NYT Crossword hints and answer for September 9, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues78
Across39
Down39
ConstructorDario Salvucci
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
"OK," in modern slang (3)
Starts with B, ends with TBET→
4A
Develop (5)
Starts with B, ends with DBUILD→
9A
Postlarval insects (5)
Starts with P, ends with EPUPAE→
14A
Prefix with skeleton (3)
Starts with E, ends with OEXO→
15A
Ewok's home (5)
Starts with E, ends with RENDOR→
16A
Blow, as 13-Down does repeatedly (5)
Starts with E, ends with TERUPT→
17A
Top starter (3)
Starts with A, ends with EACE→
18A
*Unsecured artillery that can slide across the deck (11)
Starts with L, ends with NLOOSECANNON→
20A
"Semper Fidelis," for one (5)
Starts with M, ends with OMOTTO→
22A
Advantage (5)
Starts with L, ends with PLEGUP→
23A
Me-time destination (3)
Starts with S, ends with ASPA→
24A
Creature of Egyptian myth (6)
Starts with S, ends with XSPHINX→
26A
Bus schedule component (4)
Starts with S, ends with PSTOP→
28A
Some landscaping equipment (6)
Starts with E, ends with SEDGERS→
31A
Worker who's behind the Times? (6)
Starts with E, ends with REDITOR→
35A
Plow puller of old (4)
Starts with M, ends with EMULE→
37A
"Verb," ironically (4)
Starts with N, ends with NNOUN→
39A
Part of a black suit (5)
Starts with S, ends with ESPADE→
40A
Its three largest cities all have names starting with C (4)
Starts with O, ends with OOHIO→
41A
43A
Barely made (out) (4)
Starts with E, ends with DEKED→
44A
Chat, informally (5)
Starts with C, ends with OCONVO→
46A
Old-timey "Listen!" (4)
Starts with H, ends with KHARK→
47A
Out of juice (4)
Starts with D, ends with DDEAD→
48A
Paint options (6)
Starts with S, ends with SSHEENS→
50A
Permanent-press (6)
Starts with N, ends with NNOIRON→
52A
Part of many a shallow-water ecosystem (4)
Starts with R, ends with FREEF→
54A
Music genre for some yoga classes (6)
Starts with N, ends with ENEWAGE→
57A
Suffix with devil (3)
Starts with I, ends with HISH→
60A
Expresses approval, in a way (5)
Starts with C, ends with SCLAPS→
63A
Remove from its original packaging, say (5)
Starts with U, ends with XUNBOX→
64A
*Equatorial ocean area notorious for lack of winds (11)
Starts with T, ends with STHEDOLDRUMS→
67A
Consumed (3)
Starts with A, ends with EATE→
68A
Character in "Monsters, Inc." (5)
Starts with C, ends with ACOMMA→
69A
Like many a campfire story (5)
Starts with E, ends with EEERIE→
70A
Hiker to a QB: Abbr. (3)
Starts with C, ends with RCTR→
71A
Elevate, as a flag (5)
Starts with H, ends with THOIST→
72A
Shell out cash (5)
Starts with S, ends with DSPEND→
73A
Word with sewing or starter (3)
Starts with K, ends with TKIT→
Down
1D
Has a happy face (5)
Starts with B, ends with SBEAMS→
2D
Former member of the force (5)
Starts with E, ends with PEXCOP→
3D
*Stand barefoot in formation along seams of deck planks (10)
Starts with T, ends with ETOETHELINE→
4D
Fit in (6)
Starts with B, ends with GBELONG→
5D
Game in which players draw and skip (3)
Starts with U, ends with OUNO→
6D
Big celebrity (4)
Starts with I, ends with LIDOL→
7D
When repeated, leading only to bad outcomes (4)
Starts with L, ends with ELOSE→
8D
Leftovers (5)
Starts with D, ends with SDREGS→
9D
Stir-fry add-ins (7)
Starts with P, ends with SPEAPODS→
10D
Decorative vessel (3)
Starts with U, ends with NURN→
11D
"Sofa, so good" and such (4)
Starts with P, ends with SPUNS→
13D
Sicilian smoker (4)
Starts with E, ends with AETNA→
19D
___ as a bug's ear (4)
Starts with C, ends with ECUTE→
21D
*Drift with the natural flow of currents (8)
Starts with T, ends with RTIDEOVER→
25D
TV's "Warrior Princess" (4)
Starts with X, ends with AXENA→
27D
*Bosun's whistled call signaling a shift change (8)
Starts with P, ends with NPIPEDOWN→
29D
I.R.A. classification (4)
Starts with R, ends with HROTH→
30D
Lazy ___ (5)
Starts with S, ends with NSUSAN→
32D
*Flattened against the masts in a changing wind (10)
Starts with T, ends with KTAKENABACK→
33D
Roman theaters (4)
Starts with O, ends with AODEA→
34D
Comedian Foxx (4)
Starts with R, ends with DREDD→
35D
Soft leather shoes, for short (4)
Starts with M, ends with SMOCS→
36D
"That's not good" (4)
Starts with U, ends with HUHOH→
38D
Fiddler-emperor, legend has it (4)
Starts with N, ends with ONERO→
42D
Similar (4)
Starts with A, ends with NAKIN→
45D
Minimal paint job (7)
Starts with O, ends with TONECOAT→
49D
Promote (4)
Starts with S, ends with LSELL→
51D
Not just thrown away, say (6)
Starts with R, ends with DREUSED→
53D
Gradually tapered cuts (5)
Starts with F, ends with SFADES→
55D
Jailed New York crime boss (5)
Starts with G, ends with IGOTTI→
56D
Wield, as authority (5)
Starts with E, ends with TEXERT→
57D
Bite reminder, maybe (4)
Starts with I, ends with HITCH→
58D
"Get away!" (4)
Starts with S, ends with OSHOO→
59D
Prefix with sphere (4)
Starts with H, ends with IHEMI→
61D
Dice peppers, e.g. (4)
Starts with P, ends with PPREP→
62D
Positive (4)
Starts with S, ends with ESURE→
65D
Personally contacts online, for short (3)
Starts with D, ends with SDMS→
66D
Max's opposite (3)
Starts with M, ends with NMIN→
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 September 9, 2026?+
78 clues: 39 Across and 39 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Dario Salvucci and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: "OK," in modern slang (BET); Develop (BUILD); Postlarval insects (PUPAE).
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.
