The New York Times Crossword · 16-Across · 5 letters
What you might hear when you get someone’s goat? The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed September 6, 2026
Decode the turn
Reveal the answer now—or spot the trick first.
What to notice
Think of the five-letter sound made by a goat.
Open the answer and unpack the wordplayOne click · no signup
Answer
How the trick resolves
BLEAT answers the clue literally: if you get possession of someone's goat, you may hear the animal's cry. The question mark signals that the idiom get someone's goat is being playfully reinterpreted.
Continue this puzzleMade chitchat →The turn in the clue
The question mark converts an irritation idiom into a literal animal encounter.
The answer in plain English
A bleat is the characteristic cry made by a goat or sheep.
Where this clue appeared
16-Across in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for September 5, 2026.
Browse selected The New York Times Crossword clues →More selected clues from The New York Times Crossword · September 5, 2026
Continue with independently explained clues from the same puzzle date. This is a selected learning set, not a complete answer list.
See BLEAT meaning and common clue patterns →
Related reviewed clues
Solve the next clue here.
Paste another clue, add the letters you trust, and keep solving without returning to search.
This independently written explanation is for learning and clue analysis. Crossword Clue Tutor is not affiliated with or endorsed by The New York Times Crossword or its publisher.