Crossword clue

“Compound that ripens bananas”

This clue appeared as 84-Across in the NYT Crossword on Sunday, January 11, 2026. The answer has 6 letters.

Answer · 6 lettersFirst appearance
ETHENE
Letters6
Starts withE
Ends withE
Vowels3

Where this clue has appeared

NYT Crossword
Jan 11, 20266 letters→

About this clue

The clue “Compound that ripens bananas” ran in the NYT Crossword on January 11, 2026 as 84-Across. Its answer is a 6-letter word that starts with E and ends with E, with 3 vowels, which often points to a phrase, a name or a borrowed word.

See every answer from the puzzle on the NYT Crossword page for January 11, 2026, or learn how clues like this work in our guide to crossword clue types.

More clues from this puzzle

1ATennis superstar Nadal, familiarly4 letters5A"Wicked" director Jon M. ___3 letters8AUnspecified degree3 letters11APack (down)4 letters15A"Sign me up!"4 letters16ABygone carrier that had a fleet of "Clippers"5 letters19AReally like5 letters21AWoodwind related to the cor anglais4 letters

FAQ

What is the answer to the “Compound that ripens bananas” clue?+

The answer is ETHENE (6 letters), from the NYT Crossword of January 11, 2026.

Where has this clue appeared?+

We have seen it 1 time in the NYT Crossword.

How do I find other NYT Crossword answers?+

Open the full list of answers for January 11, 2026, or browse every date on the NYT Crossword hub.