The New York Times Crossword · 1-Across · 5 letters
Open with one's teeth? The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed August 27, 2026
Decode the turn
Reveal the answer now—or spot the trick first.
What to notice
Think of interlocking fastener teeth and a five-letter opening action.
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Answer
How the trick resolves
UNZIP answers the question-mark wordplay because the "teeth" belong to a zipper, not a mouth.
Continue this puzzleNetwork that launched in 1994 with the film "Scent of a Woman" →The turn in the clue
The question mark warns that "teeth" has a non-anatomical meaning.
The answer in plain English
To unzip is to open a zipper by moving its slider so the interlocking teeth separate.
Where this clue appeared
1-Across in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for August 27, 2026.
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