This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, January 24, 2026 (12 Down). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Saturday puzzles are the hardest of the week and themeless, so clues are often deliberately misleading.
How to read this clue
The question mark warns of wordplay. Expect a pun or a second meaning rather than a straight definition.
Answer length: 9 squares
First letter
S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
First and last letters
S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ L
Show the answer
About the answer
SECTIONAL as a word: Relating to a section; Separating into sections.
SECTIONAL has been an answer once in the NYT Crossword and Mini puzzles we have on file, which go back to October 23, 2025.
More clues from this puzzle
- Skip it! (8 Down)
- Suddenly pay attention, with "up" (9 Down)
- Native American people known as the "Nation du Chat" (10 Down)
- One breaking a 108-year drought in 2016 (13 Down)
- Catches on (14 Down)
- Australian singer with the 2014 #1 album "1000 Forms of Fear" (15 Down)
- Prefix with piracy (20 Down)
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