NYT Crossword hints and answer for February 3, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues81
Across39
Down42
ConstructorNate Cardin
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
Daytona 500 org. (6)
Starts with N, ends with RNASCAR→
7A
Cloth shopping bags (5)
Starts with T, ends with STOTES→
12A
Advanced to the next round of musical chairs, say (3)
Starts with S, ends with TSAT→
15A
"Their exact words were …" (6)
Starts with I, ends with EIQUOTE→
16A
Toy company behind Frisbees and Hula Hoops (5)
Starts with W, ends with OWHAMO→
17A
"Sex and the City" network (3)
Starts with H, ends with OHBO→
18A
Narrow, focused perspective (12)
Starts with T, ends with NTUNNELVISION→
20A
"___ for one and one for ___!" (3)
Starts with A, ends with LALL→
21A
E, on a compass (4)
Starts with E, ends with TEAST→
22A
Villain in Shakespeare's "Othello" and Disney's "Aladdin" (4)
Starts with I, ends with OIAGO→
23A
Assigned a job (6)
Starts with T, ends with DTASKED→
25A
Pizzeria fixtures (5)
Starts with O, ends with SOVENS→
27A
Blackjack player's request (5)
Starts with H, ends with EHITME→
28A
Magazine for the small screen since 1953 (7)
Starts with T, ends with ETVGUIDE→
31A
Parent's curt response to a kid's "But why?" (7)
Starts with B, ends with EBECAUSE→
33A
Ballet dancer's handrail (5)
Starts with B, ends with EBARRE→
34A
Unaccompanied (4)
Starts with S, ends with OSOLO→
35A
"You can say ___ again!" (4)
Starts with T, ends with TTHAT→
37A
Place for a seaweed body wrap (3)
Starts with S, ends with ASPA→
38A
Sign near a freshly applied coat (8)
Starts with W, ends with TWETPAINT→
42A
Number represented by candles on a cake (3)
Starts with A, ends with EAGE→
43A
Toe treatment, in brief (4)
Starts with P, ends with IPEDI→
45A
___ of the Horse (2026 in the Chinese zodiac) (4)
Starts with Y, ends with RYEAR→
46A
"You win! I give up!" (5)
Starts with U, ends with EUNCLE→
48A
One might be sworn to it (7)
Starts with S, ends with YSECRECY→
50A
Golf count (7)
Starts with S, ends with SSTROKES→
52A
Dog harness attachment (5)
Starts with L, ends with HLEASH→
53A
Beyond well-done (5)
Starts with B, ends with TBURNT→
54A
Maker of skintight swimwear (6)
Starts with S, ends with OSPEEDO→
56A
Exceptionally good, in Gen Z slang (4)
Starts with F, ends with EFIRE→
57A
"Very funny!" (4)
Starts with H, ends with AHAHA→
61A
Dallas N.B.A. player, for short (3)
Starts with M, ends with VMAV→
62A
65A
Any number raised to the 0th power (3)
Starts with O, ends with EONE→
66A
"Say cheese!" (5)
Starts with S, ends with ESMILE→
67A
People with custody of things, typically (6)
Starts with O, ends with SOWNERS→
68A
Toothpaste type (3)
Starts with G, ends with LGEL→
69A
Evil spells (5)
Starts with H, ends with SHEXES→
70A
Feel remorse about (6)
Starts with R, ends with TREGRET→
Down
1D
Evening, in ads (4)
Starts with N, ends with ENITE→
2D
Blue-green hue (4)
Starts with A, ends with AAQUA→
3D
Pair orbited by the fictional planet Tatooine (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSUNS→
4D
Use makeup to sculpt and define, as facial features (7)
Starts with C, ends with RCONTOUR→
5D
Had a meal (3)
Starts with A, ends with EATE→
6D
Depended (on) (6)
Starts with R, ends with DRELIED→
7D
Tiny tree branches (5)
Starts with T, ends with STWIGS→
9D
Word before chi or after mai (3)
Starts with T, ends with ITAI→
10D
8-) or ;-P (8)
Starts with E, ends with NEMOTICON→
11D
Beethoven's "Moonlight ___" (6)
Starts with S, ends with ASONATA→
12D
Burger chain with custard-based drinks (10)
Starts with S, ends with KSHAKESHACK→
13D
Ready, willing and ___ (4)
Starts with A, ends with EABLE→
14D
Spilled the beans (4)
Starts with T, ends with DTOLD→
19D
Rooftop accessory often shaped like a rooster atop an arrow (4)
Starts with V, ends with EVANE→
24D
Salacious material (4)
Starts with S, ends with TSMUT→
26D
Oceanfront room feature (4)
Starts with V, ends with WVIEW→
27D
Prefix with pad or port (4)
Starts with H, ends with IHELI→
28D
One of eight in a stick of butter: Abbr. (4)
Starts with T, ends with PTBSP→
29D
Uses an e-cigarette (5)
Starts with V, ends with SVAPES→
30D
Stage of education (10)
Starts with G, ends with LGRADELEVEL→
31D
Tusked swine (4)
Starts with B, ends with RBOAR→
32D
Bird on Mexico's flag (5)
Starts with E, ends with EEAGLE→
34D
Fix, at the vet's (4)
Starts with S, ends with YSPAY→
36D
Some concert souvenirs (4)
Starts with T, ends with STEES→
39D
"Look this way, class" (8)
Starts with E, ends with EEYESONME→
40D
The "T" in STEM, informally (4)
Starts with T, ends with HTECH→
41D
Go sour, as milk (4)
Starts with T, ends with NTURN→
44D
Slurpee alternative (4)
Starts with I, ends with EICEE→
47D
Potentially suspicious response to "What are you doing?" (7)
Starts with N, ends with GNOTHING→
49D
Red bit in a salad (6)
Starts with R, ends with HRADISH→
50D
"You betcha!" (4)
Starts with S, ends with ESURE→
51D
The ___ Project (mental health organization for LGBTQ+ youth) (6)
Starts with T, ends with RTREVOR→
53D
___ one's time (waits patiently) (5)
Starts with B, ends with SBIDES→
54D
Skyline haze (4)
Starts with S, ends with GSMOG→
55D
Window section (4)
Starts with P, ends with EPANE→
56D
Submit one's taxes (4)
Starts with F, ends with EFILE→
58D
Taiwanese PC maker (4)
Starts with A, ends with RACER→
59D
"Present!" (4)
Starts with H, ends with EHERE→
60D
The "A" in T.A.: Abbr. (4)
Starts with A, ends with TASST→
63D
Highest roll of a standard die (3)
Starts with S, ends with XSIX→
64D
Have debts (3)
Starts with O, ends with EOWE→
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 February 3, 2026?+
81 clues: 39 Across and 42 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Nate Cardin and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Daytona 500 org. (NASCAR); Cloth shopping bags (TOTES); Advanced to the next round of musical chairs, say (SAT).
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.
