Letting in a little light, maybe

Archive answer — July 17, 2026

21 Down

Scroll down for the rest of the crossword answers

Clue explained

“AJAR” is the published 4-letter fill for 21 Down. Use the crossing letters in the grid below to verify how it fits.

Clue type:
Crossword fill

The Atlantic Crossword

This clue’s Friday, July 17, 2026 appearance

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Crossword solution grid

Select a square to hide or reveal its letter in the 9 by 9 crossword grid.

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Across

16 clues
  1. 1Sound of a water balloon hitting the ground
  2. 6Down time?
  3. 9Board-game component
  4. 10<i>Stardew Valley</i> resource
  5. 11"Am I oversharing?"
  6. 13Letters on an ambulance
  7. 14E or G, e.g.
  8. 15Han who said, "Laugh it up, fuzzball"
  9. 17<i>Daily Planet</i> reporter Lane
  10. 20Portuguese greeting
  11. 22Card game with hundreds of official versions
  12. 23Anime-inspired video trend in which drinks and snacks suddenly appear
  13. 26Vehicle driven by Valerie Frizzle
  14. 27Run ___ of
  15. 28Feeling you might get when stuck behind a slow driver
  16. 29The Clue board has nine

Down

16 clues
  1. 1Codenames characters
  2. 2___ Beach, California, a.k.a. the "Clam Capital of the World"
  3. 3Goes a little wild
  4. 4"Oh, right, okay," in German
  5. 5Common material for outdoor furniture
  6. 6"Et tu?"
  7. 7One might be taken on a date?
  8. 8Rock & Roll Hall of Fame architect
  9. 12Business-card no.
  10. 16Word before <i>style</i> or <i>-fashioned</i>
  11. 18"To recap ..."
  12. 19<i>Dark ___</i> (fantasy-action video game)
  13. 21Letting in a little light, maybeAJAR
  14. 23Raiders' org.?
  15. 24<i>___ Endless Numbered Days</i> (Iron & Wine album)
  16. 25Sight in many <i>National Enquirer</i> pics

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Every clue links to a dedicated answer page. Use the list below to scan the complete fill without opening the interactive board.

Across

  1. 1. Sound of a water balloon hitting the ground

    Answer: SPLAT

  2. 6. Down time?

    Answer: NAP

  3. 9. Board-game component

    Answer: PIECE

  4. 10. <i>Stardew Valley</i> resource

    Answer: ORE

  5. 11. "Am I oversharing?"

    Answer: ISTHATTMI

  6. 13. Letters on an ambulance

    Answer: EMS

  7. 14. E or G, e.g.

    Answer: KEY

  8. 15. Han who said, "Laugh it up, fuzzball"

    Answer: SOLO

  9. 17. <i>Daily Planet</i> reporter Lane

    Answer: LOIS

  10. 20. Portuguese greeting

    Answer: OLA

  11. 22. Card game with hundreds of official versions

    Answer: UNO

  12. 23. Anime-inspired video trend in which drinks and snacks suddenly appear

    Answer: FOODJUTSU

  13. 26. Vehicle driven by Valerie Frizzle

    Answer: BUS

  14. 27. Run ___ of

    Answer: AFOUL

  15. 28. Feeling you might get when stuck behind a slow driver

    Answer: IRE

  16. 29. The Clue board has nine

    Answer: ROOMS

Down

  1. 1. Codenames characters

    Answer: SPIES

  2. 2. ___ Beach, California, a.k.a. the "Clam Capital of the World"

    Answer: PISMO

  3. 3. Goes a little wild

    Answer: LETSLOOSE

  4. 4. "Oh, right, okay," in German

    Answer: ACH

  5. 5. Common material for outdoor furniture

    Answer: TEAK

  6. 6. "Et tu?"

    Answer: NOTYOUTOO

  7. 7. One might be taken on a date?

    Answer: ARM

  8. 8. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame architect

    Answer: PEI

  9. 12. Business-card no.

    Answer: TEL

  10. 16. Word before <i>style</i> or <i>-fashioned</i>

    Answer: OLD

  11. 18. "To recap ..."

    Answer: INSUM

  12. 19. <i>Dark ___</i> (fantasy-action video game)

    Answer: SOULS

  13. 21. Letting in a little light, maybe

    Answer: AJAR

  14. 23. Raiders' org.?

    Answer: FBI

  15. 24. <i>___ Endless Numbered Days</i> (Iron & Wine album)

    Answer: OUR

  16. 25. Sight in many <i>National Enquirer</i> pics

    Answer: UFO

The answer to “Letting in a little light, maybe” in the The Atlantic Crossword is AJAR — a 4-letter word. It appears in our available data for July 17, 2026 at 21-Down. Below you can reveal the fill one letter at a time, check the full puzzle, and open every related clue page.

“Letting in a little light, maybe” answer

AJAR(4 letters)

Prefer a nudge first? Use the letter tiles above to hide and reveal individual characters, or use the focused grid to confirm the crossing letters.

Why does AJAR fit?

AJAR is the published 4-letter answer at 21-Down. The highlighted path in the puzzle shows exactly where the entry sits.

When else has “Letting in a little light, maybe” appeared?

The same clue can return on another date, sometimes with a different fill. These are the matching appearances in the recent published records available through the Answers API.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Letting in a little light, maybe”?

The answer is AJAR.

How many letters are in the answer?

4 letters: AJAR.

When did this clue appear?

It appears in the The Atlantic Crossword for July 17, 2026 at 21-Down.

Can this clue have a different answer?

Yes. Crossword clues may be reused with a different fill depending on the grid. Recent matching appearances are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day’s answers?

Open the The Atlantic answers page for July 17, 2026 for the full grid and every clue.

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