Here are the Letter Boxed September 18, 2026 Answers from New York Times Games. Our solutions and answers are 100% valid and accurate. We suggest trying to solve the game on your own before using the help of our website.
Sides of this Letter Box are:
OEDKTBCPANUI
The answers are:
KNOCKABOUTTEPID
NYT LETTER BOXED
September 18, 2026
Sides: OED | KTB | CPA | NUI
Verified 2-word solutions: 3
Sort: alphabetically by Word1, then Word2
âš SPOILER ALERT — SOLUTIONS BELOW âš
1. KNOCKABOUT — TEPID
2. PEKEA — ABDUCTION
3. PUKATEA — ABDUCTION
Mark, you’ll be pleased to know that I came up with a pseudo-solution of my own today-
PEKONIA* – ABDUCT
where PEKONIA is listed in Wiktionary as the plural of PEKONI, which according to it is bacon. “Coined by S. Nikkari in 1931 as a result of a contest organized by Osuustoimintakeskus Pellervo.”
Good one, Kanishk!
I love Wiktionary now for finding half- and full pseudo-solutions. It almost eliminates the need to check in OED or MW. My only complaint with WIK is that it contains misspellings of common words so when my program finds a WIK possibility there’s always that chance that I shouldn’t use it anyway. Nice going. ☕
PUKATEA / ABDUCTION
Arboretum thief?
PUKATEA – ABDUCTION
ABDUCTION – NECKPIECE*
*Merriam Webster, Wiktionary
OOF! Almost an hour for that – was completely stymied by no UN, ED, PACK, UNK, IN, etc. allowed. COCKUP didn’t connect. I had ABDUCTION early, but couldn’t find any connections (glad to discover PUKATEA); I was very cross when NECKPIECE didn’t work, which it should have. Then there were words that felt like they should have worked, like NONDIABETIC. Just an ugly little array that cut out some fabulous words like POUNDCAKE. (Shame BEAUCOUP didn’t connect to anything)
Finally thought of KNOCKABOUT, though other compounds hadn’t worked, and of course, TEPID was right there. So, PHEW!
Kanishk and RF, hope to see you soon, lovelies!
Good luck, all, and happy Friday!
So yes, my solution was OA – KNOCKABOUT-TEPID.
A fail for me. 2 in a row. After what seems like a long winning streak.
Amazing job Miss Irim on finding the OA. Crossing my fingers for Kanishk-boy.
Fail for me too- and what a frustrating array this was, with so many restrictions.
I just KNEW that ABDUCTION had to be part of one of the valid solutions, played around with it for what seemed like ages until I finally gave up – I still can’t get over how I didn’t try PEKEA (even though I have no idea what it means)!
Tried to connect PICKPOCKET, NEPOTIC PEDANTIC etc. Never saw KNOCKABOUT.
Well done, Irim – and commiserations, RF, better luck next time.
Oh, I’m so sorry – good luck tomorrow, you two. It was an awful array – same with me on ABDUCTION. I don’t know how I didn’t try PEKEA either because I did try PEKA.
Yeah, tried all those too, but to be pedantic, PEDANTIC wasn’t possible because of the ED restriction.
I was just so determined to beat Sam, as I always am when he gives us something this grim. Have a great weekend, you two!
@Irim – you’re right, thanks for pointing it out. I was trying to pair PENTADIC, not PEDANTIC (which I wasn’t even sure was a real word-I stumbled across it by accident)
Have a great weekend, Irim and RF!
PEKEA-ABDUCTION
OA
OA after failing to find a pairing for ABDUCTION
NONDIABETIC COCKUP
It wouldn’t take NONDIABETIC when I tried.
OA Today
OA after many attempts to match BANKNOTE
Banknote was my first word but, alas, it didn’t work out.
Peka(W) abduction for now. Too bad Valyrian word leap couldn’t be used.
K e p a !
Buckdance(W) ectopic
Duckpond(w) diabetic
I tried that too.
Also Just for kicks:
UPDIKEAN* NONADIABATIC**
*in the style of noted New Yorker author
**Quantam physics term
QuantUm — funny how autocorrect changes words like rubric into ruby but not quantam!
Abduction neckpiece (W)
Kenda(W) autobiopic
Knockabout tepid . Ridiculous how long that took. So many really good unusable words
Tried:antibiotic abduction induction butadiene autobiopic ectopic kabuki epicene pickpocket obduction icepick condition coupon beautician Beaucoup optician potato petition databank diabetic dietician dictation audio audience bandits kickout pentatonic bicep and others
Extensive list Bill!
HALF SOLUTIONS
September 18, 2026
Sides: OED | KTB | CPA | NUI
Verified half solutions: 25
Sort: alphabetically by Word1, then Word2
Each pair contains exactly one NYT-accepted word and one non-NYT word
verified as a lowercase entry in Wiktionary.
01. ABDUCENT — TIKOPEKʷ
02. ABDUCENT — TOPICKʷ
03. ABDUCENT — TOPKICKʷ
04. ANTIDIABETICʷ — COCKUP
05. BANDAOKEʷ — EUPEPTIC
06. BUCKDANCEʷ — ECOTOPIA
07. BUCKDANCEʷ — ECOTOPIAN
08. BUCKDANCEʷ — ECTOPIC
09. BUCKDANCEʷ — ENTOPTIC
10. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPITOPE
11. BUCKDANCEʷ — EUTOPIA
12. BUCKDANCEʷ — EUTOPIAN
13. BUDNECKʷ — KATIPO
14. DUCKPONDʷ — DIABANTITE
15. DUCKPONDʷ — DIABETIC
16. EPIEIKEIAʷ — ABDUCTION
17. EPIKEIAʷ — ABDUCTION
18. KAKOTOPIAʷ — ABDUCENT
19. KENDNAʷ — AUTOBIOPIC
20. KEPKAʷ — ABDUCTION
21. KNOCKABOUT — TOADPIPEʷ
22. KOPEIKAʷ — ABDUCENT
23. KOPEIKAʷ — ABDUCTION
24. NONDIABETICʷ — COCKUP
25. PENKAʷ — ABDUCTION
PSEUDO PAIRS
September 18, 2026
Sides: OED | KTB | CPA | NUI
Verified Wiktionary pairs: 18
Sort: alphabetically by Word1, then Word2
01. AUTOBIKEʷ — ENDPIECEʷ
02. BUCKDANCEʷ — ECTOPIONʷ
03. BUCKDANCEʷ — ENANTIOTOPEʷ
04. BUCKDANCEʷ — ENANTIOTOPICʷ
05. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPIBIONTʷ
06. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPIBIONTICʷ
07. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPIBIOTAʷ
08. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPITENONʷ
09. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPITOPICʷ
10. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPOPTEIAʷ
11. BUCKDANCEʷ — EPOTATIONʷ
12. BUDNECKʷ — KAKOTOPIAʷ
13. EPIBIOTAʷ — ANTIDUCKʷ
14. KETOADIPICʷ — CUBATIONʷ
15. KETOADIPICʷ — CUBEBENEʷ
16. NONDIABETICʷ — CUKUPʷ
17. UPTAKENʷ — NONADIABATICʷ
18. UPTAKENʷ — NONDIABETICʷ