By Bryan Kaproth-Gerecht

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Across

Down

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Sharpened point of a quill pen — Answer: NIB. Hint: It is the small writing tip that touches the page. 🖋️
  2. 4. One-named Senegalese American singer with the #1 hits "I Wanna Love You" and "Don't Matter" — Answer: AKON. Hint: Think of the chart-topping artist behind those early-2000s hits. 🎤
  3. 8. South Asian royals — Answer: RAJAS. Hint: These traditional rulers held court in the Indian subcontinent. 👑
  4. 13. Actress Longoria — Answer: EVA. Hint: This actress is known for her role in a popular TV show about a quiet suburban life. 🎬
  5. 14. Free-spirited style, informally — Answer: BOHO. Hint: Picture relaxed, artsy fashion with earthy colors and flowing fabrics. 🌼
  6. 15. *6th — Answer: SATURN. Hint: Count outward from the Sun to find this famous ringed world. 🪐
  7. 16. Summer meteor shower named for a mythological hero — Answer: PERSEIDS. Hint: Look for the annual August display linked to a heroic figure from Greek myth. ☄️
  8. 18. Paradise — Answer: UTOPIA. Hint: Imagine a flawless society where everything works wonderfully. 🌈
  9. 19. Musical flutter — Answer: TRILL. Hint: A singer or instrumentalist makes this effect by rapidly alternating nearby notes. 🎶
  10. 20. Billion years, astronomically — Answer: AEON. Hint: Think of an immense stretch of cosmic time. 🌌
  11. 22. ___ skirt — Answer: MIDI. Hint: This skirt length falls around the middle of the lower leg. 👗
  12. 23. "Miracle on Ice" foe, for short — Answer: USSR. Hint: The legendary 1980 hockey opponent represented the Soviet state. 🏒
  13. 24. Smart set — Answer: MENSA. Hint: This exclusive organization welcomes people with exceptionally high intelligence scores. 🧠
  14. 26. To, informally — Answer: TIL. Hint: Use this casual shorthand when indicating a destination. ➡️
  15. 27. "___ it!" (shout in a game of tag) — Answer: NOT. Hint: A playful refusal can precede the word shouted during a chase. 🏃
  16. 28. *2nd — Answer: VENUS. Hint: This bright neighboring world is the second planet from the Sun. ✨
  17. 30. Arouses, as an appetite — Answer: WHETS. Hint: A tantalizing smell can stimulate hunger. 🍽️
  18. 32. Captivate — Answer: ENAMOR. Hint: To do this is to charm someone deeply. 💘
  19. 34. *1st — Answer: MERCURY. Hint: The smallest planet is also the closest one to the Sun. ☀️
  20. 36. Settled on the ground, say — Answer: ALIT. Hint: A bird that has come down from flight has done this. 🐦
  21. 38. Something told with two hands? — Answer: TIME. Hint: A clock can reveal this while using both hands. ⏰
  22. 39. Bluish-silver Christmas trees, maybe — Answer: SPRUCES. Hint: These evergreen trees can have a cool, silvery-blue hue. 🎄
  23. 42. Hosp. recovery area — Answer: POSTOP. Hint: This is where patients recover immediately after surgery 🏥
  24. 46. Great divide — Answer: CHASM. Hint: Picture a vast, dramatic gap splitting the landscape 🌄
  25. 47. Moon believed to have a subsurface ocean — Answer: TITAN. Hint: This Saturnian moon is famous for its lakes and possible hidden sea 🌙
  26. 49. Gamer's "off-line" — Answer: IRL. Hint: Gamers use this for life beyond the screen 🎮
  27. 50. Kool-Aid competitor — Answer: HIC. Hint: Think of another fruity powdered drink mix 🥤
  28. 51. *3rd — Answer: EARTH. Hint: The third planet from the Sun is our home 🌍
  29. 53. McEntire of country music — Answer: REBA. Hint: This country superstar also starred in a popular sitcom 🎤
  30. 54. Some Monopoly properties: Abbr. — Answer: AVES. Hint: On the game board, certain streets are shortened in this way 🎲
  31. 56. Drink in a sippy cup, to a toddler — Answer: WAWA. Hint: A little one might use this playful word for water 🧃
  32. 57. Commence — Answer: BEGIN. Hint: To do this is to get started 🚦
  33. 58. Mexican beer brand — Answer: TECATE. Hint: This Mexican lager shares its name with a city in Baja California. 🍺
  34. 60. "I'd love to go" — Answer: ITSADATE. Hint: This enthusiastic reply accepts an invitation 💌
  35. 62. *7th — Answer: URANUS. Hint: The seventh planet from the Sun is an ice giant 🪐
  36. 63. Bygone Russian leader — Answer: TSAR. Hint: This was the traditional title of an imperial Russian ruler 👑
  37. 64. Pad — Answer: MAT. Hint: A small floor covering can serve as one of these 🧼
  38. 65. Baker's glassware brand — Answer: PYREX. Hint: This heat-resistant brand is a kitchen classic 🧪
  39. 66. "Thing with feathers that perches in the soul," per Emily Dickinson — Answer: HOPE. Hint: Dickinson poetically placed this uplifting feeling within us 🕊️
  40. 67. "Y"-sounding pair of letters, in Spanish — Answer: ELS. Hint: In Spanish, these letters are pronounced like the name of a single consonant 🔤

Down

  1. 1. *8th — Answer: NEPTUNE. Hint: The eighth planet from the Sun is a deep-blue world 🌌
  2. 2. Allen who was the 2001 N.B.A. M.V.P. — Answer: IVERSON. Hint: This basketball legend was nicknamed The Answer 🏀
  3. 3. One known for the morning grind? — Answer: BARISTA. Hint: This café professional starts the day by making coffee ☕
  4. 4. Second-born son in the Bible — Answer: ABEL. Hint: This biblical brother met a tragic fate at the hands of his older sibling. 📖
  5. 5. ___ pond — Answer: KOI. Hint: This ornamental pond features colorful fish. 🐟
  6. 6. "Wowza!" — Answer: OHDAMN. Hint: A spirited exclamation of surprise or admiration. 😲
  7. 7. Tiny biting insect — Answer: NOSEEUM. Hint: Look closely for this nearly invisible pest that leaves itchy bites. 🦟
  8. 8. Creature sometimes trained for bomb detection — Answer: RAT. Hint: This rodent can be trained to sniff out hidden explosives. 🐀
  9. 9. Focus of some physicists — Answer: ATOM. Hint: This tiny unit is a basic building block of matter. ⚛️
  10. 10. *5th — Answer: JUPITER. Hint: This enormous planet is famous for its giant red storm. 🪐
  11. 11. Desert quality — Answer: ARIDITY. Hint: A landscape with very little rainfall has this quality. 🏜️
  12. 12. Epitomes of slowness — Answer: SNAILS. Hint: These garden visitors are famous for moving at a crawl. 🐌
  13. 15. Symbols of fair weather — Answer: SUNS. Hint: These bright celestial bodies often represent clear skies. ☀️
  14. 17. Mirror-and-prism camera, for short — Answer: SLR. Hint: This camera lets you view a scene through the same optics used to capture it. 📷
  15. 21. Arrival of symptoms — Answer: ONSET. Hint: The beginning of illness signs is called this. 🤒
  16. 25. "Man, that's hardly fair!" — Answer: AWCMON. Hint: A playful protest when someone feels unfairly treated. 😤
  17. 28. Fullness, in hairstyling — Answer: VOLUME. Hint: Stylists seek this quality to make hair look thicker and bouncier. 💇
  18. 29. "The Little Mermaid" prince — Answer: ERIC. Hint: A handsome royal who falls for Ariel 🧜‍♂️
  19. 31. Shades — Answer: HUES. Hint: Think of the different colors on a painter’s palette. 🎨
  20. 33. *4th — Answer: MARS. Hint: The fourth planet is famously known as the Red Planet. 🔴
  21. 35. Kelly of morning TV — Answer: RIPA. Hint: This TV personality cohosts a long-running daytime talk show. 📺
  22. 37. Neon ___ (aquarium fish) — Answer: TETRA. Hint: This small, brightly striped freshwater fish is popular in aquariums. 🐠
  23. 39. Like someone emerging from freezing cold water, typically — Answer: SHIVERY. Hint: Someone stepping from icy water may feel this way. 🥶
  24. 40. Raceway speed setter — Answer: PACECAR. Hint: This lead vehicle controls the pace until racing begins. 🏎️
  25. 41. Mull over — Answer: SITWITH. Hint: Consider an idea carefully before deciding. 🤔
  26. 43. Reason to go into penalty kicks — Answer: TIEGAME. Hint: A deadlocked score sends the match to this dramatic tiebreaker ⚽
  27. 44. Like the paths of 45-Down, as visually depicted in this puzzle — Answer: ORBITAL. Hint: Think of the curved routes followed by objects circling in space 🪐
  28. 45. Celestial "wanderers" ... or what this puzzle's circled letters represent — Answer: PLANETS. Hint: These familiar space travelers circle stars and fill the solar system 🌌
  29. 46. Flirt with, in a way — Answer: CHATUP. Hint: You might do this through playful messages or conversation 😉
  30. 48. "Are you sure?" — Answer: THATSO. Hint: A doubtful response that asks someone to confirm their claim 🤨
  31. 52. Spellbinds — Answer: AWES. Hint: Captivates someone with an impressive display ✨
  32. 53. Sunburned, perhaps — Answer: RED. Hint: A little too much sunshine may leave skin looking this way ☀️
  33. 55. Reasonable — Answer: SANE. Hint: Describes a sensible and levelheaded idea 🧠
  34. 57. Reveal — Answer: BARE. Hint: To uncover or expose something previously hidden 🔍
  35. 59. Black-and-white wedding rental — Answer: TUX. Hint: A formal outfit often rented for a wedding ceremony 🤵
  36. 61. Gullible sort — Answer: SAP. Hint: This person is especially easy to fool 🎭

Next NYT Crossword update in

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A new puzzle unlocks at 10 p.m. Eastern on weekdays and 6 p.m. Eastern on weekends (Wed, Aug 26, 2:10 AM UTC).

Recent NYT Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

Looking for today's NYT Crossword answers? The complete solution to the daily New York Times puzzle — dated August 25, 2026 — is at the top of this page, updated the moment the new grid is released. The Times crossword is the most famous puzzle in the world and, later in the week, one of the hardest, so getting wedged in a corner is part of the experience. Whether you want to confirm a finished grid, unlock a single square, or see the whole solution, every across and down answer is listed below.

Full NYT 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 NYT Crossword answers

Today's full solution appears above, organised into Across and Down exactly as the puzzle numbers them. If you only need one answer, each is listed separately so you can reveal the clue that's blocking you and keep solving the rest. The grid is confirmed and refreshed daily as soon as the Times publishes it, and — because the puzzle's difficulty climbs through the week — we keep the layout identical every day so you always know where to look.

About the New York Times Crossword

The NYT Crossword has run since 1942 and has been edited by Will Shortz since 1993, making it the benchmark against which every other American crossword is measured. The weekday puzzle is a 15×15 grid; Sundays expand to a 21×21 grid with a title and theme. It's known for clever, layered clues — misdirection, puns, and themed twists — and for its “crosswordese,” the small stock of vowel-heavy words (ETUI, OREO, ERA, ALOE) that recur because they fit tight grids. Solving it requires a Games subscription, which is why so many solvers search for the answers when a clue defeats them.

The Monday-to-Saturday difficulty curve

The single most important thing to know about the Times crossword is that it gets harder as the week goes on — the grid size stays the same, but the cluing grows trickier:

DayDifficultyWhat to expect
MondayEasiestStraightforward, direct clues
TuesdayEasyA little more wordplay
WednesdayMediumThemes get more inventive
ThursdayTrickyRebus puzzles and gimmicks appear
FridayHardThemeless, wide-open grids
SaturdayHardestThe toughest cluing of the week
SundayMedium–hardLarge 21×21 themed puzzle

So if a Thursday clue seems to make no sense, that's by design — Thursdays often hide a trick, like multiple letters crammed into one square (a rebus). Knowing the day tells you how devious the clues are likely to be.

How to break a stubborn NYT clue

  • Solve the crossings first. In a 15×15 grid, every hard answer is crossed by others; three or four crossing letters usually reveal it.
  • Question the clue's angle. A question mark at the end of a clue signals a pun or play on words — read it less literally.
  • Mind the tense and number. Plurals end in S, past-tense answers often end in ED — free letters once you spot them.
  • Know the day. A baffling clue on a Monday is probably you overthinking; the same on a Saturday is probably genuine misdirection.
  • Use the solver for one answer. Our crossword solver lets you enter the clue and your known letters to reveal a single answer without spoiling the rest of the grid.

Browse past NYT Crossword answers

Every previous New York Times puzzle is archived on this page by date, with its complete across and down solutions. It's the fastest way to check yesterday's grid, revisit a Sunday you didn't finish, or look up a clue that's been nagging you. 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. Use the date picker above to jump to any past puzzle.

Browse more puzzles on the crossword solver, or use it to crack any clue from any publication.

Frequently asked questions

What are today's NYT Crossword answers?

The full Across and Down solution for today's puzzle (August 25, 2026) is listed at the top of this page, updated as soon as the Times releases it.

What time does the NYT Crossword come out?

The daily puzzle is released at 10 p.m. Eastern the night before on weekdays (7 p.m. Pacific) and 6 p.m. Eastern before weekends. We post the answers as soon as it goes live.

Why is the NYT Crossword harder later in the week?

By design: Monday is the easiest and Saturday the hardest, with cluing growing trickier each day. The Sunday puzzle is larger (21×21) and themed, at a medium-hard level.

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 — without seeing the rest of the grid.

Where can I find past NYT Crossword answers?

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