Friday, January 02, 2026
By Adam Wagner and Rafael Musa
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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
NYT Crossword Clues
Across
- 1Havanese greeting
- 4Tolstoy book whose title asks a question
- 13Reluctantly stoop
- 16They rate up to 350,000 on the Scoville scale
- 17H.S. class for tough life lessons?
- 18"Just tell me when it's over"
- 19Dance move also known as a backslide
- 21Skims, as soup stock
- 22Fig. that cannot start with 9
- 23Org. for The Rock and Brock Lesnar
- 24Tunnel-making machine
- 25Not many
- 27Windfalls
- 28Keep coming up
- 30One might lead to pay back
- 34Make some introductions, say
- 35The Cowboys of the N.C.A.A.
- 36Word from the Lakota for "they dwell"
- 37Emotional manipulation tactic
- 39Meaty meal
- 40Attraction on the western side of Carson Range
- 41"Oof!"
- 42Seems less impressive, so to speak
- 43Spray in the kitchen
- 44German stock market index
- 47Cumbrous
- 49One-to-one relationship
- 51Exchanges blows?
- 53Up to
- 54Eggless bread spread
- 55"A-a-a-and ___!" (improv show ender)
- 56High-carb snack
- 57May day celebrant
Down
- 1President who wrote "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it"
- 2Default outcomes, perhaps
- 3Kind of sequence that proceeds 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...
- 4Duration
- 5Modern security threat
- 6Org. with the Rule of Law Initiative
- 7Cylindrical oven
- 8Extremely well-liked?
- 9Personal opinion?
- 10Hooting and hollering
- 11Part of an underground network
- 12Pithy put-downs
- 14Main ingredient in an aviation cocktail
- 15"I like the sound of that!"
- 20"So adorable!"
- 24Prepare to ship, say
- 26Delivery means to a gas station
- 27Count in the Blues Hall of Fame
- 28On the ___ (frequently, informally)
- 29Bird whose eggs are sometimes a canvas for Aboriginal art
- 30Capotes are flapped at them
- 31"Let's go, sleepyhead!"
- 32Booking, for short
- 33Server's obstacle
- 38"Word on the street is ..."
- 41___ Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code"
- 42Night of lawlessness in a long-running horror franchise, with "the"
- 43Try-hard
- 45Kind of acid
- 46Stem component
- 47Capitulate
- 48Lender's security
- 49Table outside
- 50Big purveyor of health supplements
- 52Gender-neutral term in a family
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Havanese greeting — Answer: ARF
- 4. Tolstoy book whose title asks a question — Answer: WHATISART
- 13. Reluctantly stoop — Answer: DEIGN
- 16. They rate up to 350,000 on the Scoville scale — Answer: HABANEROS
- 17. H.S. class for tough life lessons? — Answer: APBIO
- 18. "Just tell me when it's over" — Answer: ICANTLOOK
- 19. Dance move also known as a backslide — Answer: MOONWALK
- 21. Skims, as soup stock — Answer: DEFATS
- 22. Fig. that cannot start with 9 — Answer: SSN
- 23. Org. for The Rock and Brock Lesnar — Answer: WWE
- 24. Tunnel-making machine — Answer: BORER
- 25. Not many — Answer: AFEW
- 27. Windfalls — Answer: BOONS
- 28. Keep coming up — Answer: RECUR
- 30. One might lead to pay back — Answer: TAXRETURN
- 34. Make some introductions, say — Answer: EMCEE
- 35. The Cowboys of the N.C.A.A. — Answer: OSU
- 36. Word from the Lakota for "they dwell" — Answer: TEPEE
- 37. Emotional manipulation tactic — Answer: GUILTTRIP
- 39. Meaty meal — Answer: FEAST
- 40. Attraction on the western side of Carson Range — Answer: TAHOE
- 41. "Oof!" — Answer: DAMN
- 42. Seems less impressive, so to speak — Answer: PALES
- 43. Spray in the kitchen — Answer: PAM
- 44. German stock market index — Answer: DAX
- 47. Cumbrous — Answer: CLUNKY
- 49. One-to-one relationship — Answer: MONOGAMY
- 51. Exchanges blows? — Answer: AIRKISSES
- 53. Up to — Answer: UNTIL
- 54. Eggless bread spread — Answer: VEGENAISE
- 55. "A-a-a-and ___!" (improv show ender) — Answer: SCENE
- 56. High-carb snack — Answer: ENERGYBAR
- 57. May day celebrant — Answer: MOM
Down
- 1. President who wrote "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it" — Answer: ADAMS
- 2. Default outcomes, perhaps — Answer: REPOS
- 3. Kind of sequence that proceeds 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ... — Answer: FIBONACCI
- 4. Duration — Answer: WHILE
- 5. Modern security threat — Answer: HACK
- 6. Org. with the Rule of Law Initiative — Answer: ABA
- 7. Cylindrical oven — Answer: TANDOOR
- 8. Extremely well-liked? — Answer: INTERNETFAMOUS
- 9. Personal opinion? — Answer: SELFESTEEM
- 10. Hooting and hollering — Answer: AROAR
- 11. Part of an underground network — Answer: ROOT
- 12. Pithy put-downs — Answer: TSKS
- 14. Main ingredient in an aviation cocktail — Answer: GIN
- 15. "I like the sound of that!" — Answer: NOWWERETALKING
- 20. "So adorable!" — Answer: AWW
- 24. Prepare to ship, say — Answer: BOXUP
- 26. Delivery means to a gas station — Answer: FUELTANKER
- 27. Count in the Blues Hall of Fame — Answer: BASIE
- 28. On the ___ (frequently, informally) — Answer: REG
- 29. Bird whose eggs are sometimes a canvas for Aboriginal art — Answer: EMU
- 30. Capotes are flapped at them — Answer: TOROS
- 31. "Let's go, sleepyhead!" — Answer: UPANDATEM
- 32. Booking, for short — Answer: RES
- 33. Server's obstacle — Answer: NET
- 38. "Word on the street is ..." — Answer: THEYSAY
- 41. ___ Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code" — Answer: DAN
- 42. Night of lawlessness in a long-running horror franchise, with "the" — Answer: PURGE
- 43. Try-hard — Answer: POSER
- 45. Kind of acid — Answer: AMINO
- 46. Stem component — Answer: XYLEM
- 47. Capitulate — Answer: CAVE
- 48. Lender's security — Answer: LIEN
- 49. Table outside — Answer: MESA
- 50. Big purveyor of health supplements — Answer: GNC
- 52. Gender-neutral term in a family — Answer: SIB
Here are the NYT Crossword answers for Friday, January 2, 2026 — every solution for that day's 15×15 (21×21 on Sunday) puzzle, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on January 2?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live NYT Crossword answers page.
NYT Crossword answers for January 2, 2026
The full solution for the January 2 NYT Crossword is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Friday, January 2.
Hints for the January 2 puzzle
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The January 2 puzzle fell on a Friday, and with the New York Times crossword that matters: the grid gets harder as the week goes on, from an easy Monday to a fiendish Saturday, with a large themed puzzle on Sunday. So a Friday grid tells you how much misdirection to expect — and if a clue that day seemed to make no sense, the weekday is usually the reason. Use the hints for the trickiest clues, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.
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Frequently asked questions
What were the NYT Crossword answers on January 2, 2026?
Every answer for the Friday, January 2, 2026 NYT Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
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