This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 (8 Down). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Wednesday sits mid-week in difficulty, with more wordplay than Monday or Tuesday.
Answer length: 3 squares (one square holds more than one letter)
First letter
L followed by 2 more squares
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About the answer
LUTE as a word: A fretted stringed instrument, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body an...; To play on a lute, or as if on a lute.
LUTE has been an answer 2 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since February 7, 2026.
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