NYT Crossword hints and answer for July 4, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues68
Across35
Down33
ConstructorKareem Ayas
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
Bar fight? (9)
Starts with R, ends with ERAPBATTLE→
10A
Brand of tights with an apostrophe in its name (5)
Starts with L, ends with SLEGGS→
15A
Expansive marine exhibits (9)
Starts with O, ends with AOCEANARIA→
16A
Really fancy (5)
Starts with A, ends with EADORE→
17A
1991 blockbuster with the tagline "One breath of oxygen and it explodes in a deadly rage" (9)
Starts with B, ends with TBACKDRAFT→
18A
Fax predecessor (5)
Starts with T, ends with XTELEX→
19A
Grand Tour, e.g. (8)
Starts with B, ends with EBIKERACE→
21A
Like ideal arrivals (6)
Starts with O, ends with EONTIME→
23A
"___ pics!" (4)
Starts with S, ends with DSEND→
24A
Conceptual framework (6)
Starts with S, ends with ASCHEMA→
28A
Follower of X or G (3)
Starts with M, ends with NMEN→
29A
Peacock's home (3)
Starts with N, ends with CNBC→
30A
Word that becomes its opposite when its first letter is removed (5)
Starts with T, ends with ETHERE→
31A
"Gotcha," to a beatnik (4)
Starts with I, ends with GIDIG→
33A
Piece of cartoon memorabilia (3)
Starts with C, ends with LCEL→
34A
Steamed (5)
Starts with R, ends with DRILED→
35A
Golden goal periods, for short (3)
Starts with O, ends with SOTS→
36A
"Miracle on 34th Street" actress Maureen (5)
Starts with O, ends with AOHARA→
38A
Certain Ivy Leaguer (3)
Starts with E, ends with IELI→
39A
Painter ___ Thomas, first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum (4)
Starts with A, ends with AALMA→
41A
Passes (out) (5)
Starts with D, ends with SDOLES→
42A
Bracketed disclaimer (3)
Starts with S, ends with CSIC→
43A
Lover of sugar (3)
Starts with A, ends with TANT→
44A
Results of swiping (6)
Starts with T, ends with STHEFTS→
45A
Lend, informally (4)
Starts with S, ends with TSPOT→
47A
Second-smallest U.S. state capital by population (about 14,000 people) (6)
Starts with P, ends with EPIERRE→
49A
Animals with prehensile proboscises (6)
Starts with T, ends with STAPIRS→
51A
"The One" (8)
Starts with S, ends with ESOULMATE→
56A
First name in cosmetics (5)
Starts with E, ends with EESTEE→
57A
Pioneering P.D.A. (9)
Starts with P, ends with TPALMPILOT→
58A
Ship back? (5)
Starts with S, ends with NSTERN→
59A
Soft drink originally made with egg whites (9)
Starts with C, ends with ACREAMSODA→
61A
Rock instrument? (9)
Starts with S, ends with LSTONETOOL→
Down
1D
One of the Starks on "Game of Thrones" (4)
Starts with R, ends with BROBB→
2D
Berry spelled with a cedilla (4)
Starts with A, ends with IACAI→
3D
Small smack (4)
Starts with P, ends with KPECK→
4D
Brown, in a way (4)
Starts with B, ends with EBAKE→
5D
Milky Way's nearest major galaxy (9)
Starts with A, ends with AANDROMEDA→
6D
#MeToo movement activist Burke (6)
Starts with T, ends with ATARANA→
7D
Expanse (5)
Starts with T, ends with TTRACT→
8D
Observation by Oscar Wilde about the relationship between reality and creativity (15)
Starts with L, ends with TLIFEIMITATESART→
9D
"Mangia!" (3)
Starts with E, ends with TEAT→
10D
Not 21-Across (4)
Starts with L, ends with ELATE→
11D
Elysia (5)
Starts with E, ends with SEDENS→
12D
False idol in the Old Testament (10)
Starts with G, ends with FGOLDENCALF→
13D
Army specialist with a headwear-inspired nickname (10)
Starts with G, ends with TGREENBERET→
14D
Where students learn about congress (10)
Starts with S, ends with SSEXEDCLASS→
20D
"___ Sancte Spiritus" (medieval Latin hymn) (4)
Starts with V, ends with IVENI→
22D
Things often refilled, informally (4)
Starts with M, ends with SMEDS→
24D
Cardiac exam on a treadmill (10)
Starts with S, ends with TSTRESSTEST→
25D
Gochujang, e.g. (10)
Starts with C, ends with ECHILIPASTE→
26D
Blade runner? (10)
Starts with H, ends with RHELICOPTER→
27D
Before, in olden times (3)
Starts with E, ends with EERE→
32D
"Lord, have mercy!" (9)
Starts with G, ends with EGODHELPME→
35D
One attracted to all gender identities, for short (4)
Starts with O, ends with IOMNI→
37D
Tilling aid (3)
Starts with H, ends with EHOE→
40D
The Indianapolis 500 has 200 of them (4)
Starts with L, ends with SLAPS→
44D
President who married one of his kindergarten classmates (6)
Starts with T, ends with NTRUMAN→
46D
Membership categories (5)
Starts with T, ends with STIERS→
48D
Loggers' competition (5)
Starts with R, ends with OROLEO→
50D
Former French president ___ Coty (4)
Starts with R, ends with ERENE→
52D
Weather phenomenon often appearing in the evening (4)
Starts with M, ends with TMIST→
53D
Dum ___ (potato-based curry dish) (4)
Starts with A, ends with OALOO→
54D
List header (4)
Starts with T, ends with OTODO→
55D
List ender (4)
Starts with E, ends with LETAL→
57D
Some notebooks, in brief (3)
Starts with P, ends with SPCS→
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 4, 2026?+
68 clues: 35 Across and 33 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Kareem Ayas and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Bar fight? (RAPBATTLE); Brand of tights with an apostrophe in its name (LEGGS); Expansive marine exhibits (OCEANARIA).
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.
