In the lead

Latest answer — August 09, 2026

36 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

Being ON TOP means being in the lead or in the highest position.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
A runner clearly ahead of competitors in a race

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, August 09, 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. 1One bit
  2. 6Bad jobs
  3. 12Target of an annual vaccine
  4. 15x or y
  5. 19Swimmer's invitation
  6. 23One of two in Hawaii
  7. 24Father of the river gods, in Greek myth
  8. 25Overwhelm
  9. 26Jamaican folk song about dock work
  10. 27Ones who've made the team
  11. 28One at the U.S. mint?
  12. 29Long-handled tool
  13. 31What might pile up during a digital detox
  14. 35Show great fondness, in a way
  15. 36In the lead
  16. 38Cow
  17. 40Oscar winner Hathaway
  18. 41Foxlike
  19. 42Winter pellets
  20. 43___ forgiveness
  21. 44Say without saying
  22. 46Godsends
  23. 47Up to 150 years, for a tortoise
  24. 49The first "C" of Vietnam's H.C.M.C.
  25. 50Beaver's home
  26. 51Communicate through a disagreement
  27. 53Counterpart of 53-Down
  28. 54Display perfect timing, much like dancers
  29. 55Agcy. that protects the right to unionize
  30. 56Some Indian flatbreads
  31. 57First woman to play regularly in a major American men's pro baseball league
  32. 58Bond between Lazenby and Dalton
  33. 59"Let's do it"
  34. 60Setting for Ghassan Kanafani's "All That's Left to You" and Mourid Barghouti's "I Saw Ramallah"
  35. 61Like a lion's coat
  36. 62Reprimand that might be biting, ironically
  37. 64Group of partridges
  38. 65"www" string
  39. 66Honey boo-boo?
  40. 67Like the Taj Mahal and the Hagia Sophia, architecturally
  41. 68Up for the day
  42. 70Named names
  43. 71[Oh God ...]
  44. 72Nurse
  45. 75Many a spacious apartment
  46. 76Stand-up comic ___ Wang
  47. 78Where a band might go
  48. 79"Gimme!"
  49. 80Go undefeated
  50. 82Enterprise letters
  51. 83"Let's put a smile on your plate" chain
  52. 84Lover of Tristan
  53. 86Combine, as resources
  54. 88Nintendo villain with a "W" on his cap
  55. 90Bothersome recurrence
  56. 91Controversial business oversight
  57. 96Amusement park ride in which one's legs dangle high off the ground
  58. 97Lip
  59. 98"___ bodkins!" (bygone oath)
  60. 99Comes clean, with "up"
  61. 100Old Bulgarian rulers

Down

  1. 1Results of some peace talks
  2. 2"Wow!"
  3. 3Government act whose name comes from the Greek for "forgetfulness"
  4. 4Papal representative
  5. 5Michaels of "Saturday Night Live"
  6. 6Angry cat's "greeting"
  7. 7Nav. rank
  8. 8Retort of denial
  9. 9Offer emotional support (for)
  10. 10Time that's an artist's name backward
  11. 11Did the butterfly, e.g.
  12. 12Co. whose logo depicts the god Mercury holding flowers
  13. 13Dutch city with a namesake jar
  14. 14___ Major
  15. 15"Because I Got High" rapper
  16. 1612 letters?
  17. 17Magazine for entrepreneurs
  18. 18Good to go
  19. 20Branch with a stem?
  20. 21Number of letters?
  21. 22Ocular affliction
  22. 28Uintah and Ouray reservation people
  23. 30Surpassed
  24. 32Group in support of a queen
  25. 33Rushing around
  26. 34Last Beatles single before Paul McCartney's departure
  27. 37Reality TV icon ___ Leakes
  28. 38Edging, e.g.
  29. 39Title for Macbeth
  30. 42Parts of many combo meals
  31. 43Selling off, as stocks
  32. 45Big inits. in Dutch banking
  33. 46Foretelling of
  34. 47Bestowing extravagantly (on)
  35. 48Source of fragrant cones
  36. 50Destiny
  37. 51Something that might not be well received when someone asks "How do I look?"
  38. 52Was flaky?
  39. 53Counterpart of 53-Across
  40. 54It's not exactly fast food
  41. 56Almsgiving and pilgrimage, for two
  42. 57Bit of folklore
  43. 58Wonk
  44. 60Hammer parts
  45. 61Main ingredient in salsa verde
  46. 63Purple yam in Filipino desserts
  47. 64Sounds from pigeons
  48. 67Simple coffee brewing method
  49. 69Treeless tracts
  50. 71Pleasing rhythms
  51. 72Diamond component?
  52. 73Gene-activating substance
  53. 74Eyes, informally
  54. 77Danced at a luau
  55. 78Eddies
  56. 79Very complicated situation, so to speak
  57. 81___ People's Campaign (1968 S.C.L.C. movement)
  58. 83Self-congratulatory declaration
  59. 85One of the Five Pillars of Islam, referring to prayer
  60. 87"___ take arms against a sea of troubles": Hamlet
  61. 89Since
  62. 90Some fan-made literary works, informally
  63. 91Prefix with normative
  64. 92___ shoestring
  65. 93They're parked in parks
  66. 94Some OT enders
  67. 95Before, poetically

The answer to “In the lead” in the New York Times crossword is ONTOP — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 9, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 36-Across. Other answers we've seen for this clue include AHEAD. 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.

“In the lead” answer

ONTOP (5 letters) — most recent; also seen as AHEAD

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 ONTOP.

Other answers for “In the lead”

New York Times has used this clue with more than one solution. Besides ONTOP, it has also been AHEAD. Every appearance we've indexed is listed below with the date it ran.

  • August 9, 2026 (most recent) → ONTOP
  • May 15, 2025 → AHEAD

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “In the lead”?

The answer is ONTOP, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on August 9, 2026. Other answers for this clue include AHEAD.

How many letters is the answer to “In the lead”?

5 letters: ONTOP. Earlier fills for this clue have also been AHEAD (5).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on August 9, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 36-Across. Earlier appearances: May 15, 2025 → AHEAD.

Can “In the lead” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides ONTOP, New York Times has also used AHEAD for this clue. Every date and answer is listed above.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for August 9, 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.

Crossword Clues

Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.