This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, February 7, 2026 (23 Across). 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.
Answer length: 4 squares
First letter
F _ _ _
First and last letters
F _ _ L
Show the answer
About the answer
FOOL as a word: (derogatory) A person with poor judgment or little intelligence; Someone who has been made a fool of or tricked; dupe.
FOOL has been an answer 2 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since January 20, 2026.
Other clues with the same answer
More clues from this puzzle
- Losing propositions? (18 Across)
- Keep-on-keeping-on quality (19 Across)
- Cause for getting stuck (21 Across)
- Not, colloquially (22 Across)
- Airbnb inclusion, usually (24 Across)
- Some control buttons (25 Across)
- Like hand-to-hand fighting (26 Across)
- On the starting line (28 Across)
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