Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle

Latest answer — August 18, 2026

56 Across

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Clue explained

“Music of the Night” is the signature song from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera. It also aptly titles this puzzle because several of its long entries are song titles, including the songs at 17-, 29-, and 45-Across.

Clue type:
Pop culture
A theatrical performance of “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera

NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, August 18, 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. 1Assistance
  2. 5Dickens villain ___ Heep
  3. 10Bears' lairs
  4. 14Plant with many topical uses
  5. 15Downright unpleasant
  6. 16Meaning of "vidi," in Caesar's boast
  7. 17Classic Beethoven piano piece
  8. 20Fed. agency overseeing the stock market
  9. 21To blame
  10. 22Online QA
  11. 25___ ex machina
  12. 28Home to Kosovo and Monaco: Abbr.
  13. 29Academy Award-winning tune from "La La Land"
  14. 32"Chiseled" muscles
  15. 35Of yore
  16. 36Snippet in a film review show
  17. 38"Looper" director Johnson
  18. 39Sarcastic title girl of 1990s-2000s MTV
  19. 40Utah skiing destination
  20. 41Coverers of current events
  21. 43Boss (around)
  22. 44Phoenix basketball player
  23. 451983 Eurythmics hit whose full title includes "(Are Made of This)"
  24. 47Popular fantasy role-playing game, in brief
  25. 48Spies
  26. 49"___-haw!"
  27. 50It has its x's and y's
  28. 54T-shirt or blouse
  29. 56Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle
  30. 62Story of one's life?
  31. 63Beforehand
  32. 64Singer Kahan with the 2026 #1 album "The Great Divide"
  33. 65Hot
  34. 6617-, 29-, 45- and 56-Across
  35. 67Person regularly sought out for advice

Down

  1. 1Scene stealer
  2. 2Eponym of a chess rating system
  3. 3British bathroom
  4. 4Writes
  5. 5International aid org.
  6. 6Cloth covered in dust, say
  7. 7"... or so"
  8. 8Lead-in to "boy!" or "girl!"
  9. 9Madness
  10. 10Kuwaiti currency
  11. 11The elder of a pair of biblical twins
  12. 12The "N" of N.A.A.C.P.: Abbr.
  13. 13Smack, as flies
  14. 18Gave false hopes
  15. 19Coming in handy
  16. 22Nuts whose shells look like they have little berets
  17. 23Environs
  18. 24When Hamilton and Burr had their duel
  19. 26Manufactured in America
  20. 27What gossipers and tall buildings are full of
  21. 30Desires
  22. 31Fly in the sky
  23. 32Like some theme park passes
  24. 33"Oh, buzz off"
  25. 34Thin on the ground
  26. 37Give a hoot
  27. 39Morning condensation
  28. 42Channel that rebranded with "NOW" in its name in 2025
  29. 43"Citizen Kane" director Welles
  30. 46Forfends
  31. 47Part of a pantheon
  32. 50"Famous" cookie baker
  33. 51Anti-friction fluid
  34. 52High-end private jet, familiarly
  35. 53Hairstyle associated with Jimi Hendrix and Angela Davis
  36. 55Send an instant message
  37. 57Sardine container
  38. 58Refuse to share
  39. 59Glop
  40. 60Mario has a red "M" on his
  41. 61Howe'er

The answer to “Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle” in the New York Times crossword is MUSICOFTHENIGHT — a 15-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 18, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 56-Across. 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.

“Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle” answer

MUSICOFTHENIGHT (15 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 MUSICOFTHENIGHT.

When else has “Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle” appeared?

New York Times 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 18, 2026 (most recent) → MUSICOFTHENIGHT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle”?

The answer is MUSICOFTHENIGHT, a 15-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle”?

15 letters: MUSICOFTHENIGHT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 18, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 56-Across.

Can “Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times 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 NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for August 18, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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