Root problem

The answer

ROT

3 letters. See every clue for this answer on the ROT answer page.

Used 6 times across 6 distinct years; most recently in 2020; first recorded in 1978. It appears in 4 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.

Other clues for ROT

Every other clue in this collection answered by ROT, most used first.

• Go bad - used 373 times, most recently in 2026
• Decay - used 253 times, most recently in 2026
• Nonsense - used 168 times, most recently in 2026
• Hogwash - used 113 times, most recently in 2026
• Decompose - used 105 times, most recently in 2026
• Balderdash - used 98 times, most recently in 2026
• Deteriorate - used 77 times, most recently in 2025
• Poppycock - used 72 times, most recently in 2025
• Turn bad - used 71 times, most recently in 2026
• Spoil - used 64 times, most recently in 2026
• Baloney - used 42 times, most recently in 2021
• Twaddle - used 39 times, most recently in 2022
• Become inedible - used 36 times, most recently in 2026
• Bunk - used 27 times, most recently in 2025
• Malarkey - used 26 times, most recently in 2026
• Bosh! - used 24 times, most recently in 2018
• Become compost - used 23 times, most recently in 2026
• Rubbish - used 22 times, most recently in 2025
• Biodegrade - used 21 times, most recently in 2026
• Go to seed - used 18 times, most recently in 2022
• Go bad, as food - used 16 times, most recently in 2026
• Go bad, as fruit - used 15 times, most recently in 2026
• "Horsefeathers!" - used 14 times, most recently in 2020
• Deterioration - used 13 times, most recently in 2015
• Hooey - used 13 times, most recently in 2024
• Utter nonsense - used 13 times, most recently in 2026
• Become unsafe to eat - used 12 times, most recently in 2025
• Putrefy - used 12 times, most recently in 2024
• Turn to compost - used 12 times, most recently in 2026
• Drivel - used 11 times, most recently in 2018
• Fall into decay - used 11 times, most recently in 2020
• Turn - used 11 times, most recently in 2020
• Corruption - used 10 times, most recently in 2026
• Degenerate - used 10 times, most recently in 2023
• Raise a stink? - used 10 times, most recently in 2012
• Stuff and nonsense - used 10 times, most recently in 2021
• Waste away - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• Applesauce - used 8 times, most recently in 2014
• Break down - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Claptrap - used 8 times, most recently in 2022
• Dry ___ - used 8 times, most recently in 2019
• Molder - used 8 times, most recently in 2021
• Turn rancid - used 8 times, most recently in 2022
• Become rancid - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
• Become decayed - used 6 times, most recently in 2020
• Bunkum - used 6 times, most recently in 2018
• Codswallop - used 6 times, most recently in 2023
• Flapdoodle - used 6 times, most recently in 2018
• Garbage - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• Go to waste - used 6 times, most recently in 2018
• Hokum - used 6 times, most recently in 2009
• Turn into compost - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• Turn to mush - used 6 times, most recently in 2024

Related clues

Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.

• "I" problem - EGO, used 71 times
• Mattress problem - SAG, used 41 times
• Root word? - RAH, used 30 times
• Narcissist's problem - EGO, used 27 times
• Printer problem - JAM, used 25 times
• Upholstery problem - RIP, used 23 times

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