This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Friday, August 14, 2026 (26 Down). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Friday puzzles are themeless and hard, with clues that are vague on purpose.
How to read this clue
This is a fill-in-the-blank clue: the answer completes the phrase, title or quotation.
Answer length: 5 squares
First letter
P _ _ _ _
First and last letters
P _ _ _ S
Show the answer
About the answer
POEMS as a word: the first work by British novelist William Golding (better known for Lord of the Flies, among other novels), released in 1934, 20 years before Lord of the Fl...; a collection of 31 poems written by the German author Hermann Hesse between 1899 and 1921.
POEMS 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
- Person that's best left alone (22 Down)
- Wong of Netflix's "Beef" (23 Down)
- Shoot the breeze (24 Down)
- Philosophy of "Keep things simple," in a sense (25 Down)
- Scratch that! (28 Down)
- "Julius Caesar" role (30 Down)
- Plot device? (32 Down)
- Shimmer colorfully (35 Down)
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