Animal sanctuary

Crossword Answer — March 20, 2026

Answer
NYT Crossword Answers

NYT Crossword

Friday, March 20, 2026

By Rafael Musa and Rebecca Goldstein

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Across

  1. 1Rush orderASAP
  2. 5Political commentator PikerHASAN
  3. 10Like a workhorseSHOD
  4. 14Animal sanctuaryGAMEREFUGE
  5. 16Kachina-carving peopleHOPI
  6. 17Going against the grain?GLUTENFREE
  7. 18Sign to be readOMEN
  8. 19"Easy peasy!"ITSASNAP
  9. 20Pesos or eurosDINERO
  10. 22Knack for details, sayEYE
  11. 23World capital split by the world's longest riverCAIRO
  12. 25Some scenery in "The Road Runner Show"MESAS
  13. 26Fare ways to go?BUSRIDES
  14. 28Law with an "individual mandate" provision, for shortACA
  15. 29Athlete nicknamed "O Rei"PELE
  16. 31Farm femaleSOW
  17. 32Giant JesusALOU
  18. 33Words before confirming somethingJUSTSOWERECLEAR
  19. 37FundamentalsABCS
  20. 38Gym circuitLAP
  21. 39Remove unceremoniouslyOUST
  22. 40Exec who leads software engineersCTO
  23. 41Philosophy of a devil's advocate?SATANISM
  24. 44Danish moneyKRONE
  25. 46Step heavilyTRAMP
  26. 47Word repeated in "With a ___ ___ here and a ___ ___ there ..."MOO
  27. 50Feels sympathy for, in a wayPITIES
  28. 52Publishes an exposé, sayTELLSALL
  29. 54It'll warm your bunsOVEN
  30. 55Biological building blocksAMINOACIDS
  31. 57Get spentTIRE
  32. 58"Be gentle"GOEASYONME
  33. 59Give guffSASS
  34. 60Desirable featureASSET
  35. 61Gukesh Dommaraju, upon becoming world chess champion in 2024TEEN

Down

  1. 1Texas A&M; athleteAGGIE
  2. 2Like foods that increase thirstSALTY
  3. 3TickleAMUSE
  4. 4Pro-vegan org.PETA
  5. 5Applies a certain hair dye toHENNAS
  6. 6FlingAFFAIR
  7. 7Things that send people into hidingSURPRISEPARTIES
  8. 8Dating app listingAGE
  9. 9Basic ___NEED
  10. 10BeamedSHONE
  11. 11Zillow dataHOMESALES
  12. 12Dramatic outerwear for the theaterOPERACOAT
  13. 13Very old-fashioned sortDINOSAUR
  14. 15Some adopted petsRESCUES
  15. 21Pings, for shortIMS
  16. 24StinkODOR
  17. 26Sandwiches that are neither kosher nor halalBLTS
  18. 27Farm femaleEWE
  19. 29Drinking game?PUBTRIVIA
  20. 30Modern urban transportation optionsESCOOTERS
  21. 32Reunion attendee, informallyALUM
  22. 33Lotto prizesJACKPOTS
  23. 34Greeting often followed by "Como vai?"OLA
  24. 35British engineer JamesWATT
  25. 36Be a hero, sayCOSPLAY
  26. 41"Get it?"SEE
  27. 42Viral 2010s dance that Hillary Clinton performed on TVNAENAE
  28. 43"This makes no sense"IMLOST
  29. 45Poker hand known as a "Wayne Gretzky"NINES
  30. 47It has more than 4,000 islands off its coastMAINE
  31. 48Pre-transformation selfOLDME
  32. 49Actress Elizabeth of "Eternity"OLSEN
  33. 51It's a long storySAGA
  34. 53Participant in the Jacobite rebellion of the 1740sSCOT
  35. 56Approaches, in briefMOS

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Rush order — Answer: ASAP
  2. 5. Political commentator Piker — Answer: HASAN
  3. 10. Like a workhorse — Answer: SHOD
  4. 14. Animal sanctuary — Answer: GAMEREFUGE
  5. 16. Kachina-carving people — Answer: HOPI
  6. 17. Going against the grain? — Answer: GLUTENFREE
  7. 18. Sign to be read — Answer: OMEN
  8. 19. "Easy peasy!" — Answer: ITSASNAP
  9. 20. Pesos or euros — Answer: DINERO
  10. 22. Knack for details, say — Answer: EYE
  11. 23. World capital split by the world's longest river — Answer: CAIRO
  12. 25. Some scenery in "The Road Runner Show" — Answer: MESAS
  13. 26. Fare ways to go? — Answer: BUSRIDES
  14. 28. Law with an "individual mandate" provision, for short — Answer: ACA
  15. 29. Athlete nicknamed "O Rei" — Answer: PELE
  16. 31. Farm female — Answer: SOW
  17. 32. Giant Jesus — Answer: ALOU
  18. 33. Words before confirming something — Answer: JUSTSOWERECLEAR
  19. 37. Fundamentals — Answer: ABCS
  20. 38. Gym circuit — Answer: LAP
  21. 39. Remove unceremoniously — Answer: OUST
  22. 40. Exec who leads software engineers — Answer: CTO
  23. 41. Philosophy of a devil's advocate? — Answer: SATANISM
  24. 44. Danish money — Answer: KRONE
  25. 46. Step heavily — Answer: TRAMP
  26. 47. Word repeated in "With a ___ ___ here and a ___ ___ there ..." — Answer: MOO
  27. 50. Feels sympathy for, in a way — Answer: PITIES
  28. 52. Publishes an exposé, say — Answer: TELLSALL
  29. 54. It'll warm your buns — Answer: OVEN
  30. 55. Biological building blocks — Answer: AMINOACIDS
  31. 57. Get spent — Answer: TIRE
  32. 58. "Be gentle" — Answer: GOEASYONME
  33. 59. Give guff — Answer: SASS
  34. 60. Desirable feature — Answer: ASSET
  35. 61. Gukesh Dommaraju, upon becoming world chess champion in 2024 — Answer: TEEN

Down

  1. 1. Texas A&M; athlete — Answer: AGGIE. Hint: Think of the spirited nickname for students of a prominent Texas university! 🤠
  2. 2. Like foods that increase thirst — Answer: SALTY
  3. 3. Tickle — Answer: AMUSE
  4. 4. Pro-vegan org. — Answer: PETA
  5. 5. Applies a certain hair dye to — Answer: HENNAS
  6. 6. Fling — Answer: AFFAIR
  7. 7. Things that send people into hiding — Answer: SURPRISEPARTIES
  8. 8. Dating app listing — Answer: AGE
  9. 9. Basic ___ — Answer: NEED
  10. 10. Beamed — Answer: SHONE
  11. 11. Zillow data — Answer: HOMESALES
  12. 12. Dramatic outerwear for the theater — Answer: OPERACOAT
  13. 13. Very old-fashioned sort — Answer: DINOSAUR
  14. 15. Some adopted pets — Answer: RESCUES
  15. 21. Pings, for short — Answer: IMS
  16. 24. Stink — Answer: ODOR
  17. 26. Sandwiches that are neither kosher nor halal — Answer: BLTS
  18. 27. Farm female — Answer: EWE
  19. 29. Drinking game? — Answer: PUBTRIVIA
  20. 30. Modern urban transportation options — Answer: ESCOOTERS
  21. 32. Reunion attendee, informally — Answer: ALUM
  22. 33. Lotto prizes — Answer: JACKPOTS
  23. 34. Greeting often followed by "Como vai?" — Answer: OLA
  24. 35. British engineer James — Answer: WATT
  25. 36. Be a hero, say — Answer: COSPLAY
  26. 41. "Get it?" — Answer: SEE
  27. 42. Viral 2010s dance that Hillary Clinton performed on TV — Answer: NAENAE
  28. 43. "This makes no sense" — Answer: IMLOST
  29. 45. Poker hand known as a "Wayne Gretzky" — Answer: NINES
  30. 47. It has more than 4,000 islands off its coast — Answer: MAINE
  31. 48. Pre-transformation self — Answer: OLDME
  32. 49. Actress Elizabeth of "Eternity" — Answer: OLSEN
  33. 51. It's a long story — Answer: SAGA
  34. 53. Participant in the Jacobite rebellion of the 1740s — Answer: SCOT
  35. 56. Approaches, in brief — Answer: MOS

The answer to “Animal sanctuary” in the New York Times crossword is GAMEREFUGE — a 10-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on March 20, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 14-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.

“Animal sanctuary” answer

GAMEREFUGE (10 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 GAMEREFUGE.

Why the answer is GAMEREFUGE

GAMEREFUGE is the 10-letter solution that fits "Animal sanctuary" in the NYT Crossword crossword on March 20, 2026 (14-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Animal sanctuary” 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.

March 20, 2026 (this puzzle) → GAMEREFUGE. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on March 20, 2026

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 March 20, 2026 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 Friday 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 “Animal sanctuary”?

The answer is GAMEREFUGE, a 10-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on March 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Animal sanctuary”?

10 letters: GAMEREFUGE.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on March 20, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 14-Across.

Can “Animal sanctuary” 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 March 20, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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