Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"

NYT Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"

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Thursday, July 16, 2026

By Zhou Zhang and Mallory Montgomery

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NYT Crossword Clues

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

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

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

Down

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

The answer to “Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"” in the New York Times crossword is EYRE — a 4-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on July 16, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 69-Across. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.

“Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"” answer

EYRE (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 EYRE.

Why the answer is EYRE

EYRE is the 4-letter solution that fits "Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"" in the NYT Crossword crossword on July 16, 2026 (69-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

When else has “Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"” 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 before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.

July 16, 2026 (this puzzle) → EYRE. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword crossword on July 16, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full New York Times answer list for July 16, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live NYT Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the NYT Crossword

The New York Times crossword, edited by Will Shortz, is the most famous daily puzzle in the United States. It runs a 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and a larger 21×21 grid on Sunday, and its difficulty deliberately ramps through the week: Monday is the most approachable, Saturday the toughest, with Thursday often reserved for a trick or twist like rebus squares. This page covers a Thursday puzzle. A straight-definition entry is the kind of solid mid-grid answer that anchors the trickier crossings around it. Because the NYT reuses short, crossing-friendly words regularly, seeing them once makes them easier to spot next time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"”?

The answer is EYRE, a 4-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"”?

4 letters: EYRE.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on July 16, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 69-Across.

Can “Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified"” 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 16, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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