Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"

Crossword Answer — October 23, 2025

Answer
NYT Crossword Answers

NYT Crossword

Thursday, October 23, 2025

By Aimee Lucido

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

Across

  1. 1Areas of development
  2. 6Punch-in-the-stomach sounds
  3. 10Genre for Blackpink and Stray Kids
  4. 14Helvetica-like typeface
  5. 15Button to hit after accidentally deleting an entire manuscript
  6. 16International footwear retailer based in Quebec
  7. 17Stealthiest of stealthy warriors
  8. 19Warren Beatty film based on "Ten Days That Shook the World"
  9. 20Reporters often carry them
  10. 21Relaxed
  11. 23"Call Her Daddy" podcast host Cooper
  12. 24Words of denial
  13. 26"___ Just Not That Into You"
  14. 27Activist Brockovich
  15. 29Case opener
  16. 33Location that requires tickets for checking out, but not checking in
  17. 36End of a municipal address?
  18. 371887 drama on which a Puccini opera is based
  19. 40Things opened before passengers exit an aircraft
  20. 42Composers' rights org.
  21. 43Difference between a B and a C, perhaps
  22. 45Star of NBC's "The Blacklist"
  23. 47TV's warrior princess
  24. 50"Done!," in geometry class
  25. 51Brief moments, in brief
  26. 54___ Hashana
  27. 56Units equal to roughly a quarter of a calorie
  28. 59Cook outside?
  29. 61River through Kazakhstan
  30. 62Sports craze of the 2020s ... as seen three times in this grid?
  31. 64Little more than
  32. 65Ingredient in some mouthwashes
  33. 66Clay being of Jewish folklore
  34. 67Troubadour, e.g.
  35. 68Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"
  36. 69Wheel connectors

Down

  1. 1"Should we?," informally
  2. 2A.L. East athlete
  3. 3Money maker
  4. 4Peninsula south of California, colloquially
  5. 5It's an affront
  6. 6One-up
  7. 7Worst-possible Amazon rating
  8. 8Prez on a U.S. coin
  9. 9Slugger Sammy
  10. 10Holder of the N.B.A.'s career points record before LeBron passed him in 2023
  11. 11"You've overstayed your welcome"
  12. 12Figures on DraftKings or FanDuel
  13. 13Put forward
  14. 18___ Nicolas, remotest of California's Channel Islands
  15. 22Set of notches in a dictionary
  16. 25Classic Camaros
  17. 28"Didn't mean to offend you"
  18. 30Best ever, informally
  19. 31Neither's partner
  20. 32Common fixtures over fireplaces
  21. 34Part of U.S.M.A.: Abbr.
  22. 35Accounts
  23. 37Prez two decades after 8-Down
  24. 38"I'll answer all your questions" session, online
  25. 39Site of a huge annual crowd
  26. 41High place to view a high art
  27. 44Paintings on plaster
  28. 46Bit of food for a hamster
  29. 48Some
  30. 49___ Simpson, musical sister of Jessica
  31. 52Certain salad veggies
  32. 53Where Rudolph could first be seen in 2000, for short
  33. 55Command posts
  34. 56Checkers move
  35. 57Product with a Cakesters variety
  36. 58Said angrily
  37. 60Lou ___, "Mambo No. 5" singer
  38. 63Speck in la Seine

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Areas of development — Answer: WOMBS
  2. 6. Punch-in-the-stomach sounds — Answer: OOFS
  3. 10. Genre for Blackpink and Stray Kids — Answer: KPOP
  4. 14. Helvetica-like typeface — Answer: ARIAL
  5. 15. Button to hit after accidentally deleting an entire manuscript — Answer: UNDO
  6. 16. International footwear retailer based in Quebec — Answer: ALDO
  7. 17. Stealthiest of stealthy warriors — Answer: NINJASTERS
  8. 19. Warren Beatty film based on "Ten Days That Shook the World" — Answer: REDS
  9. 20. Reporters often carry them — Answer: NOTEPADS
  10. 21. Relaxed — Answer: ATEASE. Hint: Think of feeling calm, comfortable, and free from tension. 😊
  11. 23. "Call Her Daddy" podcast host Cooper — Answer: ALEX
  12. 24. Words of denial — Answer: NOTI
  13. 26. "___ Just Not That Into You" — Answer: HES
  14. 27. Activist Brockovich — Answer: ERIN
  15. 29. Case opener — Answer: ARGUMENT
  16. 33. Location that requires tickets for checking out, but not checking in — Answer: COATROOM
  17. 36. End of a municipal address? — Answer: GOV
  18. 37. 1887 drama on which a Puccini opera is based — Answer: LATOSCA
  19. 40. Things opened before passengers exit an aircraft — Answer: CABOORS
  20. 42. Composers' rights org. — Answer: BMI
  21. 43. Difference between a B and a C, perhaps — Answer: HALFSTEP
  22. 45. Star of NBC's "The Blacklist" — Answer: JAMPADER
  23. 47. TV's warrior princess — Answer: XENA
  24. 50. "Done!," in geometry class — Answer: QED
  25. 51. Brief moments, in brief — Answer: SECS
  26. 54. ___ Hashana — Answer: ROSH
  27. 56. Units equal to roughly a quarter of a calorie — Answer: JOULES
  28. 59. Cook outside? — Answer: SUNBATHE
  29. 61. River through Kazakhstan — Answer: URAL
  30. 62. Sports craze of the 2020s ... as seen three times in this grid? — Answer: PICKLEBALL
  31. 64. Little more than — Answer: MERE
  32. 65. Ingredient in some mouthwashes — Answer: ALOE
  33. 66. Clay being of Jewish folklore — Answer: GOLEM
  34. 67. Troubadour, e.g. — Answer: POET
  35. 68. Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman" — Answer: TESS
  36. 69. Wheel connectors — Answer: AXLES

Down

  1. 1. "Should we?," informally — Answer: WANNA
  2. 2. A.L. East athlete — Answer: ORIOLE
  3. 3. Money maker — Answer: MINTER
  4. 4. Peninsula south of California, colloquially — Answer: BAJEXICO
  5. 5. It's an affront — Answer: SLAP
  6. 6. One-up — Answer: OUTDO
  7. 7. Worst-possible Amazon rating — Answer: ONESTAR
  8. 8. Prez on a U.S. coin — Answer: FDR
  9. 9. Slugger Sammy — Answer: SOSA
  10. 10. Holder of the N.B.A.'s career points record before LeBron passed him in 2023 — Answer: KAREEM
  11. 11. "You've overstayed your welcome" — Answer: PLEASEGO
  12. 12. Figures on DraftKings or FanDuel — Answer: ODDS
  13. 13. Put forward — Answer: POSE
  14. 18. ___ Nicolas, remotest of California's Channel Islands — Answer: SAN
  15. 22. Set of notches in a dictionary — Answer: THUMBEX
  16. 25. Classic Camaros — Answer: IROCS
  17. 28. "Didn't mean to offend you" — Answer: NOSHADE
  18. 30. Best ever, informally — Answer: GOAT
  19. 31. Neither's partner — Answer: NOR
  20. 32. Common fixtures over fireplaces — Answer: TVS
  21. 34. Part of U.S.M.A.: Abbr. — Answer: ACAD
  22. 35. Accounts — Answer: TALES
  23. 37. Prez two decades after 8-Down — Answer: LBJ
  24. 38. "I'll answer all your questions" session, online — Answer: AMA
  25. 39. Site of a huge annual crowd — Answer: TIMQUARE
  26. 41. High place to view a high art — Answer: OPERABOX
  27. 44. Paintings on plaster — Answer: FRESCOS
  28. 46. Bit of food for a hamster — Answer: PELLET
  29. 48. Some — Answer: NOTALL
  30. 49. ___ Simpson, musical sister of Jessica — Answer: ASHLEE
  31. 52. Certain salad veggies — Answer: CUKES
  32. 53. Where Rudolph could first be seen in 2000, for short — Answer: SNL
  33. 55. Command posts — Answer: HELMS
  34. 56. Checkers move — Answer: JUMP
  35. 57. Product with a Cakesters variety — Answer: OREO
  36. 58. Said angrily — Answer: SPAT
  37. 60. Lou ___, "Mambo No. 5" singer — Answer: BEGA
  38. 63. Speck in la Seine — Answer: ILE

The answer to “Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"” in the New York Times crossword is TESS — a 4-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on October 23, 2025, a Thursday puzzle, at 68-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.

“Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"” answer

TESS (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 TESS.

Why the answer is TESS

TESS is the 4-letter solution that fits "Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"" in the NYT Crossword crossword on October 23, 2025 (68-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"” 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.

October 23, 2025 (this puzzle) → TESS. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on October 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 October 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 Thursday 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 “Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"”?

The answer is TESS, a 4-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 23, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"”?

4 letters: TESS.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on October 23, 2025 (a Thursday puzzle), at 68-Across.

Can “Thomas Hardy heroine who's described as "a pure woman"” 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 October 23, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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