News crossword for September 7, 2026
A 9×9 grid, three clue difficulties, and a few stories worth a closer look.
Play this edition →A different angle on familiar words
This grid rewards a change of perspective. A word linked to reporting can also have a familiar meaning outside the news, while an ordinary definition can give you a crossing letter for a less familiar name. The examples below look at two of those connections. Try the puzzle first if you would like to discover them unaided, or use the notes as a starting point. The source links belong to this dated edition; follow the publishers for the reporting and any later developments.
The material behind the clue
The Easy version points to a particular use; Medium asks about an established craft. Comparing the two is a useful way to see how one answer can connect a news story to something you already know.
Read the source at The Guardian ↗
Think about the scale of a place
This nine-letter entry asks for a region in one version and a sea in another. Notice what kind of place the wording requests before trying a country or a city. The crossing letters then help you test its spelling.
Read the source at The Guardian ↗
Inside a clue
Published clue example; open the answer only when you are ready for a spoiler.
From the 2026-09-07 edition · 4 letters
- Easy
- Plant fibre blended with mycelium in Australia's first mushroom coffin
- Medium
- Traditional rope-making plant
- Hard
- Cannabis cousin that won't get you high?
Reveal the answer and explanation
HEMP
HEMP links the source story to a familiar material. The Medium clue gives you a route through rope-making. That change of association is why switching clue difficulty can help even when the news reference is new to you.
The reporting behind this puzzle
These are the original source stories linked to news answers in this edition. Reading them may give you a head start on the clues.
- The GuardianJamaican delegates arrive in UK to hand slavery reparations petition to King Charles ↗
- BBC NewsPeace talks rich in symbolism but fundamental differences between Russia and Ukraine remain ↗
- The GuardianThe US now has access to more than half Australia’s military bases – could it drag the country unwillingly into war? ↗
- The GuardianWoman laid to rest in coffin made from mushrooms in Australian first ↗
One edition, however you solve.
Everyone playing this date sees the same grid. Easy, Medium and Hard change the clue wording, not the answers. Your progress is saved in this browser.