14 Down

NYT Daily • August 21, 2025

Melt down

Answer:

RENDER

Hint:

Think of what a computer does to process fat or graphics.

Explanation:

"Melt down" hints at "render" because the word can mean to melt something (like fat) into a liquid form. It also plays on the idea of "rendering" as breaking something down, whether physically or emotionally—like a system crashing or someone losing composure. The clue cleverly ties both the literal and figurative meanings together.

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