Food thickener

Published by Naitik Mehta · April 24, 2025

Stuck on the clue Food thickener from the New York Times Daily for April 24, 2025? We have the correct 4-letter answer, including the definition, alternative hints, as well as other answers from the same crossword. Ready to learn more about this clue?

Clue

Food thickener (4)

Answer

The answer to Food thickener is Agar (4 letters).

Why does Agar fit this clue?

This is a straightforward direct-definition clue where 'Food thickener' points to AGAR, a gel-like substance derived from red algae. Agar dissolves in boiling water and sets into a firm, clear jelly when cooled, making it an effective thickener and stabilizer in cooking. It is widely used in Asian desserts, jellies, and as a vegetarian substitute for gelatin, since it comes from plants rather than animal collagen. Scientists also use agar in laboratory petri dishes to grow bacterial cultures.

What does Food thickener mean?

We break down each word in the clue and show its dictionary definition below.

thickener

noun

•a substance used to increase the viscosity or consistency of liquid food

Where did this clue appear?

This clue appeared as 32-down in the New York Times Daily on April 24, 2025, by Kathleen Duncan. See all answers for this puzzle.

What does Agar mean?

noun

•A gelatinous material obtained from red algae, especially Gracilaria species, used as a bacterial culture medium, in electrophoresis and as a food additive.

•A culture medium based on this material.

Origin of the word Agar

•origin: Malay 'agar-agar'

•period: 19th century

The word was borrowed into English from Malay, where 'agar-agar' literally means 'jelly' and refers to a gelatinous substance extracted from red seaweed that has been used in Asian cuisine for centuries before becoming essential in scientific laboratories.

How to use Agar in a sentence

Here are 3 examples of how to use the word Agar.

•“The chef added agar to the soup as a natural food thickener instead of using cornstarch.”

•“The biology students prepared agar plates in the laboratory to culture bacteria for their experiment.”

•“Agar is extracted from red seaweed and is commonly used in Asian desserts like jellies and puddings.”

What are other crossword clues for Agar?

“Culture medium” (4)

“Substance adapted to lab use by Fanny Hesse in 1881” (4)

“Petri dish gel” (4)

“Gelatinous thickener” (4)

“Biology lab gel” (4)

“Vegan alternative to gelatin” (4)

Learn about related clues

All clues from the New York Times Daily, Apr 24, 2025 crossword

The New York Times Daily for April 24, 2025 was published by Kathleen Duncan and has 72 clues. Curious about all the answers from this crossword puzzle? View all answers here.

Across

1A"Interview With the Vampire" and "Prince of Thorns" (5)6A"Borat" and "This Is Spinal Tap" (8)14ALike some experimental music (6)16ADeferential (8)17AValentine's Day sentiment (6)18AMore than a mere grudge (8)19AThey might be all over the map (6)21AAnimal known for freezing under pressure (4)22ANoted criminal extradited to the U.S. in 2017 (7)25ALocale for a cochlea (3)28ADeadpan (3)29A"You Come ___" (Robert Frost collection) (3)30A___ Holden, U.S. soccer player-turned-commentator (3)31AKind of cucumber that isn't a vegetable (3)33ADither (5)35A"Lady Bird" and "Stand By Me" (7)39AActress ___ Taylor-Joy (4)40ABundle of paper or grain (5)41ASome (4)46AEponymous Italian designer Mario (5)47APrefix with soul or classical (3)48ASpanish letter before te (3)50AOne of many listed on the back of a tour shirt (3)51AAtlanta sch. (3)54A"Get that away from me!" (3)56AGrid lines, perhaps (7)58AMythical forge locale (4)60AGet (6)62ASecond calling? (8)65AItems that gather lather (6)69APerson with the shift after a long one of yours (8)70A1980s New York mayor (6)

Down

1DDollop (3)2DVerb that sounds like a number ... and is a letter backward (3)3DCD follower (3)4DPotato turnover (5)6D"Outta my way!" (4)7DOverly big (5)8DOne of 10 in a millennium: Abbr. (3)9DJosh (3)10DPut to work (4)11DLike some socks and chess players (5)12DReturn to a PC keyboard? (5)15DSprang (at) (5)20D"Nice one, you got me" (6)22DSinger James (4)23DSelection at the butcher's (4)24D"The Thursday Murder Club" and "A Killer Sundae" (5)26DCher's catchphrase in "Clueless" (4)27DThe Knights of ___, shadowy side group in "Star Wars" (3)32DFood thickener (4)34DOne-named singer who's a former member of One Direction (4)36DPoetic contraction that omits a "v" (3)37DMight, to Shakespeare (6)40DStash (4)42DButton added to Apple's Messages app in 2022 (4)

43DJokesters (4)

45DGo out with (3)46D"Downton Abbey" and "Shogun" (7)49DFar from fresh (5)51DMixing thematic elements and tropes … or a feature of this puzzle? (5)52DDave ___, seven-time All-Star pitcher for the Blue Jays (5)53DMr. Reed, to Jane Eyre (5)55DPeople celebrated worldwide on March 8 (5)57DSkinny white mushroom (5)59DSimilar (4)61DFloating mass (4)63DSubject of Homer's loathing on "The Simpsons" (3)64DBird-related prefix (3)66DOne of "them" (3)67DSports org. that now includes U.C. Berkeley and Stanford, strangely enough (3)68D"There ___ Goes" (1988 hit by the La's) (3)

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Frequently asked questions about Food thickener

What is the answer to Food thickener?: The answer is Agar (4 letters).
Where did this clue appear?: This clue was last seen in the New York Times Daily on April 24, 2025.
How many letters does the answer to Food thickener have?: The answer has 4 letters: Agar.

Author

Naitik Mehta

Co-founder

Naitik is a gaming enthusiast who loves solving daily word games and enjoys the friendly competition from time to time. He is the co-founder of Crossword Chef and enjoys thinking about how to make crossword solving more fun for everyone around the world.