This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Saturday, July 4, 2026 (58 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.
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: 5 squares
First letter
S _ _ _ _
First and last letters
S _ _ _ N
Show the answer
About the answer
STERN as a word: Having a hardness and severity of nature or manner; Grim and forbidding in appearance.
STERN has been an answer 6 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since January 11, 2026.
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