"___ be the day!"

Crossword Answer — July 28, 2026

Answer

What you say when you’re hopeful something amazing happens 😀

NYT Crossword

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

By Adam Vincent

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

NYT Crossword Clues

Across

  1. 1Insolence
  2. 5Scott ___, author of "Island of the Blue Dolphins"
  3. 10Be in need of ibuprofen, say
  4. 14Word with cap or socks
  5. 15Diet that eschews processed food
  6. 16In a minute
  7. 17With 58-Across, dad-joke response to the answers for each of this puzzle's starred clues
  8. 19Massage gun target
  9. 20Wyoming mountain range
  10. 21"Out with ya now!"
  11. 23Tax pro
  12. 24Primer mes del año
  13. 25*Essential oil with a musky scent
  14. 28Myrmecology subject
  15. 29Bonfire remains
  16. 30Concerning hearing
  17. 31*Home of the lowest town-level ZIP code in the continental U.S. (01001)
  18. 36Ruminant's mouthful
  19. 37Secondary social media account
  20. 38*"Until next time!"
  21. 45United
  22. 47Preposition in "The Star-Spangled Banner"
  23. 48Palindromic kitchen brand
  24. 49*Academy Award, e.g.
  25. 51___ Taco (ice cream treat)
  26. 53The "S" of macOS: Abbr.
  27. 54Beam
  28. 55Bubble tea bubbles
  29. 56Some first responders, for short
  30. 58See 17-Across
  31. 61Director Johnson of the "Knives Out" movies
  32. 62Once more
  33. 63Spot to huddle under during a rainstorm
  34. 64Rat (on)
  35. 65Packs (down), as tobacco in a pipe
  36. 66Iditarod conveyance

Down

  1. 1Sporting group at a cold-weather school
  2. 2Insect's feeler
  3. 3Six-line poems
  4. 4Honorific for many Spanish teachers
  5. 5Finishes deliberating
  6. 6"Well, lah-di-___!"
  7. 7Name that's an anagram of an untruth
  8. 8Units in horse racing
  9. 9Skill needed to solve a sudoku puzzle
  10. 10Query
  11. 11Plays the yes-man
  12. 12Muss and fuss
  13. 13Involve
  14. 181969 "bed-in" participant
  15. 22"___ be the day!"
  16. 25Expression of disgust that sounds like a family member
  17. 26Sun Devils' sch.
  18. 27"Straight ___ Compton" (1989 N.W.A album)
  19. 32Triflingly little
  20. 33Artistic visionary
  21. 34Org. mentioned in many zombie movies
  22. 35Evian, Perrier or Badoit
  23. 38Along a gulf, say
  24. 39Sweaty stretching session
  25. 40Up to this point
  26. 41Mined find
  27. 42"Oof, painfully true"
  28. 43Part of a country located entirely within another country
  29. 44Landed for the night
  30. 45Claim to be true
  31. 46Hinder
  32. 50Bother, as one's conscience
  33. 51Letter that can take a cedilla
  34. 52Puts through a harsh initiation
  35. 55Items sometimes chained to a desk
  36. 57Its alums include Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, in brief
  37. 59Rock singer ___ Fender
  38. 60Alcoholic equivalent of a fun-size candy bar

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Insolence — Answer: SASS. Hint: Cheeky backtalk with attitude 😏
  2. 5. Scott ___, author of "Island of the Blue Dolphins" — Answer: ODELL. Hint: The writer behind a classic survival tale for young readers 😊
  3. 10. Be in need of ibuprofen, say — Answer: ACHE. Hint: Feeling sore and wanting relief could describe this state 🤕
  4. 14. Word with cap or socks — Answer: KNEE. Hint: It’s the joint that can wear a cap or a sock on it. 🦵
  5. 15. Diet that eschews processed food — Answer: PALEO. Hint: A back-to-basics menu inspired by early humans, minus the factory stuff 🪨
  6. 16. In a minute — Answer: SOON. Hint: Not long from now, just a little patience needed ⏳
  7. 17. With 58-Across, dad-joke response to the answers for each of this puzzle's starred clues — Answer: ITSNOTHING. Hint: The classic “don’t mention it” comeback to a punny favor 😄
  8. 19. Massage gun target — Answer: KNOT. Hint: A tight little tangle a massage gun is meant to loosen up 💆
  9. 20. Wyoming mountain range — Answer: TETONS. Hint: Famous peaks in Grand Teton country, just south of Yellowstone 🏔️
  10. 21. "Out with ya now!" — Answer: GIT. Hint: A blunt shooing, in a very British sort of way 👋
  11. 23. Tax pro — Answer: CPA. Hint: A licensed number-cruncher who helps with returns and audits 📊
  12. 24. Primer mes del año — Answer: ENERO. Hint: Empieza el calendario con frío y propósitos nuevos 📅
  13. 25. *Essential oil with a musky scent — Answer: PATCHOULI. Hint: A bohemian favorite in perfumes, known for its deep earthy aroma 🌿
  14. 28. Myrmecology subject — Answer: ANT. Hint: Tiny social insect studied by scientists 🐜
  15. 29. Bonfire remains — Answer: ASH. Hint: What’s left after the flames have done their thing? 🔥
  16. 30. Concerning hearing — Answer: AURAL. Hint: About the ears and what they take in 👂
  17. 31. *Home of the lowest town-level ZIP code in the continental U.S. (01001) — Answer: MASSACHUSETTS. Hint: Think New England where the Bay State lives and those ZIP codes get very low 📮
  18. 36. Ruminant's mouthful — Answer: CUD. Hint: What a cow chews again and again after grazing 🐄
  19. 37. Secondary social media account — Answer: ALT. Hint: A backup profile you might use when your main one is off duty 🔄
  20. 38. *"Until next time!" — Answer: CATCHYOULATER. Hint: A breezy goodbye for when you’re leaving the conversation for now 👋
  21. 45. United — Answer: ASONE. Hint: Think of a word that means together or in harmony! 🤝
  22. 47. Preposition in "The Star-Spangled Banner" — Answer: OER. Hint: A tiny preposition tucked into the anthem’s old-fashioned wording 🎶
  23. 48. Palindromic kitchen brand — Answer: OXO. Hint: A handy kitchen name that reads the same backward and forward 🔁
  24. 49. *Academy Award, e.g. — Answer: STATUETTE. Hint: A tiny Oscar sits on the mantel, not in the multiplex 🏆
  25. 51. ___ Taco (ice cream treat) — Answer: CHOCO. Hint: A frozen snack that sounds delightfully chocolatey 🍫
  26. 53. The "S" of macOS: Abbr. — Answer: SYS. Hint: It’s the part that keeps the computer’s whole ecosystem running smoothly 💻
  27. 54. Beam — Answer: RAY. Hint: A narrow streak of light or a joyful grin can fit this clue nicely 🌟
  28. 55. Bubble tea bubbles — Answer: PEARLS. Hint: Little chewy gems floating in your drink 😋
  29. 56. Some first responders, for short — Answer: EMTS. Hint: Ambulance crew members in a pinch 🚑
  30. 58. See 17-Across — Answer: TOSNEEZEAT. Hint: A little nudge toward that linked entry: it’s a phrase you might say when someone’s nose gets dramatic 🤧
  31. 61. Director Johnson of the "Knives Out" movies — Answer: RIAN. Hint: He steers the whodunits with a sharp modern touch 🎬
  32. 62. Once more — Answer: AGAIN. Hint: One more time, with feeling, as if you’re giving it another go 🎯
  33. 63. Spot to huddle under during a rainstorm — Answer: EAVE. Hint: A roof edge gives you just enough shelter when the skies open up ☔
  34. 64. Rat (on) — Answer: TELL. Hint: To rat someone out is to give them up to the authorities or spill the beans 👀
  35. 65. Packs (down), as tobacco in a pipe — Answer: TAMPS. Hint: Presses it into a tighter, neater mass for smoking 👌
  36. 66. Iditarod conveyance — Answer: SLED. Hint: A snowy ride through Alaska’s famous race trail 🛷

Down

  1. 1. Sporting group at a cold-weather school — Answer: SKITEAM. Hint: A chilly bunch cheering from the slopes rather than the sidelines ⛷️
  2. 2. Insect's feeler — Answer: ANTENNA. Hint: A bug’s sensory probe that helps it pick up what’s around it 🐜
  3. 3. Six-line poems — Answer: SESTETS. Hint: Poetic groups with six lines, neatly paired up in verse 📜
  4. 4. Honorific for many Spanish teachers — Answer: SENOR. Hint: A respectful title you’d hear before a Spanish teacher’s name 😊
  5. 5. Finishes deliberating — Answer: OPTS. Hint: Chooses after weighing the options 🤔
  6. 6. "Well, lah-di-___!" — Answer: DAH. Hint: A cheeky little flourish that sounds extra posh when someone’s being snobby. 🎩
  7. 7. Name that's an anagram of an untruth — Answer: ELI. Hint: A little biblical name hiding inside a fib, rearranged into something short and sweet 📖
  8. 8. Units in horse racing — Answer: LENGTHS. Hint: How far the field is separated at the finish line 🐎
  9. 9. Skill needed to solve a sudoku puzzle — Answer: LOGIC. Hint: The kind of thinking that keeps every number in its proper place 🧠
  10. 10. Query — Answer: ASK. Hint: A polite way to put a question to someone 🤔
  11. 11. Plays the yes-man — Answer: CONCURS. Hint: Goes along with whatever’s said, rather than rocking the boat 🤝
  12. 12. Muss and fuss — Answer: HOOPLA. Hint: A lively commotion with a bit of theatrical flair 🎭
  13. 13. Involve — Answer: ENTAIL. Hint: To bring something along as a necessary part of the deal 📎
  14. 18. 1969 "bed-in" participant — Answer: ONO. Hint: A famous avant-garde musician who was part of a peace protest with John Lennon 😌
  15. 22. "___ be the day!" — Answer: THATLL. Hint: What you say when you’re hopeful something amazing happens 😀
  16. 25. Expression of disgust that sounds like a family member — Answer: PAH. Hint: A sharp little sound of disgust that could also be mistaken for a dad 😒
  17. 26. Sun Devils' sch. — Answer: ASU. Hint: Arizona state school in Tempe that the Sun Devils call home 🏜️
  18. 27. "Straight ___ Compton" (1989 N.W.A album) — Answer: OUTTA. Hint: A classic rap album title that famously drops the g’s in the middle 😎
  19. 32. Triflingly little — Answer: SCANT. Hint: Just a tiny amount—barely worth noticing. 🪙
  20. 33. Artistic visionary — Answer: AUTEUR. Hint: A filmmaker known for a distinct personal style and control over the work 🎬
  21. 34. Org. mentioned in many zombie movies — Answer: CDC. Hint: Public health crew that often shows up once the outbreak gets serious 🧪
  22. 35. Evian, Perrier or Badoit — Answer: EAU. Hint: It’s the French word you’d ask for when you’re thirsty in Paris 💧
  23. 38. Along a gulf, say — Answer: COASTAL. Hint: Like a shoreline hugging the edge of the water 🌊
  24. 39. Sweaty stretching session — Answer: HOTYOGA. Hint: A steamy class that pairs deep breathing with bendy poses 🧘‍♀️
  25. 40. Up to this point — Answer: YET. Hint: Used to mark a time before now, as in “not ___” 😏
  26. 41. Mined find — Answer: ORE. Hint: What you dig up from the ground when you strike it rich ⛏️
  27. 42. "Oof, painfully true" — Answer: TOOREAL. Hint: That stings because it hits a little too close to home 😬
  28. 43. Part of a country located entirely within another country — Answer: EXCLAVE. Hint: A little pocket of land that belongs to one nation but sits completely inside another 🇸🇴
  29. 44. Landed for the night — Answer: ROOSTED. Hint: Settled in for bedtime like a bird on a branch 🐦
  30. 45. Claim to be true — Answer: ASSERT. Hint: State it with confidence, as if you’re standing your ground 💬
  31. 46. Hinder — Answer: STYMIE. Hint: Put a roadblock in someone’s path to slow them down 🚧
  32. 50. Bother, as one's conscience — Answer: EATAT. Hint: A guilty feeling can really gnaw at you 🍽️
  33. 51. Letter that can take a cedilla — Answer: CEE. Hint: It’s the name you’d say aloud for one of the alphabet’s letters, and it can wear a little tail in some languages. 🪶
  34. 52. Puts through a harsh initiation — Answer: HAZES. Hint: Gives someone the rough welcome reserved for newcomers 😈
  35. 55. Items sometimes chained to a desk — Answer: PENS. Hint: Common office tools that might be tethered so they don’t wander off ✍️
  36. 57. Its alums include Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, in brief — Answer: SNL. Hint: The sketch show that launched plenty of comedy stars, briefly 📺
  37. 59. Rock singer ___ Fender — Answer: SAM. Hint: Think of the frontman whose name rocks right before a guitar brand 🎸
  38. 60. Alcoholic equivalent of a fun-size candy bar — Answer: NIP. Hint: A tiny pour that’s a little treat after dinner 🍸

The answer to “"___ be the day!"” in the New York Times crossword is THATLL — a 6-letter word. This clue ran in the New York Times crossword on July 28, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 22-Down. 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.

“"___ be the day!"” answer

THATLL (6 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 THATLL.

Why the answer is THATLL

What you say when you’re hopeful something amazing happens 😀

When else has “"___ be the day!"” 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 28, 2026 (this puzzle) → THATLL. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the NYT Crossword on July 28, 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 28, 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 Tuesday 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 “"___ be the day!"”?

The answer is THATLL, a 6-letter word. It appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 28, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “"___ be the day!"”?

6 letters: THATLL.

Where did this clue appear?

In the New York Times crossword on July 28, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 22-Down.

Can “"___ be the day!"” 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 28, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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