NYT Crossword hints and answer for July 21, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues77
Across33
Down44
ConstructorKenneth Cortes
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
"Chocolate" pets (4)
Starts with L, ends with SLABS→
5A
Genome component (3)
Starts with D, ends with ADNA→
8A
Breaks in winter weather (5)
Starts with T, ends with STHAWS→
13A
___ vera (4)
Starts with A, ends with EALOE→
14A
Gave a hand (5)
Starts with D, ends with TDEALT→
16A
Greet someone informally (5)
Starts with S, ends with ISAYHI→
17A
"Easy-peasy!" (16)
Starts with B, ends with MBADABINGBADABOOM→
20A
Attire for an infant (6)
Starts with O, ends with EONESIE→
21A
Awe-inspiring solar phenomenon (6)
Starts with A, ends with AAURORA→
22A
Severity (5)
Starts with R, ends with RRIGOR→
23A
Urban environmental hazard (4)
Starts with S, ends with GSMOG→
24A
Pen tips (4)
Starts with N, ends with SNIBS→
28A
Clean with a rough spray (9)
Starts with S, ends with TSANDBLAST→
31A
Blood ___ (5)
Starts with S, ends with MSERUM→
32A
Acorn producer (3)
Starts with O, ends with KOAK→
33A
The 12 angry men in "12 Angry Men," e.g. (6)
Starts with J, ends with SJURORS→
34A
Finish flamboyantly … like 17-, 28-, 43- and 56-Across? (14)
Starts with G, ends with GGOOUTWITHABANG→
40A
2000-09, with "the" (6)
Starts with A, ends with SAUGHTS→
41A
___ and haw (3)
Starts with H, ends with MHEM→
43A
Colorful taffy candy brand (9)
Starts with S, ends with TSTARBURST→
49A
Laptop brand (4)
Starts with A, ends with RACER→
51A
Not having quite enough money (5)
Starts with S, ends with TSHORT→
53A
"Really?" (6)
Starts with O, ends with HOHYEAH→
55A
Backside (6)
Starts with H, ends with EHEINIE→
56A
2023 double-platinum Chappell Roan record (16)
Starts with R, ends with AREDWINESUPERNOVA→
60A
Toyota hybrid (5)
Starts with P, ends with SPRIUS→
61A
Plumbing fixture found under the sink (5)
Starts with P, ends with PPTRAP→
62A
Things assayers assay (4)
Starts with O, ends with SORES→
63A
Reactions akin to "OMG!" (5)
Starts with G, ends with SGASPS→
64A
Pigs' digs (3)
Starts with S, ends with YSTY→
65A
Fill up (4)
Starts with S, ends with ESATE→
Down
1D
Hard work (5)
Starts with L, ends with RLABOR→
2D
Morissette with the 1996 hit "Ironic" (6)
Starts with A, ends with SALANIS→
3D
Corner store (6)
Starts with B, ends with ABODEGA→
4D
Fall, e.g. (6)
Starts with S, ends with NSEASON→
5D
Reading room (3)
Starts with D, ends with NDEN→
6D
Japanese city that's home to the Chinese Sofukuji Temple (8)
Starts with N, ends with INAGASAKI→
7D
Subjects of some Billboard charts (6)
Starts with A, ends with SALBUMS→
8D
Old Russian ruler (4)
Starts with T, ends with RTSAR→
9D
Cuban dance style (8)
Starts with H, ends with AHABANERA→
10D
Actress Edebiri (3)
Starts with A, ends with OAYO→
11D
"Which person are you referring to?" (3)
Starts with W, ends with OWHO→
12D
___ card (3)
Starts with S, ends with MSIM→
14D
A standard one has 21 pips (3)
Starts with D, ends with EDIE→
15D
Fortune-telling deck (5)
Starts with T, ends with TTAROT→
18D
Aviary inhabitant (4)
Starts with B, ends with DBIRD→
25D
It's "pumped" by bodybuilders (4)
Starts with I, ends with NIRON→
27D
Texting format, in brief (3)
Starts with S, ends with SSMS→
29D
Many internet spammers (4)
Starts with B, ends with SBOTS→
31D
Teacher for a day (3)
Starts with S, ends with BSUB→
33D
Part of a doorframe (4)
Starts with J, ends with BJAMB→
34D
Tortilla chip dip, informally (4)
Starts with G, ends with CGUAC→
35D
Shrek, e.g. (4)
Starts with O, ends with EOGRE→
36D
"Wow, real mature" (8)
Starts with O, ends with POHGROWUP→
37D
Sport-___ (3)
Starts with U, ends with EUTE→
38D
"Ow! Watch it!" (8)
Starts with T, ends with TTHATHURT→
39D
"___/she" (chocolate bar's pronouns in a corny joke) (3)
Starts with H, ends with RHER→
40D
In the manner of (3)
Starts with A, ends with AALA→
43D
Power-saving computer mode (5)
Starts with S, ends with PSLEEP→
44D
They're often made at weddings (6)
Starts with T, ends with STOASTS→
45D
One may accept the terms and conditions (4)
Starts with U, ends with RUSER→
46D
Heavyweight beasts, familiarly (6)
Starts with R, ends with SRHINOS→
47D
Mexican state bordering Chihuahua (6)
Starts with S, ends with ASONORA→
48D
Hot pot holder (6)
Starts with T, ends with TTRIVET→
50D
Novelist Rand (3)
Starts with A, ends with NAYN→
52D
Backcomb (5)
Starts with T, ends with ETEASE→
54D
Cat's warning (4)
Starts with H, ends with SHISS→
55D
Old-school term for "cool" (3)
Starts with H, ends with PHEP→
56D
World of Warcraft, e.g., in brief (3)
Starts with R, ends with GRPG→
57D
Long period (3)
Starts with E, ends with AERA→
58D
Put down (3)
Starts with D, ends with SDIS→
59D
Salary (3)
Starts with P, ends with YPAY→
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 July 21, 2026?+
77 clues: 33 Across and 44 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Kenneth Cortes and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: "Chocolate" pets (LABS); Genome component (DNA); Breaks in winter weather (THAWS).
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.
