By Erik Agard · Edited by Patti Varol

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Across

Down

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Succeed in a class — Answer: PASS. Hint: Earn a high enough grade to move on to the next level 📚
  2. 5. With 47-Down, tropical shade providers — Answer: PALM. Hint: Think of the leafy beach trees that make a tropical getaway feel delightfully shady 🌴
  3. 9. Content warning letters — Answer: NSFW. Hint: These initials flag material that may be unsuitable for viewing at work or around kids. ⚠️
  4. 13. Two-tone apex predator — Answer: ORCA. Hint: Think of the black-and-white ocean hunter often called a killer whale. 🐋
  5. 14. Inventor's jumping-off point — Answer: IDEA. Hint: It’s the first creative spark from which an invention can grow. 💡
  6. 15. Underwater detector — Answer: SONAR. Hint: It uses sound waves to locate objects beneath the surface. 🌊
  7. 16. "I like it!" — Answer: LOOKSGOOD. Hint: A cheerful way to show approval when something pleases you 👍
  8. 18. Location — Answer: PLACE. Hint: Think of a spot, setting, or point on a map. 📍
  9. 19. Out like a light — Answer: ASLEEP. Hint: This describes someone who has drifted into dreamland. 😴
  10. 20. Vintner's harvest — Answer: GRAPES. Hint: What a winemaker gathers in the vineyard before turning it into wine? 🍇
  11. 21. Top stripe of a pride flag — Answer: RED. Hint: Think of the warm color that appears first on the classic rainbow-striped flag. 🌈
  12. 22. Lousy grade — Answer: DEE. Hint: Think of the letter-name that sounds like a poor mark on a report card. 📝
  13. 24. "Gosh!" — Answer: GEE. Hint: A brief exclamation of surprise or wonder 😮
  14. 25. Channel with music videos and "Reba" reruns — Answer: CMT. Hint: Think of the TV network where country tunes and sitcom reruns share the spotlight 📺
  15. 26. Bucket list item, perhaps — Answer: LONGTIMEGOAL. Hint: A dream you’ve been saving for years might earn a spot here. 🎯
  16. 29. Statistical average — Answer: MEAN. Hint: In math, find this by adding all the values and dividing by how many there are 📊
  17. 31. Jokes — Answer: GAGS. Hint: They’re short bits of humor meant to make people laugh. 😂
  18. 32. Cunning plan — Answer: RUSE. Hint: A sneaky scheme designed to fool someone might fit the bill. 🕵️
  19. 33. "A Change Is __ Come" — Answer: GONNA. Hint: This casual phrase completes Sam Cooke’s famous lyric about change arriving. 🎶
  20. 34. Victor Wembanyama's org. — Answer: NBA. Hint: This is the top professional basketball league where the towering rookie plays 🏀
  21. 35. Features of 4c hair — Answer: KINKS. Hint: Think of the natural twists and bends found in tightly coiled hair. 🌀
  22. 36. A single time — Answer: ONCE. Hint: It happened just one time, not twice. ☝️
  23. 37. Plant anchor — Answer: ROOT. Hint: It grips the soil and keeps a plant standing tall. 🌱
  24. 38. CPR pros — Answer: EMTS. Hint: These emergency responders are trained to revive someone in a crisis. 🚑
  25. 39. Not rigid — Answer: LOOSEYGOOSEY. Hint: Describes something relaxed, flexible, and free from strict control. 🪶
  26. 42. Seasonal vaccine target — Answer: FLU. Hint: A yearly shot helps protect against this common wintertime illness 💉
  27. 43. Some undergrad degs. — Answer: BAS. Hint: Think of the abbreviated academic credentials students may earn before graduate school 🎓
  28. 44. Fleeting snooze — Answer: NAP. Hint: A brief bit of sleep that disappears almost as soon as it begins 😴
  29. 45. Pvt. trainer — Answer: SGT. Hint: Think of the military rank that might train a private. 🪖
  30. 48. Chicken __ bleu — Answer: CORDON. Hint: Think of the French-style chicken dish wrapped around ham and cheese. 🍗
  31. 50. Throw trash away, but not in a trash can — Answer: LITTER. Hint: Think of the careless act of leaving rubbish scattered in public places. 🗑️
  32. 52. An additional time — Answer: AGAIN. Hint: It means doing something one more time 🔁
  33. 53. Distance shot in basketball, or what 16-, 26-, and 39-Across are altogether? — Answer: LOGOTHREE. Hint: Picture a basketball shot from beyond the arc, then ask what the three entries collectively represent. 🏀
  34. 56. Sport with scrums — Answer: RUGBY. Hint: Think of the team sport where players battle for possession in a tightly packed formation 🏉
  35. 57. Component of steel — Answer: IRON. Hint: Think of the elemental metal that combines with carbon to make steel. ⚙️
  36. 58. Lack of difficulty — Answer: EASE. Hint: Think of how smoothly something goes when nothing feels challenging 😊
  37. 59. Simple tops — Answer: TEES. Hint: Think of casual shirt styles that share their name with golf supports. 👕
  38. 60. Domestic four-leggers — Answer: PETS. Hint: Think of the beloved animal companions that share a home with people 🐾
  39. 61. "Their __ Were Watching God" — Answer: EYES. Hint: Zora Neale Hurston’s celebrated novel centers on the organs people use to see. 👀

Down

  1. 1. Big name in seltzer water — Answer: POLAR. Hint: Think of a bubbly water brand with a cool, wintry name. ❄️
  2. 2. Came up — Answer: AROSE. Hint: Think of what someone did when they rose from bed or a chair. 🌅
  3. 3. Give a talking-to — Answer: SCOLD. Hint: Offer someone a stern verbal reprimand. 🗣️
  4. 4. "For goodness' __!" — Answer: SAKE. Hint: A mild exclamation used to show surprise, frustration, or urgency 😅
  5. 5. Animal enclosure with a namesake cipher — Answer: PIGPEN. Hint: Think of a humble farmyard shelter that shares its name with a geometric cipher system. 🐷
  6. 6. "And now, without further __ ... " — Answer: ADO. Hint: This phrase signals that it’s time to stop delaying and get on with it. ⏩
  7. 7. Sign before Virgo — Answer: LEO. Hint: Look for the zodiac sign that comes immediately before Virgo. ✨
  8. 8. Ticked off — Answer: MAD. Hint: Feeling pretty angry or annoyed 😠
  9. 9. Mardi Gras city, familiarly — Answer: NOLA. Hint: Think of the lively Louisiana city famous for jazz, parades, and Mardi Gras beads. 🎭
  10. 10. Signals called by a quarterback before each play — Answer: SNAPCOUNT. Hint: The quarterback’s pre-play vocal cues tell the offense when to begin. 🏈
  11. 11. Protections against respiratory illnesses — Answer: FACEMASKS. Hint: These coverings over the nose and mouth help keep germs at bay. 😷
  12. 12. Competes on a mat — Answer: WRESTLES. Hint: Grapples with an opponent on a padded surface 🤼
  13. 15. Shopping jag — Answer: SPREE. Hint: A joyful bout of retail therapy might be described this way. 🛍️
  14. 17. Arizona city near the Seven Sacred Pools — Answer: SEDONA. Hint: This red-rock Arizona town is a gateway to the lush pools of Oak Creek Canyon 🏜️
  15. 20. Precious stones — Answer: GEMS. Hint: Sparkling treasures often set in rings or necklaces 💎
  16. 23. Creamy Christmas concoctions — Answer: EGGNOGS. Hint: Think of rich holiday drinks made with eggs, milk, and festive spices 🎄
  17. 24. Huge unit of mass — Answer: GIGATON. Hint: Think of a colossal measurement often used to describe the force of massive explosions. 💥
  18. 26. Pool divisions — Answer: LANES. Hint: Swimmers race in these marked sections of a pool 🏊
  19. 27. Like a dirty word — Answer: TABOO. Hint: Think of something considered socially forbidden or unfit for polite conversation 🚫
  20. 28. Dirty — Answer: GRIMY. Hint: Not clean, perhaps covered in mud or soot 🧼
  21. 29. Actor's audition selection — Answer: MONOLOGUE. Hint: An actor may prepare this solo speech to showcase their range at tryouts 🎭
  22. 30. Spur on — Answer: ENCOURAGE. Hint: Give someone the confidence and motivation to keep going. 💪
  23. 33. Transport on the way to sink a putt — Answer: GOLFCART. Hint: A small motorized ride that carries golfers and their clubs around the course. 🏌️
  24. 35. "You hang on to that" — Answer: KEEPIT. Hint: A friend might say this when urging you not to let something go. 🤲
  25. 37. "Sinners" director Coogler — Answer: RYAN. Hint: This filmmaker shares a first name with actor Reynolds. 🎬
  26. 40. Dark wood — Answer: EBONY. Hint: Think of the dense black hardwood traditionally used for piano keys. 🎹
  27. 41. Makeover sites — Answer: SALONS. Hint: Places where stylists give haircuts, color, and other beauty treatments. 💇‍♀️
  28. 45. Wander off — Answer: STRAY. Hint: Drift away from the path or group, perhaps without meaning to 🚶
  29. 46. V-formation flyers — Answer: GEESE. Hint: These honking birds often travel in a neat arrowhead formation. 🪿
  30. 47. See 5-Across — Answer: TREES. Hint: Check 5-Across for the clue that unlocks this entry. 🔎
  31. 49. "I call it!" — Answer: DIBS. Hint: A quick way to claim something before anyone else does! 🙋
  32. 51. Old-school "you" — Answer: THEE. Hint: A poetic, old-fashioned way to address someone directly 📜
  33. 53. Guff — Answer: LIP. Hint: This is cheeky backtalk or empty chatter. 😏
  34. 54. Metallic resource — Answer: ORE. Hint: A mine may yield this valuable material for smelting. ⛏️
  35. 55. Duped — Answer: GOT. Hint: Think of what a prankster may have done to a gullible friend. 😄

Recent LA Times Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

Need today's LA Times Crossword answers? The full solution to the daily Los Angeles Times puzzle — dated August 12, 2026 — sits at the top of this page, updated the moment the new grid is released. The LA Times crossword is one of the most widely syndicated puzzles in America, printed in hundreds of papers and played free online, so millions solve it every day. Whether you're checking a finished grid, stuck on a single square, or want the whole answer key, every across and down solution is listed below.

Full LA Times Crossword answer list for today

Every clue from today's grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.

Today's LA Times Crossword answers

Today's solution appears above, split into Across and Down exactly as the puzzle numbers them. If you only need one word, each answer is listed separately so you can reveal the clue that's stumping you and keep going on the rest. The grid is confirmed and refreshed daily as soon as the LA Times publishes it, so this is always the fastest place to check today's answers.

About the LA Times Crossword

The Los Angeles Times crossword is a syndicated daily 15×15 puzzle (with a larger Sunday grid) distributed by Tribune Content Agency, which means it appears in newspapers far beyond Los Angeles and online across many sites. Edited by Patti Varol, it's known for being friendly and accessible — smooth, fair cluing with playful themes — which makes it a favourite for solvers who find the toughest end of the New York Times week too punishing. It follows a gentle-to-harder weekly arc, but even its late-week puzzles tend to be more approachable than the NYT's Fridays and Saturdays.

How the LA Times puzzle compares to the NYT

They're both classic American 15×15 crosswords, but they have different reputations:

LA TimesNYT (main)
Grid size15×15 (larger Sunday)15×15 (21×21 Sunday)
DifficultyAccessible, smoothRamps to a hard Saturday
CostFree onlineGames subscription
Cluing styleFair, playful themesHeavy wordplay, misdirection
Best forEveryday solversSolvers who want a stiff challenge

Tips for solving the LA Times Crossword

  • Crack the theme early. LA Times puzzles are usually themed, and the long theme answers often share a twist — spotting it hands you several long entries at once.
  • Start with the fill-in-the-blanks. They're the quickest points and flood the grid with crossing letters.
  • Trust the crossings. A clue you can't get alone usually falls once its crossing words are in place.
  • Watch the endings. Plurals end in S, past-tense answers in ED — free letters once you notice the clue's tense.
  • Use the solver for one answer. Our crossword solver reveals a single clue's answer from your known letters, without spoiling the rest.

Browse past LA Times answers

Every previous LA Times puzzle is archived on this page by date, with its complete across and down solutions. It's the quickest way to check yesterday's grid, finish a Sunday you set aside, or track down a clue you couldn't crack. The archive updates automatically each day — today's answers roll into it as the next puzzle publishes — so it stays complete without spoiling the current day.

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Frequently asked questions

What are today's LA Times Crossword answers?

The full Across and Down solution for today's puzzle (August 12, 2026) is listed at the top of this page, updated as soon as it's released.

What time is the LA Times Crossword released?

The puzzle is available daily, typically overnight, so it's ready first thing each morning. We post the answers as soon as the grid goes live.

Is the LA Times Crossword harder than the NYT?

Generally it's more accessible — smooth, fair cluing with playful themes, and its late-week puzzles are gentler than the NYT's Fridays and Saturdays.

How do I reveal just one answer?

Each answer is listed separately here, or use the crossword solver to reveal a single clue's answer from your known letters.

Where can I find past LA Times answers?

Every previous puzzle is in the archive on this page, listed by date with full solutions, updated automatically each day.