‘Flatten out over time’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Do you enjoy visiting different landforms of the earth? Today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue, “Flatten out over time,” tests your geographical knowledge and asks you to decipher the name of a popular landform that is very flat in nature. 

If you’re finding today’s NYT Mini Crossword challenging, then you’re free to use our hints and answers below, which will set you on the right track to find the answer.

‘Flatten out over time’ NYT Sept. 28 Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: The answer is used to describe a state where progress levels come to a standstill after a period of increase in the context of growth.
• Hint 2: The seven-letter answer describes a landform that’s neither mountain nor valley, but it is flat.
• Hint 3: It starts with the letter “P.”
• Hint 4: The solution has multiple synonyms like “high plain,” “plate,” and many more which refer to its physical appearance. 

Let’s jump in and reveal the answer.

The answer to seven across in the Sept. 28 New York Times Mini Crossword is “PLATEAU.” The clue “Flatten out over time” refers to the erosion of surrounding areas, where wind and water wear down the landform, leaving a level surface in the case of plateaus. The process takes many years. Also, the word “plateau” is used as a verb in business or personal development, where no further improvement occurs in the statistics.

‘Flatten out over time’ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating

The clue is definitely one of the easiest ones to guess in today’s NYT Mini Crossword, but if you’re not familiar with the word, it could still seem like a riddle. While the clue directly refers to the erosion that gives birth to a plateau, people also use the word quite extensively in business or offices to describe the state of the company, so it’s a common word. So, I’d give it a three out of five for difficulty.

NYT Mini Crossword (Sept. 28) answers

Across

• 1A Direction of the sunset—WEST
• 5A Uncle ___, Addams family member played by Fred Armisen on “Wednesday”—FESTER
• 7A Flatten out over time—PLATEAU
• 8A Long, slithery fish—EEL
• 9A Piece on a coatrack—PEG
• 10A Wearers of collars with their owner’s number on them—PETDOGS
• 12A “Wednesday” character played by the hand of Victor Dorobantu, a professional magician—THING
• 13A “___-haw!”—YEE

Down

• 1D Rolling in the dough, so to speak—WEALTHY
• 2D Jokey suffix with “best”—EST
• 3D The first instruction in a list of instructions—STEP ONE
• 4D Savory Chinese snack with a cracked shell—TEA EGG
• 5D Group of naval ships—FLEET
• 6D Potentially tricky spots for vacuuming—RUGS
• 7D Spirited energy—PEP
• 11D Run out of battery—DIE

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

If solving the NYT Mini word games is becoming a routine, then expand your horizon by testing your skills with the LA Times or Washington Post crosswords. However, if you want a fresh spin on the puzzles, then try the Strands and Spelling Bee.