The New York Times Crossword · 23-Across · 5 letters
Floor measurements The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed September 15, 2026
Answer · 5 letters
AREAS
AREAS fits Floor measurements because a floor's area describes how much surface it covers. Measurements is plural, so the five-letter answer is AREAS rather than AREA. It is not asking for a single side length or the distance around the edge.
Different crossing letters? Check another fit →Surface coverage is different from the edge
For a rectangular floor, multiply its length by its width to get area. A floor 3 metres by 4 metres covers 12 square metres; its perimeter is 14 metres. The clue points to the first kind of measurement, not the distance around the room.
Match the plural, then check the crossings
AREA names one surface measurement and has four letters. AREAS is the five-letter plural required by measurements. Words such as widths describe only one dimension, while square feet names a unit rather than the general quantity. The recorded NYT entry is AREAS; another puzzle's wording and crossings may call for something else.
References behind this explanation
These references support the meaning or background; they are not publisher endorsements.
Where this clue appeared
23-Across in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for July 23, 2012.
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