Get out of the starting gate fast

Crossword Answer — July 09, 2025

Answer

NYT Crossword

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

By Desirée Penner and Jeff Sinnock

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

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

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Top dog?
  2. 5Top hat?
  3. 8Top gun?
  4. 14Olympic event in which athletes wear masks
  5. 15Balmy time in Bordeaux
  6. 16Squids' kin
  7. 17Marilyn Monroe used eyeliner to darken the one on her cheek
  8. 18Late actor Kilmer
  9. 19Be off the mark
  10. 20Number with 12 zeros in the U.S. but 18 zeros in other parts of the world
  11. 23Cotillion V.I.P.
  12. 24Top 10 song
  13. 25Auntie ___ (food court chain)
  14. 27Who, What or I Don't Know, to Abbott and Costello
  15. 31Popular digital wallet service
  16. 35Non-Rx
  17. 36Dance instruction
  18. 38Jason of "How I Met Your Mother"
  19. 39One wearing a djellaba robe, typically
  20. 41Outer boundaries, as where this puzzle's theme answers are located
  21. 44Hospital fluids
  22. 45Pat ___, three-time N.B.A. Coach of the Year
  23. 47Bit of litter by a theater
  24. 49It may be picked by the picky
  25. 50Kind of Emmy
  26. 53Last Supper guest
  27. 55One end of a battery
  28. 57State animal of Utah
  29. 58Ryder Cup org.
  30. 61Famous misquote of a James Cagney line from the 1932 film "Taxi!"
  31. 66Beyond belief
  32. 68Hunk
  33. 69___ land
  34. 70Repeated sounds in "Hey Jude"
  35. 71From ___ Z
  36. 72Many moons
  37. 73Bottom feeder?
  38. 74Bottom line?
  39. 75Bottom dollar?

Down

  1. 1Side note?
  2. 2Agreed-___
  3. 3Prefix with communication
  4. 4Grow choppers
  5. 5Get off the ground?
  6. 6Stressed type: Abbr.
  7. 7Singer Reese
  8. 8California college where the writer David Foster Wallace taught English
  9. 9Unfriendly quality
  10. 10Ave. crossers
  11. 11Lowly sort
  12. 12Redheaded boy of 1960s TV
  13. 13Side arm?
  14. 21Parts of eyeglass frames
  15. 22First magazine to feature Steve Jobs on its cover (October 1981)
  16. 26Elvis's "___ Not You"
  17. 27Side plank?
  18. 28Parts of hearts
  19. 29Like snakes
  20. 30Mustachioed "Simpsons" character
  21. 32007, for one
  22. 33Jeopardy
  23. 34Side dish?
  24. 37Family-friendly ratings
  25. 40Onetime alternative to VHS
  26. 42Gate info
  27. 43Comic book hero whose secret identity is Conner Kent
  28. 46Symbol of contrasting principles
  29. 48Get out of the starting gate fast
  30. 51Bread
  31. 52End of a professor's address
  32. 541970s space station
  33. 56"J. ___" (2011 Clint Eastwood biopic)
  34. 58Side kick?
  35. 59Growl
  36. 60River under the Ponte Vecchio
  37. 62Itty bit
  38. 63Prego rival
  39. 64Guinness of "Star Wars"
  40. 65Side job?
  41. 67French 101 word that sounds like a letter of the alphabet

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Top dog? — Answer: MUTT
  2. 5. Top hat? — Answer: LID
  3. 8. Top gun? — Answer: PISTOL
  4. 14. Olympic event in which athletes wear masks — Answer: EPEE
  5. 15. Balmy time in Bordeaux — Answer: ETE
  6. 16. Squids' kin — Answer: OCTOPI
  7. 17. Marilyn Monroe used eyeliner to darken the one on her cheek — Answer: MOLE
  8. 18. Late actor Kilmer — Answer: VAL
  9. 19. Be off the mark — Answer: MISAIM
  10. 20. Number with 12 zeros in the U.S. but 18 zeros in other parts of the world — Answer: ONETRILLION
  11. 23. Cotillion V.I.P. — Answer: DEB
  12. 24. Top 10 song — Answer: HIT
  13. 25. Auntie ___ (food court chain) — Answer: ANNES
  14. 27. Who, What or I Don't Know, to Abbott and Costello — Answer: BASEMAN
  15. 31. Popular digital wallet service — Answer: CASHAPP
  16. 35. Non-Rx — Answer: OTC
  17. 36. Dance instruction — Answer: STEP
  18. 38. Jason of "How I Met Your Mother" — Answer: SEGEL
  19. 39. One wearing a djellaba robe, typically — Answer: ARAB
  20. 41. Outer boundaries, as where this puzzle's theme answers are located — Answer: EDGES
  21. 44. Hospital fluids — Answer: SERA
  22. 45. Pat ___, three-time N.B.A. Coach of the Year — Answer: RILEY
  23. 47. Bit of litter by a theater — Answer: STUB
  24. 49. It may be picked by the picky — Answer: NIT
  25. 50. Kind of Emmy — Answer: DAYTIME
  26. 53. Last Supper guest — Answer: APOSTLE
  27. 55. One end of a battery — Answer: ANODE
  28. 57. State animal of Utah — Answer: ELK
  29. 58. Ryder Cup org. — Answer: PGA
  30. 61. Famous misquote of a James Cagney line from the 1932 film "Taxi!" — Answer: YOUDIRTYRAT
  31. 66. Beyond belief — Answer: UNREAL
  32. 68. Hunk — Answer: GOB
  33. 69. ___ land — Answer: LALA
  34. 70. Repeated sounds in "Hey Jude" — Answer: NANANA
  35. 71. From ___ Z — Answer: ATO
  36. 72. Many moons — Answer: AGES
  37. 73. Bottom feeder? — Answer: TROUGH
  38. 74. Bottom line? — Answer: RAY
  39. 75. Bottom dollar? — Answer: BUCK

Down

  1. 1. Side note? — Answer: MEMO
  2. 2. Agreed-___ — Answer: UPON
  3. 3. Prefix with communication — Answer: TELE
  4. 4. Grow choppers — Answer: TEETHE
  5. 5. Get off the ground? — Answer: LEVITATE
  6. 6. Stressed type: Abbr. — Answer: ITAL
  7. 7. Singer Reese — Answer: DELLA
  8. 8. California college where the writer David Foster Wallace taught English — Answer: POMONA
  9. 9. Unfriendly quality — Answer: ICINESS
  10. 10. Ave. crossers — Answer: STS
  11. 11. Lowly sort — Answer: TOAD
  12. 12. Redheaded boy of 1960s TV — Answer: OPIE
  13. 13. Side arm? — Answer: LIMB
  14. 21. Parts of eyeglass frames — Answer: RIMS
  15. 22. First magazine to feature Steve Jobs on its cover (October 1981) — Answer: INC
  16. 26. Elvis's "___ Not You" — Answer: SHES
  17. 27. Side plank? — Answer: BOARD
  18. 28. Parts of hearts — Answer: ATRIA
  19. 29. Like snakes — Answer: SCALY
  20. 30. Mustachioed "Simpsons" character — Answer: NED
  21. 32. 007, for one — Answer: AGENT
  22. 33. Jeopardy — Answer: PERIL
  23. 34. Side dish? — Answer: PLATE
  24. 37. Family-friendly ratings — Answer: PGS
  25. 40. Onetime alternative to VHS — Answer: BETA
  26. 42. Gate info — Answer: ETA
  27. 43. Comic book hero whose secret identity is Conner Kent — Answer: SUPERBOY
  28. 46. Symbol of contrasting principles — Answer: YINYANG
  29. 48. Get out of the starting gate fast — Answer: BOLT
  30. 51. Bread — Answer: MOOLAH
  31. 52. End of a professor's address — Answer: EDU
  32. 54. 1970s space station — Answer: SKYLAB
  33. 56. "J. ___" (2011 Clint Eastwood biopic) — Answer: EDGAR
  34. 58. Side kick? — Answer: PUNT
  35. 59. Growl — Answer: GNAR
  36. 60. River under the Ponte Vecchio — Answer: ARNO
  37. 62. Itty bit — Answer: IOTA
  38. 63. Prego rival — Answer: RAGU
  39. 64. Guinness of "Star Wars" — Answer: ALEC
  40. 65. Side job? — Answer: TASK
  41. 67. French 101 word that sounds like a letter of the alphabet — Answer: EAU

The answer to “Get out of the starting gate fast” in the New York Times crossword is BOLT — a 4-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on July 9, 2025, a Wednesday puzzle, at 48-Down. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.

“Get out of the starting gate fast” answer

BOLT (4 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 BOLT.

Why the answer is BOLT

BOLT is the 4-letter solution that fits "Get out of the starting gate fast" in the NYT Crossword crossword on July 9, 2025 (48-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Get out of the starting gate fast” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.

July 9, 2025 (this puzzle) → BOLT. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword crossword on July 9, 2025

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for July 9, 2025 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Wednesday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Get out of the starting gate fast”?

The answer is BOLT, a 4-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 9, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Get out of the starting gate fast”?

4 letters: BOLT.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on July 9, 2025 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 48-Down.

Can “Get out of the starting gate fast” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times 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 NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for July 9, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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