Spoil

Latest answer — July 16, 2026

26 Across

Think about how something can be tarnished or made unclean. 🚫

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

NYT Crossword

This clue's Thursday, July 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Smart
  2. 5Sensation
  3. 10Acquisition on the big day
  4. 15"That's a good one!"
  5. 16Galápagos island that was home to Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his subspecies
  6. 17Who knows what preceded the Big Bang
  7. 18*Yes -- three arduous ones
  8. 21February 14, informally
  9. 22Scratch that!
  10. 23El ___
  11. 24Like novices
  12. 26Spoil
  13. 28Preceder of how, way or where
  14. 29*Yes -- sometimes more than 1,000
  15. 31Patooties
  16. 33Little dipper?
  17. 34"Tout à fait!"
  18. 35Tire
  19. 37*Yes -- exactly one, in common usage
  20. 42First line on many a form
  21. 43Common garnish in a chirashi bowl
  22. 44Had at present?
  23. 47Article of lab wear
  24. 50*No -- but it does have three feet
  25. 53Elizabethan curse
  26. 54Country that las islas Canarias are part of
  27. 57Important blood line
  28. 58"___ is the proper task of life": Nietzsche
  29. 59Business whose rewards program gives "Stackholder Perks"
  30. 60Raving
  31. 61Question during a brainstorming session ... or of the answers to the starred clues
  32. 67Popular Japanese brew
  33. 68Alcohol, slangily
  34. 69Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"
  35. 70Its capital is Sanaa
  36. 71Heavens
  37. 72Debugging component?

Down

  1. 1Letter after upsilon
  2. 2Trireme tool
  3. 3Cleared, as snow
  4. 4"Messiah" composer
  5. 5Neuter
  6. 6What a big hand indicates: Abbr.
  7. 7Its colony can be considered one superorganism
  8. 8Struggle
  9. 9World's most populous Creole-speaking country
  10. 10Pretty much assured
  11. 11Japanese drama
  12. 12Feline in a 2000s meme
  13. 13Dub ... or rub
  14. 14Fast-food restaurant that sells Frostys
  15. 19___-pedi
  16. 20Oft-injured part of the knee, for short
  17. 24Clock-setting std.
  18. 25___ Bravo (México/Tejas border)
  19. 26Certain tie score
  20. 27Mince words?
  21. 30Frost piece
  22. 32Sound of dissatisfaction
  23. 35Botanist's study
  24. 36Told stories
  25. 38Business ending
  26. 39Roll in dough
  27. 40Actress/union leader Drescher
  28. 41Symbol of spiritual insight, in Hinduism
  29. 45Class ___
  30. 46Music genre with "walking" bass lines
  31. 47Steamy occasion?
  32. 48Lugubrious
  33. 49Pioneers' prairie pullers
  34. 50Harangues
  35. 51Store
  36. 52Worked sufferingly
  37. 55"Pipe down!"
  38. 56Composure
  39. 60Attest
  40. 62___-goat
  41. 63"Wait ... really?"
  42. 64One of a kind
  43. 65Test for future Ph.D.s
  44. 66Not needing anything else

The answer to “Spoil” in the New York Times crossword is DEFILE — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 16, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 26-Across. Other answers we've seen for this clue include TAINT. 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.

“Spoil” answer

DEFILE (6 letters) — most recent; also seen as TAINT

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 DEFILE.

Why the answer is DEFILE

Think about how something can be tarnished or made unclean. 🚫

What does DEFILE mean?

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

(verb)

  • damage the purity or appearance of; mar or spoil

Other answers for “Spoil”

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Spoil”?

The answer is DEFILE, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 16, 2026. Other answers for this clue include TAINT.

How many letters is the answer to “Spoil”?

6 letters: DEFILE. Earlier fills for this clue have also been TAINT (5).

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 16, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 26-Across. Earlier appearances: June 20, 2025 → TAINT.

Can “Spoil” have a different answer?

Yes. Besides DEFILE, New York Times has also used TAINT 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 July 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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