Octet on a chessboard

Crossword Answer — September 13, 2025

Answer

NYT Crossword

Saturday, September 13, 2025

By Alex Jiang

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

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Student's plan
  2. 16Italian pianist who composed the scores for "Nomadland" and "The Father"
  3. 17Sort of habitat in a bottle garden
  4. 18Gumbo ingredients
  5. 19Top
  6. 20California's ___ Nuevo State Park
  7. 21Contests
  8. 22Contents of Pandora's box
  9. 24Some baseball stats
  10. 25The 21,728th page of 1989's 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary
  11. 26Bad way to make a group decision
  12. 27Batman : Bruce :: Wonder Woman : ___
  13. 28Stray
  14. 29Place for driving
  15. 30Rolled chip brand from Mexico
  16. 31MX-5 and CX-50 maker
  17. 32Province in the names of many Chinese restaurants
  18. 33Great volumes
  19. 34Petunia's partner, in cartoons
  20. 35Rounded, in a way
  21. 36Jazz form
  22. 39Botanical bristles
  23. 40Origin of "The Tale of Genji," considered by many to be the world's first novel
  24. 41Mountain West campus city
  25. 42Network
  26. 43Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
  27. 44Beer alternative to a 38-Down
  28. 45Pooped
  29. 49Completely at ease
  30. 50"I mean, duh!"

Down

  1. 1Hollow, of a sort
  2. 2Actor Kieran of "Succession"
  3. 3Found darling
  4. 4South Asian crepes
  5. 5What are ahead of their times?
  6. 6Prefix with point
  7. 7Much of a comet, typically
  8. 8The solution referred to in Sherlock Holmes's "seven-per-cent solution"
  9. 9You and me both!
  10. 10Stops lying, say
  11. 11Jet-black stone
  12. 12Much of Jupiter
  13. 13Vegetable also called a Swedish turnip
  14. 14DNA compound whose name includes the letters D, N and A
  15. 15Pink-flowered tree
  16. 22Basketball Hall-of-Famer Baylor
  17. 23Who you would be in France?
  18. 24Watermelon detritus
  19. 26Fine
  20. 27Out of it
  21. 28Octet on a chessboard
  22. 29Instant ___
  23. 30Former Australian prime minister Malcolm
  24. 31Home to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, in brief
  25. 32"What's the alternative?"
  26. 33Like about 4% of the citizens of Kansas
  27. 34Soft, yellow fruit
  28. 35Salsas, e.g.
  29. 36"No acting up!"
  30. 37Like paper napkins
  31. 38Beer alternative to a 44-Across
  32. 40Tilt
  33. 41___ test (home inspection component)
  34. 43Yours, in Tours
  35. 44Whose business is just around the block?
  36. 46Chemistry class unit: Abbr.
  37. 47"___ Beso"
  38. 48Unprocessed

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Student's plan — Answer: ACADEMICPROGRAM
  2. 16. Italian pianist who composed the scores for "Nomadland" and "The Father" — Answer: LUDOVICOEINAUDI
  3. 17. Sort of habitat in a bottle garden — Answer: CLOSEDECOSYSTEM
  4. 18. Gumbo ingredients — Answer: OKRAS
  5. 19. Top — Answer: APEX
  6. 20. California's ___ Nuevo State Park — Answer: ANO
  7. 21. Contests — Answer: VIES
  8. 22. Contents of Pandora's box — Answer: EVILS
  9. 24. Some baseball stats — Answer: RBIS
  10. 25. The 21,728th page of 1989's 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary — Answer: END
  11. 26. Bad way to make a group decision — Answer: ALONE
  12. 27. Batman : Bruce :: Wonder Woman : ___ — Answer: DIANA
  13. 28. Stray — Answer: ROGUE
  14. 29. Place for driving — Answer: RANGE
  15. 30. Rolled chip brand from Mexico — Answer: TAKIS
  16. 31. MX-5 and CX-50 maker — Answer: MAZDA
  17. 32. Province in the names of many Chinese restaurants — Answer: HUNAN
  18. 33. Great volumes — Answer: TOMES
  19. 34. Petunia's partner, in cartoons — Answer: PORKY
  20. 35. Rounded, in a way — Answer: DOMED
  21. 36. Jazz form — Answer: BOP
  22. 39. Botanical bristles — Answer: AWNS
  23. 40. Origin of "The Tale of Genji," considered by many to be the world's first novel — Answer: JAPAN
  24. 41. Mountain West campus city — Answer: RENO
  25. 42. Network — Answer: WEB
  26. 43. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious — Answer: AONE
  27. 44. Beer alternative to a 38-Down — Answer: LAGER
  28. 45. Pooped — Answer: PLUMTUCKEREDOUT
  29. 49. Completely at ease — Answer: ASLOOSEASAGOOSE
  30. 50. "I mean, duh!" — Answer: WELLITSNOWONDER

Down

  1. 1. Hollow, of a sort — Answer: ALCOVE
  2. 2. Actor Kieran of "Succession" — Answer: CULKIN
  3. 3. Found darling — Answer: ADORED
  4. 4. South Asian crepes — Answer: DOSAS
  5. 5. What are ahead of their times? — Answer: EVES
  6. 6. Prefix with point — Answer: MID
  7. 7. Much of a comet, typically — Answer: ICE
  8. 8. The solution referred to in Sherlock Holmes's "seven-per-cent solution" — Answer: COCAINE
  9. 9. You and me both! — Answer: PEOPLE
  10. 10. Stops lying, say — Answer: RISES
  11. 11. Jet-black stone — Answer: ONYX
  12. 12. Much of Jupiter — Answer: GAS
  13. 13. Vegetable also called a Swedish turnip — Answer: RUTABAGA
  14. 14. DNA compound whose name includes the letters D, N and A — Answer: ADENINE
  15. 15. Pink-flowered tree — Answer: MIMOSA
  16. 22. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Baylor — Answer: ELGIN
  17. 23. Who you would be in France? — Answer: VOUS
  18. 24. Watermelon detritus — Answer: RINDS
  19. 26. Fine — Answer: AOKAY
  20. 27. Out of it — Answer: DAZED
  21. 28. Octet on a chessboard — Answer: RANKS
  22. 29. Instant ___ — Answer: RAMEN
  23. 30. Former Australian prime minister Malcolm — Answer: TURNBULL
  24. 31. Home to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, in brief — Answer: MOMA
  25. 32. "What's the alternative?" — Answer: HOWELSE
  26. 33. Like about 4% of the citizens of Kansas — Answer: TOPEKAN
  27. 34. Soft, yellow fruit — Answer: PAWPAW
  28. 35. Salsas, e.g. — Answer: DANCES
  29. 36. "No acting up!" — Answer: BEGOOD
  30. 37. Like paper napkins — Answer: ONEUSE
  31. 38. Beer alternative to a 44-Across — Answer: PORTER
  32. 40. Tilt — Answer: JOUST
  33. 41. ___ test (home inspection component) — Answer: RADON
  34. 43. Yours, in Tours — Answer: ATOI
  35. 44. Whose business is just around the block? — Answer: LEGO
  36. 46. Chemistry class unit: Abbr. — Answer: MOL
  37. 47. "___ Beso" — Answer: ESO
  38. 48. Unprocessed — Answer: RAW

The answer to “Octet on a chessboard” in the New York Times crossword is RANKS — a 5-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on September 13, 2025, a Saturday puzzle, at 28-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.

“Octet on a chessboard” answer

RANKS (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 RANKS.

Why the answer is RANKS

RANKS is the 5-letter solution that fits "Octet on a chessboard" in the NYT Crossword crossword on September 13, 2025 (28-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Octet on a chessboard” 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.

September 13, 2025 (this puzzle) → RANKS. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword crossword on September 13, 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 September 13, 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 Saturday 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 “Octet on a chessboard”?

The answer is RANKS, a 5-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on September 13, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Octet on a chessboard”?

5 letters: RANKS.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on September 13, 2025 (a Saturday puzzle), at 28-Down.

Can “Octet on a chessboard” 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 September 13, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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