Problem with a story

Latest answer — July 12, 2026

14 Across

Sometimes, it’s what’s missing in a tale that creates the biggest issues! 📖

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, July 12, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1One-named singer from County Donegal
  2. 5Spot treatment provider?
  3. 11You might need to lose a few to get them
  4. 14Problem with a story
  5. 18Shallot relatives
  6. 20Icon beside a username
  7. 21Push-up, for example
  8. 22Asia's rejuvenated North ___ Sea
  9. 23"I vant to suck your blood!"
  10. 25White Claws, e.g.
  11. 27Twisted balloon shapes, typically
  12. 28Doesn't wait to find out, say
  13. 29Video game setting for noobs
  14. 30Sculptor's degree, for short
  15. 31Little annoyance
  16. 32Turkey part
  17. 33"I know you're the one who used up the last of my artisanal coffee!"
  18. 40Apt letters missing from PRO_EC_T_
  19. 41Reef setting
  20. 42Profound
  21. 43Preserve
  22. 44Prepared to pray
  23. 47Contradictory
  24. 50"In ___," Colin Farrell dark comedy set in Belgium
  25. 52Digs in the snow?
  26. 53Gridiron unit that includes the nose tackle, informally
  27. 54Certain bony protrusions
  28. 55"If you don't find the rings this instant, I'm calling off the wedding!"
  29. 60Prodigal ___
  30. 61Apex
  31. 62Author Colfer of the "Artemis Fowl" series
  32. 63Palindromic family member
  33. 66"I love your paintings so much, I'd like to finance your next exhibition!"
  34. 73What fighter pilots fight, for short
  35. 76Noggins
  36. 77Device for sending group messages?
  37. 78Lap, maybe
  38. 79Oaf
  39. 81Surf in a daring way
  40. 83"You can say that again"
  41. 84Japanese city known for its beef
  42. 85Shop ___
  43. 86Pack-bearing beast
  44. 87"Wow! With form like that, you're headed to Wimbledon!"
  45. 95Stroke gently
  46. 96Puts away
  47. 97Planner unit
  48. 98"Don't fall for that!"
  49. 101Like many wines and cheeses
  50. 102Gallery collection
  51. 106Where one might drink a mai tai or piña colada
  52. 107"I'm so glad you shaved! I hated when you looked like a sexy lumberjack!"
  53. 109Kind of contraceptive
  54. 110Compete
  55. 111Josh of "No Country for Old Men"
  56. 112Love seats, e.g.
  57. 113Certain body-weight exercises
  58. 114The Big Crunch, theoretically, for our universe
  59. 115Daisy relatives
  60. 116Quitter's word

Down

  1. 1Actor Idris
  2. 2German dissent
  3. 3Himalayan menace
  4. 4With hands on hips
  5. 5Common occurrences for scratch golfers
  6. 6Apple consumer
  7. 7Mesoamerican staple cooked in a cornhusk
  8. 8Equilibria
  9. 9Heavy coats
  10. 10Torah vessels
  11. 11Things marked during attendance
  12. 12End it
  13. 13They might be green or red
  14. 14Dress for a job you probably don't want?
  15. 15Apt name for a tuxedo cat
  16. 16Embellish as with unnecessary words
  17. 17Alternatively
  18. 19Screw-up
  19. 24Ricochet
  20. 26Supermodel Banks
  21. 31Groovy
  22. 32Crushed, in a way
  23. 33Rarin' to go
  24. 34Land, as a fish
  25. 35Palindromic family member
  26. 36Contributed
  27. 37Shakespeare character who declares "I am not what I am"
  28. 38Baker's necessity
  29. 39Loch ___
  30. 40Sketches
  31. 45Vast span
  32. 46[That was a good one]
  33. 47The thing in "The Thing," for one
  34. 48"Open ___ midnight"
  35. 49United
  36. 50No es ___ (Spanish put-down)
  37. 51Cellular messenger
  38. 53Audience stat
  39. 54___-a-brac
  40. 56David who directed the final four Harry Potter films
  41. 57Tape players
  42. 582020 Christopher Nolan sci-fi movie
  43. 59Uses more than one's fair share of
  44. 63Tofu alternative
  45. 64As a joke
  46. 65Obsessive supporters, in modern lingo
  47. 66Bull rings?
  48. 67Some summer purchases, informally
  49. 68Laid off
  50. 69Madhouse
  51. 70Texter's qualifier
  52. 71Dude in Jamaica
  53. 72Root beer order
  54. 73Clutch
  55. 74Disaster relief org.
  56. 75Noted example of oligopoly, in brief
  57. 79"Have a safe trip"
  58. 80Fivers
  59. 81"2001" villain
  60. 82Far from basic
  61. 84Baking recipe instruction
  62. 85Biden and Bush, once, in brief
  63. 88Professional responsibilities, colloquially
  64. 89Show up
  65. 90Cubans, e.g.
  66. 91Spotted wildcat
  67. 92Put your nose where it doesn't belong, say
  68. 93Flowing tresses
  69. 94One looking after pupils, for short
  70. 98Device outmoded by the smartphone
  71. 99"Holesome" figures
  72. 100Carving material for beginners
  73. 101___ Arena, concert venue in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
  74. 102Waves a hand in front of, maybe
  75. 103___ Romeo
  76. 104Director Johnson of "Knives Out"
  77. 105Word repeated into a mic
  78. 108Symbol on an Oregon license plate

The answer to “Problem with a story” in the New York Times crossword is HOLE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 12, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 14-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.

“Problem with a story” answer

HOLE (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 HOLE.

Why the answer is HOLE

Sometimes, it’s what’s missing in a tale that creates the biggest issues! 📖

What does HOLE mean?

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

(noun)

  • a hollow place in a solid body or surface
  • a place or position that needs to be filled because someone or something is no longer there
  • an unpleasant place

When else has “Problem with a story” 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.

July 12, 2026 (most recent) → HOLE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Problem with a story”?

The answer is HOLE, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 12, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Problem with a story”?

4 letters: HOLE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 12, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 14-Across.

Can “Problem with a story” 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 July 12, 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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