NYT Crossword hints and answer for August 9, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues128
Across61
Down67
TitleFreestyle Exercise
Today’s NYT Crossword clues, hints & answers
Every clue from this puzzle with a hint and the answer behind separate buttons, so you only see what you need. Click a clue for its own page.
Across
1A
One bit (5)
Starts with A, ends with LATALL→
6A
Bad jobs (6)
Starts with H, ends with SHEISTS→
12A
Target of an annual vaccine (3)
Starts with F, ends with UFLU→
15A
x or y (4)
Starts with A, ends with SAXIS→
19A
Swimmer's invitation (21)
Starts with C, ends with ECOMEONINTHEWATERSFINE→
23A
One of two in Hawaii (21)
Starts with C, ends with TCONGRESSIONALDISTRICT→
24A
Father of the river gods, in Greek myth (7)
Starts with O, ends with SOCEANUS→
25A
Overwhelm (5)
Starts with S, ends with PSWAMP→
26A
Jamaican folk song about dock work (4)
Starts with D, ends with ODAYO→
27A
Ones who've made the team (6)
Starts with R, ends with RROSTER→
28A
One at the U.S. mint? (4)
Starts with U, ends with MUNUM→
29A
Long-handled tool (3)
Starts with H, ends with EHOE→
31A
What might pile up during a digital detox (5)
Starts with E, ends with LEMAIL→
35A
Show great fondness, in a way (4)
Starts with D, ends with EDOTE→
36A
In the lead (5)
Starts with O, ends with PONTOP→
40A
Oscar winner Hathaway (4)
Starts with A, ends with EANNE→
41A
Foxlike (3)
Starts with S, ends with YSLY→
42A
Winter pellets (5)
Starts with S, ends with TSLEET→
43A
___ forgiveness (4)
Starts with D, ends with TDEBT→
44A
Say without saying (6)
Starts with H, ends with THINTAT→
46A
Godsends (5)
Starts with B, ends with SBOONS→
47A
Up to 150 years, for a tortoise (8)
Starts with L, ends with NLIFESPAN→
49A
The first "C" of Vietnam's H.C.M.C. (3)
Starts with C, ends with ICHI→
50A
Beaver's home (5)
Starts with L, ends with ELODGE→
51A
Communicate through a disagreement (13)
Starts with H, ends with THAVETHINGSOUT→
53A
Counterpart of 53-Down (5)
Starts with T, ends with YTODAY→
54A
Display perfect timing, much like dancers (9)
Starts with M, ends with EMOVEASONE→
55A
Agcy. that protects the right to unionize (4)
Starts with N, ends with BNLRB→
56A
Some Indian flatbreads (5)
Starts with R, ends with SROTIS→
57A
First woman to play regularly in a major American men's pro baseball league (9)
Starts with T, ends with ETONISTONE→
58A
Bond between Lazenby and Dalton (5)
Starts with M, ends with EMOORE→
59A
"Let's do it" (4)
Starts with I, ends with NIMIN→
60A
61A
Like a lion's coat (5)
Starts with T, ends with YTAWNY→
62A
Reprimand that might be biting, ironically (13)
Starts with T, ends with GTONGUELASHING→
64A
Group of partridges (5)
Starts with C, ends with YCOVEY→
65A
"www" string (3)
Starts with U, ends with LURL→
66A
Honey boo-boo? (8)
Starts with B, ends with GBEESTING→
67A
Like the Taj Mahal and the Hagia Sophia, architecturally (5)
Starts with D, ends with DDOMED→
68A
Up for the day (6)
Starts with A, ends with NARISEN→
70A
Named names (4)
Starts with S, ends with GSANG→
71A
[Oh God ...] (5)
Starts with G, ends with NGROAN→
75A
Many a spacious apartment (4)
Starts with L, ends with TLOFT→
76A
Stand-up comic ___ Wang (5)
Starts with S, ends with GSHENG→
78A
Where a band might go (5)
Starts with W, ends with TWRIST→
79A
"Gimme!" (4)
Starts with M, ends with EMINE→
80A
Go undefeated (5)
Starts with S, ends with PSWEEP→
82A
Enterprise letters (3)
Starts with U, ends with SUSS→
83A
"Let's put a smile on your plate" chain (4)
Starts with I, ends with PIHOP→
84A
Lover of Tristan (6)
Starts with I, ends with EISOLDE→
86A
Combine, as resources (4)
Starts with P, ends with LPOOL→
88A
Nintendo villain with a "W" on his cap (5)
Starts with W, ends with OWARIO→
90A
Bothersome recurrence (7)
Starts with F, ends with PFLAREUP→
91A
Controversial business oversight (21)
Starts with C, ends with ECORPORATESURVEILLANCE→
96A
Amusement park ride in which one's legs dangle high off the ground (21)
Starts with I, ends with RINVERTEDROLLERCOASTER→
98A
"___ bodkins!" (bygone oath) (3)
Starts with O, ends with SODS→
99A
Comes clean, with "up" (6)
Starts with F, ends with SFESSES→
100A
Old Bulgarian rulers (5)
Starts with T, ends with STSARS→
Down
1D
Results of some peace talks (7)
Starts with A, ends with SACCORDS→
2D
"Wow!" (7)
Starts with T, ends with LTOOCOOL→
3D
Government act whose name comes from the Greek for "forgetfulness" (7)
Starts with A, ends with YAMNESTY→
4D
Papal representative (6)
Starts with L, ends with ELEGATE→
5D
Michaels of "Saturday Night Live" (5)
Starts with L, ends with ELORNE→
6D
Angry cat's "greeting" (4)
Starts with H, ends with SHISS→
7D
Nav. rank (3)
Starts with E, ends with SENS→
8D
Retort of denial (7)
Starts with I, ends with TITISNOT→
9D
Offer emotional support (for) (6)
Starts with S, ends with PSHOWUP→
10D
Time that's an artist's name backward (5)
Starts with T, ends with MTENAM→
11D
Did the butterfly, e.g. (4)
Starts with S, ends with MSWAM→
12D
Co. whose logo depicts the god Mercury holding flowers (3)
Starts with F, ends with DFTD→
13D
Dutch city with a namesake jar (6)
Starts with L, ends with NLEIDEN→
14D
___ Major (4)
Starts with U, ends with AURSA→
15D
"Because I Got High" rapper (7)
Starts with A, ends with NAFROMAN→
16D
12 letters? (3)
Starts with X, ends with IXII→
17D
Magazine for entrepreneurs (3)
Starts with I, ends with CINC→
18D
Good to go (3)
Starts with S, ends with TSET→
20D
Branch with a stem? (9)
Starts with N, ends with YNEUROLOGY→
21D
Number of letters? (12)
Starts with A, ends with GALPHABETSONG→
22D
Ocular affliction (4)
Starts with S, ends with ESTYE→
28D
Uintah and Ouray reservation people (4)
Starts with U, ends with SUTES→
30D
Surpassed (8)
Starts with O, ends with EOUTSHONE→
32D
Group in support of a queen (9)
Starts with A, ends with YANTCOLONY→
33D
Rushing around (8)
Starts with I, ends with YINAHURRY→
34D
Last Beatles single before Paul McCartney's departure (7)
Starts with L, ends with ELETITBE→
37D
Reality TV icon ___ Leakes (4)
Starts with N, ends with ENENE→
38D
Edging, e.g. (9)
Starts with D, ends with GDEFEATING→
39D
Title for Macbeth (5)
Starts with T, ends with ETHANE→
42D
Parts of many combo meals (5)
Starts with S, ends with SSODAS→
43D
Selling off, as stocks (9)
Starts with D, ends with GDIVESTING→
45D
Big inits. in Dutch banking (3)
Starts with I, ends with GING→
46D
Foretelling of (6)
Starts with B, ends with GBODING→
47D
Bestowing extravagantly (on) (9)
Starts with L, ends with GLAVISHING→
48D
Source of fragrant cones (4)
Starts with P, ends with EPINE→
50D
Destiny (9)
Starts with L, ends with ELOTINLIFE→
51D
Something that might not be well received when someone asks "How do I look?" (12)
Starts with H, ends with RHONESTANSWER→
52D
Was flaky? (6)
Starts with S, ends with DSNOWED→
53D
Counterpart of 53-Across (8)
Starts with T, ends with WTOMORROW→
54D
It's not exactly fast food (8)
Starts with M, ends with SMOLASSES→
56D
Almsgiving and pilgrimage, for two (7)
Starts with R, ends with SRITUALS→
57D
Bit of folklore (4)
Starts with T, ends with ETALE→
60D
Hammer parts (5)
Starts with P, ends with SPEENS→
61D
Main ingredient in salsa verde (9)
Starts with T, ends with OTOMATILLO→
63D
Purple yam in Filipino desserts (3)
Starts with U, ends with EUBE→
64D
Sounds from pigeons (4)
Starts with C, ends with SCOOS→
67D
Simple coffee brewing method (4)
Starts with D, ends with PDRIP→
69D
Treeless tracts (7)
Starts with S, ends with SSTEPPES→
71D
Pleasing rhythms (7)
Starts with G, ends with SGROOVES→
72D
Diamond component? (7)
Starts with S, ends with ASILENTA→
73D
Gene-activating substance (7)
Starts with I, ends with RINDUCER→
74D
Eyes, informally (7)
Starts with P, ends with SPEEPERS→
77D
Danced at a luau (6)
Starts with H, ends with DHULAED→
78D
Eddies (6)
Starts with W, ends with SWHIRLS→
79D
Very complicated situation, so to speak (6)
Starts with M, ends with SMORASS→
81D
___ People's Campaign (1968 S.C.L.C. movement) (4)
Starts with P, ends with RPOOR→
83D
Self-congratulatory declaration (5)
Starts with I, ends with EIRULE→
85D
One of the Five Pillars of Islam, referring to prayer (5)
Starts with S, ends with TSALAT→
87D
"___ take arms against a sea of troubles": Hamlet (4)
Starts with O, ends with OORTO→
90D
Some fan-made literary works, informally (4)
Starts with F, ends with SFICS→
91D
Prefix with normative (3)
Starts with C, ends with SCIS→
92D
___ shoestring (3)
Starts with O, ends with AONA→
93D
They're parked in parks (3)
Starts with R, ends with SRVS→
94D
Some OT enders (3)
Starts with T, ends with STDS→
95D
Before, poetically (3)
Starts with E, ends with EERE→
How to solve the NYT Crossword
Fill the grid so that every Across and Down answer matches its clue. Numbered squares mark where answers begin. Theme answers, usually the longest entries, share a twist that the puzzle's title or a revealer clue explains. Thursday puzzles are known for rebus squares and other tricks that bend the normal rules.
Want the full method? Read our NYT Crossword strategy and tips, or check how to play the NYT Crossword on the hub.
NYT Crossword tips for tomorrow
- Start with Monday-level clues. Even on a Saturday, a handful of clues are straightforward. Find them and build outward from the crossings.
- Hunt for the revealer. A clue that references other entries or ends in "?" often explains the theme. Solving it first unlocks the long answers.
- Respect the day of the week. Thursday means tricks like rebus squares; Friday and Saturday mean long, clever fill with misleading clues.
Done for today? Try The Mini, The Midi, LA Times Crossword, all with hints first and answers behind a reveal.
Previous NYT Crossword puzzles
NYT Crossword FAQ
How many clues are in the NYT Crossword for August 9, 2026?+
128 clues: 61 Across and 67 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Erik Agard and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: One bit (ATALL); Bad jobs (HEISTS); Target of an annual vaccine (FLU).
What time does the NYT Crossword come out?+
The next day's puzzle is released at 10:00 pm Eastern Time Monday to Friday and at 6:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Where can I find past NYT Crossword answers?+
Every puzzle in our archive has its own page with all Across and Down answers, plus a page for each clue. Click any date above.
