NYT Mini Crossword: Harvest

Answer

REAP

Letters: 4

Appeared: Oct 8, 2025

🌾 Complete Explanation

REAP is the precise verb meaning to cut and gather crops from a field as harvest. This direct definition clue works perfectly because "reap" is the specific agricultural term for harvesting grain crops, though it's used more broadly for any harvest.

Etymology & Origins

"Reap" comes from Old English reopan, related to German raufen meaning "to pluck, tear." The word has been used in English since before 900 AD specifically for agricultural harvesting.

Why This Clue Works

The NYT Mini uses simple definition clues to test vocabulary. "Harvest" can be a noun (the gathered crops) or verb (the action of gathering), but "reap" specifically means the cutting and gathering action, making it the perfect verbal synonym.

🤔 Why Other Words Don't Fit

GATHER (6 letters)

Too general - you can gather many things, not just crops. Exceeds the 4-letter limit.

CUT (3 letters)

Part of harvesting but incomplete - you also need to collect what you've cut.

FARM (4 letters)

The place where harvesting happens, not the action itself.

MOW (3 letters)

Specific to cutting grass/grain, but doesn't include the gathering aspect.

🌍 Cultural & Historical Significance

Biblical References

"You reap what you sow" - one of the most famous agricultural metaphors, appearing in Galatians 6:7 and countless other contexts.

Agricultural Calendar

Harvest festivals across cultures celebrate the reaping season - Thanksgiving, Sukkot, Lammas, and many others worldwide.

Literary Usage

Used metaphorically for consequences, rewards, and the results of actions throughout literature and common speech.

🔗 Related Agricultural Clues

Farming Actions

• PLOW (prepare soil)
• SOW (plant seeds)
• THRESH (separate grain)
• WINNOW (separate chaff)

Seasonal Terms

• AUTUMN (harvest season)
• CROP (harvested plants)
• YIELD (production amount)
• BALE (packaged harvest)

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