“Kick off” crossword clue
Answer
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•••••••••INSTIGATE
Reveal the answer to see why it works and where this clue has appeared before.INSTIGATE is the answer to the New York Times crossword clue “Kick off”. It was last seen in the puzzle of October 7, 2025, where it runs at 10 Down and fills 9 squares. It crosses 9 other entries in that grid — those are listed below and are the quickest way to confirm the letters you already have. This exact clue has run 2 times in NYT puzzles, first on October 7, 2025.
Crossing entries
Oct 7, 2025 grid10ADiamonds, informally3 ltrs›15AD.C. ballplayer3 ltrs›18ABelgian resort renowned for its mineral springs3 ltrs›21ABoy king of Egypt3 ltrs›23AWritten to arouse, say6 ltrs›29ADiaphanous5 ltrs›34AMysterious way to vanish11 ltrs›40ASicily's highest peak4 ltrs›44AMadrid's country, on World Cup scoreboards3 ltrs›
Every appearance
2 puzzlesDatePuzzlePositionAnswer
Sep 4, 2026NYT Crossword15 Across••••••••••INAUGURATEOct 7, 2025NYT Crossword10 Down•••••••••INSTIGATEOther answers for this clue
Across all puzzles we index•••••••••INSTIGATE9 ltrs
••••••••••INAUGURATE10 ltrs
Clues repeat across publications with different fills. If your grid needs a different length, one of these usually fits.
Back to the full Oct 7, 2025 answer list, or browse the puzzle archive.