Ham-handed

Crossword Answer — July 23, 2025

Answer

NYT Crossword

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

By Joseph Gangi

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

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Hogwarts headmaster ___ Dumbledore
  2. 6Province
  3. 10Followed move-for-move
  4. 14Japanese automaker named for a river
  5. 15Ground transportation option
  6. 16Ripped
  7. 17A, B and C, but not X, Y and Z
  8. 19Where Bengali and Burmese are spoken
  9. 20Barely scrapes the surface
  10. 21Bore up
  11. 23Persistently bother, with "at"
  12. 26Actress Wong of the Netflix series "Beef"
  13. 27James of jazz
  14. 28Ham-handed
  15. 30Onetime CBS forensic drama
  16. 33"I don't mind ___ / Except as meals. / And the way they feels": Ogden Nash
  17. 35Sicilian landmark
  18. 36Seyfried of "Mean Girls"
  19. 38Tragic ending?
  20. 40He and I, but not she and you
  21. 43Suffix with rocket
  22. 44Highlands cryptid, affectionately
  23. 45Praiseful verses
  24. 46Fast-swimming shark
  25. 48Disappointing
  26. 49Villainous animal in "The Lion King"
  27. 50Add color to
  28. 52She's a woolly one
  29. 54"What ___ you?"
  30. 55"Beats me!"
  31. 57Toss from the game
  32. 59"That's my cue!"
  33. 60A+ and B-, but not F
  34. 65Forgetful actor's request
  35. 66Part of a chain
  36. 67___ coffee (whiskey drink)
  37. 68Crafty website
  38. 69"We will make amends ere long; / ___ the Puck a liar call": Shak.
  39. 70Day's harvest, for a fisher

Down

  1. 1Objective
  2. 2Sch. on the banks of the Mississippi
  3. 3Ground transportation option
  4. 4Commando weapons
  5. 5Perform dreadfully, so to speak
  6. 6Figure that roughly equals protons plus neutrons
  7. 7"Aw, phooey!"
  8. 8PC file extension
  9. 9Congressional divide, literally as well as metaphorically
  10. 10Just the slightest bit
  11. 11MA and MS, but not BA and BS
  12. 12Canal with a "low bridge" ("Everybody down!")
  13. 13Out of juice
  14. 18Zilch
  15. 22Starting squad
  16. 23Many a godchild
  17. 24Something to stand for
  18. 25X, Y and Z, but not A, B and C
  19. 29"The Office" role
  20. 31Taco topper
  21. 32Something only some of us will get
  22. 34Pop star Gomez
  23. 36Top gun
  24. 37Word aptly hidden in "turned yellow"
  25. 39Writing assignment
  26. 41Hole-___ (singular feat)
  27. 42"Whew!"
  28. 47Organ with a distinctive shape
  29. 49Overwhelmingly busy
  30. 51Postpone for now
  31. 53Exchanged rings with
  32. 55River through Khartoum
  33. 56Leave out
  34. 57A seeming eternity
  35. 58Banks of "America's Next Top Model"
  36. 61___ Nas X
  37. 62Place to retire?
  38. 63Corner keyboard key
  39. 64"Keep it down!"

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Hogwarts headmaster ___ Dumbledore — Answer: ALBUS
  2. 6. Province — Answer: AREA
  3. 10. Followed move-for-move — Answer: APED
  4. 14. Japanese automaker named for a river — Answer: ISUZU
  5. 15. Ground transportation option — Answer: TAXI
  6. 16. Ripped — Answer: TORE. Hint: Sometimes things just come apart at the seams! 🧵
  7. 17. A, B and C, but not X, Y and Z — Answer: MUSICNOTES
  8. 19. Where Bengali and Burmese are spoken — Answer: ASIA
  9. 20. Barely scrapes the surface — Answer: SKIMS
  10. 21. Bore up — Answer: LASTED
  11. 23. Persistently bother, with "at" — Answer: NAG
  12. 26. Actress Wong of the Netflix series "Beef" — Answer: ALI
  13. 27. James of jazz — Answer: ETTA
  14. 28. Ham-handed — Answer: INEPT
  15. 30. Onetime CBS forensic drama — Answer: CSI
  16. 33. "I don't mind ___ / Except as meals. / And the way they feels": Ogden Nash — Answer: EELS
  17. 35. Sicilian landmark — Answer: ETNA
  18. 36. Seyfried of "Mean Girls" — Answer: AMANDA
  19. 38. Tragic ending? — Answer: CEE
  20. 40. He and I, but not she and you — Answer: CHEMICALSYMBOLS
  21. 43. Suffix with rocket — Answer: EER
  22. 44. Highlands cryptid, affectionately — Answer: NESSIE
  23. 45. Praiseful verses — Answer: ODES
  24. 46. Fast-swimming shark — Answer: MAKO
  25. 48. Disappointing — Answer: SAD
  26. 49. Villainous animal in "The Lion King" — Answer: HYENA
  27. 50. Add color to — Answer: TINT. Hint: Sometimes you need to give a little splash to brighten things up! 🎨
  28. 52. She's a woolly one — Answer: EWE
  29. 54. "What ___ you?" — Answer: SAY
  30. 55. "Beats me!" — Answer: NOIDEA
  31. 57. Toss from the game — Answer: EJECT
  32. 59. "That's my cue!" — Answer: IMON
  33. 60. A+ and B-, but not F — Answer: BLOODTYPES
  34. 65. Forgetful actor's request — Answer: LINE
  35. 66. Part of a chain — Answer: LINK
  36. 67. ___ coffee (whiskey drink) — Answer: IRISH
  37. 68. Crafty website — Answer: ETSY
  38. 69. "We will make amends ere long; / ___ the Puck a liar call": Shak. — Answer: ELSE
  39. 70. Day's harvest, for a fisher — Answer: CATCH

Down

  1. 1. Objective — Answer: AIM
  2. 2. Sch. on the banks of the Mississippi — Answer: LSU
  3. 3. Ground transportation option — Answer: BUS
  4. 4. Commando weapons — Answer: UZIS
  5. 5. Perform dreadfully, so to speak — Answer: SUCKAT
  6. 6. Figure that roughly equals protons plus neutrons — Answer: ATOMICMASS
  7. 7. "Aw, phooey!" — Answer: RATS
  8. 8. PC file extension — Answer: EXE
  9. 9. Congressional divide, literally as well as metaphorically — Answer: AISLE
  10. 10. Just the slightest bit — Answer: ATASTE
  11. 11. MA and MS, but not BA and BS — Answer: POSTALCODES
  12. 12. Canal with a "low bridge" ("Everybody down!") — Answer: ERIE
  13. 13. Out of juice — Answer: DEAD
  14. 18. Zilch — Answer: NIL
  15. 22. Starting squad — Answer: ATEAM
  16. 23. Many a godchild — Answer: NIECE
  17. 24. Something to stand for — Answer: ANTHEM
  18. 25. X, Y and Z, but not A, B and C — Answer: GENERATIONS
  19. 29. "The Office" role — Answer: PAM
  20. 31. Taco topper — Answer: SALSA. Hint: This zesty condiment adds a burst of flavor to your favorite Mexican dish! 🌮
  21. 32. Something only some of us will get — Answer: INSIDEJOKE
  22. 34. Pop star Gomez — Answer: SELENA
  23. 36. Top gun — Answer: ACE
  24. 37. Word aptly hidden in "turned yellow" — Answer: DYE
  25. 39. Writing assignment — Answer: ESSAY
  26. 41. Hole-___ (singular feat) — Answer: INONE
  27. 42. "Whew!" — Answer: BOY
  28. 47. Organ with a distinctive shape — Answer: KIDNEY
  29. 49. Overwhelmingly busy — Answer: HECTIC
  30. 51. Postpone for now — Answer: TABLE
  31. 53. Exchanged rings with — Answer: WED
  32. 55. River through Khartoum — Answer: NILE
  33. 56. Leave out — Answer: OMIT. Hint: Sometimes it's best to skip something entirely! ✂️
  34. 57. A seeming eternity — Answer: EONS
  35. 58. Banks of "America's Next Top Model" — Answer: TYRA
  36. 61. ___ Nas X — Answer: LIL
  37. 62. Place to retire? — Answer: PIT
  38. 63. Corner keyboard key — Answer: ESC
  39. 64. "Keep it down!" — Answer: SHH

The answer to “Ham-handed” in the New York Times crossword is INEPT — a 5-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on July 23, 2025, a Wednesday puzzle, at 28-Across. 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.

“Ham-handed” answer

INEPT (5 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 INEPT.

Why the answer is INEPT

INEPT is the 5-letter solution that fits "Ham-handed" in the NYT Crossword crossword on July 23, 2025 (28-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Ham-handed” 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 23, 2025 (this puzzle) → INEPT. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword crossword on July 23, 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 23, 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 “Ham-handed”?

The answer is INEPT, a 5-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 23, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Ham-handed”?

5 letters: INEPT.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on July 23, 2025 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 28-Across.

Can “Ham-handed” 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 23, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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