The New York Times Crossword · 11-Across · 4 letters
Hit a point of no return? The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed September 4, 2026
Decode the turn
Reveal the answer now—or spot the trick first.
What to notice
Think of winning a tennis point directly on the serve, in the past tense.
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Answer
How the trick resolves
ACED makes point and return tennis terms. A serve that the opponent cannot touch scores an ace, so the clue twists the familiar phrase point of no return into a sporting event.
Continue this puzzleResult of a tense build-up? →The turn in the clue
The question mark redirects point and return into tennis vocabulary.
The answer in plain English
Aced can mean served a tennis ace: a legal serve that wins the point without the receiver touching the ball.
Where this clue appeared
11-Across in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for September 4, 2026.
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