
  39. 56Setting of the graphic novel "Persepolis"
  40. 57In __: as found
  41. 58Over yonder
  42. 60Color TV pioneer

The answer to “Start of a pencil game” in the The Washington Post crossword is TIC — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on September 30, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 64-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.

“Start of a pencil game” answer

TIC (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 TIC.

What does TIC mean?

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

(noun)

  • a habitual spasmodic contraction of the muscles, most often in the face

When else has “Start of a pencil game” 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 30, 2026 (most recent) → TIC. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Start of a pencil game”?

The answer is TIC, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on September 30, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Start of a pencil game”?

3 letters: TIC.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on September 30, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 64-Across.

Can “Start of a pencil game” 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 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.

Crossword Clues

Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.