You're staring at the grid. The black-and-white squares are mocking you. You have five letters, a "D" at the start, and the clue simply says "takes off." You think departs? No, too long. Doffs? Maybe. Depts? Doesn't make sense. Honestly, the takes off crossword clue is one of the most frustratingly versatile prompts in the history of the New York Times crossword. It’s a linguistic chameleon.
It happens to the best of us. You’ve got the rhythm going, the coffee is hot, and then a short, three-to-five-letter word stops your momentum dead. Crossword constructors like Will Shortz or Joel Fagliano love these because "takes off" can mean anything from a physical movement to a mimicry or even a financial deduction. It’s about context. Without the "crosses" (the intersecting words), you’re basically guessing in the dark.
The Most Common Answers for Takes Off
If you're stuck right now, let’s look at the heavy hitters. The word DOFFS is a favorite for the Saturday puzzles. It’s an old-school term, mostly used for taking off a hat. People don’t really say "doff" in 2026 unless they’re being ironic or wearing a fedora, but in the crossword world, it’s gold.
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Then there’s OPES. Just kidding, nobody uses that for this clue.
Actually, the most frequent answer is often LEAVES. It’s simple. It’s clean. But if you’re looking at a three-letter space, you’re likely looking for ADS or SUB. Wait, how does "sub" work? Think about a teacher "taking off" and a substitute stepping in. Or perhaps LESS. If you take five off ten, you have five. It’s math, hidden in plain sight.
When it Means Mimicry
Sometimes the constructor is feeling a bit cheeky. In these cases, "takes off" doesn't mean leaving a room; it means mocking someone. APES is the classic four-letter answer here. If you ape someone, you’re taking them off. You’re mimicking their mannerisms.
I’ve seen MIMICS used in larger Sunday grids. It’s a bit more literal, which—honestly—can sometimes be harder because we’re trained to look for the "tricky" synonym rather than the obvious one. There is also PARODIES, though that usually requires a much longer string of boxes.
The Aviation Angle
We can't forget the most literal interpretation. A plane. SOARS is a common five-letter fit. LIFTS or FLIES also pop up. If the clue is "Takes off, as a jet," you're almost certainly looking for ASCENDS or TAXIS (though taxing is technically the pre-flight movement).
If you see a clue like "Takes off like a bird," and it's four letters? Try WING. It’s a verb. Most people forget "wing" can be a verb in this context.
Decoding the Difficulty Levels
Monday puzzles are gentle. They want you to win. If you see "takes off" on a Monday, it’s probably GOES or LEAVES. They aren’t trying to break your spirit before the work week starts.
But once you hit Thursday? All bets are off. Thursday is the day of the "rebus" and the pun. On a Thursday, "takes off" might refer to DEALS. Like, a salesman "takes off" a percentage of the price. Or it could be SCRAMS.
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The New York Times has a database of every puzzle since the 1940s. If you look at the stats, "takes off" has appeared thousands of times. The variety is staggering. It’s a testament to the English language’s weirdness that two words can imply subtraction, flight, mockery, undressing, and departing all at once.
The "Dressing" Trap
Let's talk about clothes. STRIPS is a common one, though maybe a bit risqué for the more conservative publications. More often, you’ll see SHEDS. A snake sheds its skin; a runner sheds their jacket. UNZIPS is another classic "hidden in plain sight" answer that uses a specific action to represent the general clue.
Why Some Clues Are "Evil"
Constructors use a technique called "misdirection." They want your brain to go left while the answer is on the right. When you see takes off crossword clue, your brain immediately thinks of an airplane. They know that. So they’ll make the answer DEDUCTS.
You’re thinking about a runway; they’re thinking about a tax return.
This is why I always tell people to look at the "crosses" first. If you have the second letter and it’s an "E," you might be looking at REMOVES. If it’s an "I," maybe it’s MIMICS. Never commit to an answer in pen until you’ve verified it with at least one intersecting word. It’s a rookie mistake that leads to a mess of white-out.
Historical Context of the Clue
Back in the 1950s, crossword clues were much more literal. "Takes off" would almost always be "Departs." But as the audience grew more sophisticated, the clues had to evolve. We started seeing more slang. BEATS IT or HIGHTAILS.
In the 90s, with the rise of the "indie" crossword scene (think Rex Parker or the American Values Club), the clues got even more conversational. You might see "takes off" clued as LEAVES THE BUILDING in a huge Sunday grid.
How to Solve It Faster
The trick isn't just knowing the synonyms. It's knowing the length.
- 3 Letters: ADS, SUB, APE
- 4 Letters: GOES, APES, LESS, DITS (as in "takes off" a list, though rare)
- 5 Letters: DOFFS, SHEDS, SOARS, TAXIS
- 6 Letters: LEAVES, MIMICS, STRIPS
- 7 Letters: DEDUCTS, REMOVES, ASCENDS
If you can categorize the answer by letter count immediately, you eliminate 90% of the mental clutter. It’s like a filter for your brain.
A Note on "The" and "A"
Sometimes the clue will be "Takes off a bit." That "a bit" is a huge hint. It usually points toward PARES or SNIPS. The presence of a preposition in the clue almost always mirrors the answer. If the clue is a verb phrase, the answer is a verb phrase. If the clue is plural, the answer is plural.
"Takes off" ends in an "s." Therefore, your answer almost certainly has to end in an "s."
Takes (Present tense, third-person singular).
Leaves (Present tense, third-person singular).
If the clue was "Took off," the answer would be "Left." Match your tenses! It sounds simple, but in the heat of a timed puzzle, it’s the first thing people forget.
The Psychology of the Solve
There is a specific dopamine hit when you finally crack a clue like this. You’ve been staring at it for ten minutes. You’ve walked away, made a sandwich, come back, and suddenly—boom. DECAPS. Like taking the cap off a bottle. You feel like a genius.
That's why crosswords are addictive. They challenge our ability to categorize the world. A "take off" isn't just one thing. It's a dozen different concepts bundled into a single phrase.
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Beyond the NYT
While the NYT is the gold standard, the LA Times and Washington Post also use this clue frequently. The LA Times tends to be a bit more straightforward, favoring words like DEPARTS. The Washington Post, especially their "Post Puzzler" (rest in peace), was known for being more literary, perhaps using ABSCOND or ELOPE.
If you're playing a themed puzzle, look at the theme title. If the theme is "Aviation Celebration," and the clue is "takes off," it’s definitely plane-related. If the theme is "Monkey Business," it’s definitely APES. Context is king.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Puzzle
Stop trying to guess the word in isolation. It’s a trap. Instead, use the "Circle Method." Look at the clues surrounding the "takes off" entry. Solve the easiest ones—usually the proper nouns or the fill-in-the-blanks (like "___ and cheese"). Once you have two letters for the "takes off" clue, the answer usually reveals itself.
If you have an S and an E, you're looking at SHEDS or STREAK (if the clue allows for it). If you have an O and an F, it’s DOFFS.
Also, keep a "crossword dictionary" or a mental list of these recurring triggers. "Takes off," "Area," "Erie," "Alate," and "Etui" are the bread and butter of grid construction. They are the "glue" that holds the more interesting words together. Learn the glue, and you'll solve the whole thing.
Finally, don't be afraid to use a digital solver if you're practicing. Apps like Crossword Solver or even just a quick Google search for the specific clue can help you learn the patterns. The more you see that DOFFS is the answer for "takes off," the faster your brain will retrieve it next time.
When you hit a wall, look for a different meaning. If "leaving" doesn't fit, try "mimicking." If "mimicking" doesn't fit, try "subtraction." If "subtraction" doesn't fit, try "clothing." One of them will eventually click into place.