Drink now, pay later

Latest answer — August 22, 2026

23 Down

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

To RUN A TAB is to receive goods or drinks now and pay the accumulated bill later. The familiar phrase is entered without spaces as RUNATAB.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
A bartender recording drinks on a customer's tab

Thomas Joseph Crossword

This clue's Saturday, August 22, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Dull pain
  2. 5Does’ mates
  3. 10First lady before Michelle
  4. 12Seasonal song
  5. 13Brat’s opposite
  6. 14Yucca’s kin
  7. 15Soviet jet
  8. 16Set fire to
  9. 18Garden area
  10. 19Like some garages
  11. 21Knights’ titles
  12. 22Chant type
  13. 24Cruller’s cousin
  14. 25Salem native
  15. 29Conks out
  16. 30Haphazard
  17. 32Wing
  18. 33Stake
  19. 34Be a contender
  20. 35Deli fixture
  21. 37Biscotti flavor
  22. 39Journalist Couric
  23. 40Trouble
  24. 41Contemptuous look
  25. 42Hardy heroine

Down

  1. 1Texas landmark
  2. 2Some chair work
  3. 3Overtly friendly sort
  4. 4Before, to bards
  5. 5Jazz style
  6. 6Price setting
  7. 7Mideast peninsula
  8. 8Rule
  9. 9Goes downhill
  10. 11Excited
  11. 17Magnetite, e.g.
  12. 20Gives over
  13. 21Peaceful protest
  14. 23Drink now, pay later
  15. 25Tin Man’s prop
  16. 26Feel empathy
  17. 27Counsel
  18. 28Sounds
  19. 29Newsroom fixtures
  20. 31Convenes
  21. 33Tavern order
  22. 36Tell tales
  23. 38Take in

The answer to “Drink now, pay later” in the Thomas Joseph crossword is RUNATAB — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Thomas Joseph crossword on August 22, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 23-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Drink now, pay later” answer

RUNATAB (7 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is RUNATAB.

When else has “Drink now, pay later” appeared?

Thomas Joseph reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 22, 2026 (most recent) → RUNATAB. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Drink now, pay later”?

The answer is RUNATAB, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Thomas Joseph crossword on August 22, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Drink now, pay later”?

7 letters: RUNATAB.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Thomas Joseph crossword on August 22, 2026 (a Saturday puzzle), at 23-Down.

Can “Drink now, pay later” have a different answer?

Yes — Thomas Joseph sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Thomas Joseph answers?

The full grid for August 22, 2026 is on the Thomas Joseph answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Thomas Joseph Crossword is published by King Features Syndicate; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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