The New York Times Crossword · 50-Across · 9 letters
Stop in the afterlife The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed August 24, 2026
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What to notice
Look for a nine-letter intermediate state associated with purification after death.
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Answer
How the trick resolves
PURGATORY fits because “Stop” frames it as an intermediate destination in the afterlife, giving the theological term a playful travel-itinerary reading.
Continue this puzzleCaitlin Clark's league →The turn in the clue
“Stop” is used nonliterally as an intermediate destination, while “in the afterlife” fixes the theological setting.
The answer in plain English
Purgatory is an intermediate state after death associated in Catholic doctrine with purification before heaven.
Where this clue appeared
50-Across in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for August 24, 2026.
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