NYT Crossword · 25 Down
“Brain-busting” Crossword Clue
This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword for Tuesday, September 29, 2026 as 25 Down. The answer has 4 letters. Reveal it below one square at a time, or open the hints first if you only want a push in the right direction.
Answer
NYT Crossword · Tuesday, September 29, 2026 · 25 Down
Every time this clue appeared
- Sep 29, 2026 · 25 Down · 4 letters
- Apr 30, 2015 · 13 Down · 4 letters
- Jan 24, 2010 · 99 Down · 4 letters
- Oct 29, 2001 · 59 Down · 4 letters
Hints & tips
Each hint gives away a little more. Reveal them in order.
1
What it means
A definition of the answer, without the word itself.
2
Letters
The answer's length, first letter and last letter.
3
Another clue
Other clues from our archive that had the same answer.
More clues from this puzzle
The other clues from the NYT Crossword of Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
Across
- 1Big ones can be difficult to manage crossword clue4 letters
- 5Urge crossword clue4 letters
- 9British John crossword clue5 letters
- 14Nincompoop crossword clue4 letters
- 15Surrounding glow crossword clue4 letters
- 16Who "wants to be defeated" in "Beat It" crossword clue5 letters
- 17Where some monster home runs land crossword clue9 letters
- 19Language of the Vikings crossword clue5 letters
- 20Rich deposits of ore crossword clue5 letters
- 21Home of the Buckeyes, for short crossword clue3 letters
- 23Muslim holiday, informally crossword clue3 letters
- 24Scoped out with intent to rob crossword clue5 letters
- 25Pretty long time, in an idiom crossword clue9 letters
- 28Battery fill crossword clue4 letters
- 29Capital of Yemen crossword clue5 letters
- 30Copied crossword clue4 letters
- 31"You ___!" ("Absolutely!") crossword clue3 letters
- 32Terse crossword clue4 letters
- 33"I ___ U" (candy heart message) crossword clue3 letters
- 35Another plateful from the buffet, say crossword clue13 letters
- 40Deposit/withdrawal site, in brief crossword clue3 letters
- 41Board appointee, for short crossword clue4 letters
- 42Work unit crossword clue3 letters
- 44Chief god of Valhalla crossword clue4 letters
- 47European viper crossword clue5 letters
- 49Greek goddess of the earth crossword clue4 letters
- 50Position of Rickey Henderson in M.L.B. crossword clue9 letters
- 52Storage units crossword clue5 letters
- 53Dad on "Black-ish" crossword clue3 letters
- 54Pablo Neruda's "___ to My Socks" crossword clue3 letters
- 55Indie rock singer ___ O crossword clue5 letters
- 56Couch crossword clue5 letters
- 58Wedding officiant's directive ... or what both halves of 17-, 25-, 35- and 50-Across do? crossword clue9 letters
- 62Unconcealed crossword clue5 letters
- 63Toll unit on some roads crossword clue4 letters
- 64Tour de France entry crossword clue4 letters
- 65"Cooties" crossword clue5 letters
- 66Hitch up on a farm crossword clue4 letters
- 67Ice cream brand that's a cousin of Dreyer's crossword clue4 letters
Down
- 1Address ending that's not .com, .org or .gov crossword clue3 letters
- 2Reach great heights in life crossword clue8 letters
- 3Like black and white crossword clue8 letters
- 4Numbered in a tournament bracket crossword clue6 letters
- 5Always at the pharmacy? crossword clue4 letters
- 6Regret crossword clue3 letters
- 7Middle-earth foe crossword clue3 letters
- 8___ Territory, 1861-89 crossword clue6 letters
- 9Ho-hum feeling crossword clue5 letters
- 10British john crossword clue3 letters
- 11Ripped to pieces crossword clue6 letters
- 12Like not-work-from-home days crossword clue6 letters
- 13Had to have crossword clue6 letters
- 18Visibly embarrassed, say crossword clue3 letters
- 22Like subcompacts vis-à-vis compacts crossword clue7 letters
- 24What can travel a fare distance? crossword clue3 letters
- 26Just between us crossword clue7 letters
- 27Blue race in "Avatar" crossword clue4 letters
- 29Raisin brand whose containers feature a girl in a red bonnet crossword clue7 letters
- 32Hotel request crossword clue3 letters
- 34Scanned lines, for short crossword clue3 letters
- 36"If you ___ stand the heat ..." crossword clue4 letters
- 37Crossed (out) crossword clue4 letters
- 38Made nice? crossword clue8 letters
- 39Band with the 6x platinum album "American Idiot" crossword clue8 letters
- 43Pit stop refill crossword clue3 letters
- 44Subject of a saying about new tricks crossword clue6 letters
- 45Infer (from) crossword clue6 letters
- 46Perhaps not at all crossword clue6 letters
- 48Spinner of tunes crossword clue6 letters
- 49Move like Shakira in her "Hips Don't Lie" video crossword clue6 letters
- 51Courier and Century Gothic, for two crossword clue5 letters
- 52"Nuts!" crossword clue3 letters
- 55Achy joint for a floor installer, perhaps crossword clue4 letters
- 57Pitcher's asset crossword clue3 letters
- 59Kitchen brand that could be an unsuccessful tic-tac-toe line crossword clue3 letters
- 60Sort crossword clue3 letters
- 61Texting format, for short crossword clue3 letters
All answers for Sep 29, 2026Step-by-step The Crossword hints
Solve another clue
Type any clue and the letters you know; answers are ranked by meaning.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters is the answer to “Brain-busting”?
The answer has 4 letters. It starts with H and ends with D, so you can check it against the squares you have already filled.
When was “Brain-busting” last seen?
Most recently in the NYT Crossword on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 25 Down. It has appeared 4 times in the NYT Crossword since we started our archive.
What is the answer to the “Brain-busting” crossword clue?
The answer is HARD (4 letters). If you'd rather work it out yourself, the hints above give it away a little at a time.