It scratches the itch

Editorially verified for the Jun 16, 2026

35 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, June 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Bluffer's giveaway
  2. 5Dessert that wiggles
  3. 10Obsessive captain of fiction
  4. 14"___, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio"
  5. 15Like a loud crowd
  6. 16Trio minus one
  7. 17Pontiff's emblem with three horizontal bars
  8. 19Martial art with shoulder throws
  9. 20On the line
  10. 21Bottom of a long column, say
  11. 23"Capisce?"
  12. 24Spearheaded
  13. 25Think pieces, for short
  14. 28Incensed
  15. 29Amigo
  16. 32Ancient Brit for whom a language was named
  17. 34Opening of a news article, in journalism lingo
  18. 35It scratches the itch
  19. 36Hemingway tale about an elderly fisherman, with "The" ... or a phonetic hint to four sets of circled letters in this puzzle?
  20. 39Party with glowsticks
  21. 40Smidgens
  22. 41The Beatles' "Back in the ___"
  23. 42Crustaceans sometimes called "mudbugs"
  24. 44Test for a future Ph.D.
  25. 45Monsieur, in Madrid
  26. 46Fishing tool
  27. 47Maple tree harvest
  28. 50Where the rubber meets the road
  29. 53"That's my next move"
  30. 55"... ???"
  31. 57Open some bubbly with a bang
  32. 59"Logan" actor Jackman
  33. 60"The Price Is Right" unveiling
  34. 61Cleveland's lake
  35. 62Be a good dog, say
  36. 63Half-goat follower of Dionysus
  37. 64Honeybunch

Down

  1. 1Patatas bravas and croquetas, e.g.
  2. 2Fill with joy
  3. 3Momentary slip
  4. 4Exam for a future J.D.
  5. 5Very muscular, in slang
  6. 6Dropped the ball
  7. 7"Facilities," in Britain
  8. 8Place for the highest-scoring golfer
  9. 9Ish
  10. 10College-credit class that says sayonara to H.S.?
  11. 11Really booked it
  12. 12Charitable contributions, collectively
  13. 13"Dude!"
  14. 18Fingers-in-ears syllables
  15. 22Word with tank or tip
  16. 26Less sweet, as a wine
  17. 27"House" actress Ward
  18. 28Like an image just begging to be captioned and shared
  19. 29Word appearing on the nickel but not the dime or quarter, surprisingly
  20. 30Casino calculations
  21. 31Rendezvoused with
  22. 32Blinding light
  23. 33Upper hand
  24. 34Put down gently
  25. 36Green-skinned World of Warcraft characters
  26. 37Org. with Bulls and Bucks
  27. 38Obstacle to overcome
  28. 43"The Chronic" rapper, informally
  29. 44Animal symbol of the University of Minnesota
  30. 46Fancy-schmancy
  31. 47[Zzzz]
  32. 48Light-filled lobbies
  33. 49Game with a World Series held in Las Vegas
  34. 51Plates to share, informally
  35. 52Cartoon explorer who teaches Spanish
  36. 54Crushed, as a test
  37. 55Word sung over 100 times in "___ Are You" by the ___
  38. 56Center of activity
  39. 58Part of a speedway or the stomach

The answer to “It scratches the itch” in the New York Times crossword is NAIL — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 16, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 35-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.

“It scratches the itch” answer

NAIL (4 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 NAIL.

Why the answer is NAIL

NAIL is the 4-letter solution that fits "It scratches the itch" in the NYT Crossword crossword on June 16, 2026 (35-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does NAIL mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of NAIL is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a small metal spike with a broadened flat head, driven into wood to join things together or to serve as a hook
  • a horny covering on the upper surface of the tip of the finger and toe in humans and other primates
  • a medieval measure of length for cloth, equal to 21/4 inches

When else has “It scratches the itch” 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.

June 16, 2026 (most recent) → NAIL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “It scratches the itch”?

The answer is NAIL, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on June 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “It scratches the itch”?

4 letters: NAIL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on June 16, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 35-Across.

Can “It scratches the itch” 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 June 16, 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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