NYT Crossword Answers Today: August 23, 2026

Searching for the NYT Crossword answers today? If today’s New York Times Crossword has a few clues standing in the way, this guide has everything needed to finish the puzzle.

Below, you’ll find a spoiler-light overview, followed by hints for every Across and Down clue before revealing the complete answers. Whether only one square is missing or the entire grid needs solving, today’s guide for August 23, 2026 covers every clue in order.

23 August 2026 – NYT Crossword overview

Today’s crossword offers a balanced challenge with a clever central theme that gradually becomes apparent as more of the grid is completed. Several clues rely on wordplay and misdirection, while a handful of modern abbreviations and pop culture references may slow down even experienced solvers.

The puzzle is approachable for regular crossword players but still contains enough tricky clues to make the final solve satisfying. Looking for hints first? Start with the sections below before scrolling to the complete answers.

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NYT Crossword Across hints and answers for August 23, 2026

Start with the hint if you’d like to keep solving on your own. The answer is listed directly underneath.

No.	Clue	Hint	Answer
1	“Awesome!”	Very cool	RAD
4	Many profs	University degree holders	PHDS
8	What a crush might make you do	Show romantic interest	FLIRT
13	Predator with dermal denticles	Ocean predator	SHARK
18	Silent film actor Jannings	First Best Actor Oscar winner	EMIL
20	Reclined	Rested horizontally	LAIN
21	More intense, as an emotion	Stronger	RAWER
22	Early stage of a drug trial	Initial trial phase	PHASE I
23	Peace symbol	Bird symbol	DOVE
24	Adage promoting thrift	Famous penny saying	A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED
27	Itty-bitty	Extremely small	TEENSY
29	Return filers, for short	Tax professionals	CPAS
30	Barely keeps going, with “along”	Struggles forward	LIMPS
31	Fish with leaf-shaped larvae	Slippery fish	EELS
32	Image on one side of this puzzle’s subject	Historical portrait	ABRAHAM LINCOLN
35	Start of a historic triple boast	Caesar’s famous opening	I CAME
37	Seminole’s rival, in college athletics	Florida team mascot	GATOR
38	Liturgical singer	Church vocalist	CANTOR
39	Quick cut	Small slice	SNIP
40	Subtitle alternative	Spoken-over translation	DUB
43	Yogurt drink in Delhi	Indian yogurt beverage	LASSI
45	Monklike, in a way	Ascetic	ASCETIC
48	Angle variable in geometry	Greek letter	THETA
50	Where this puzzle’s subject was last made for circulation	Place that produces currency	U.S. MINT
53	Periodical, informally	Magazine, casually	MAG
55	Genre for Siouxsie and the Banshees	Alternative music genre	GOTH
56	Duck known for its insulating feathers	Northern duck	EIDER
57	Make smelly	Cause to stink	STINK UP
59	One of 12, astrologically	Zodiac sign	LEO
61	“Balderdash!”	Nonsense!	ROT
62	“It’s Your Business” sloganeer, for short	Financial publication initials	WSJ
63	“Omigosh!”	Exclamation	EEK
64	Drug enforcer, informally	Narcotics officer	NARC
66	“When We Were Young” singer, 2015	British singer	ADELE
68	Its capital is Roma	Country	ITALIA
72	Nursery rhyme street vendor’s cry	Hot-cross-buns seller’s call	ONE A PENNY TWO A PENNY HOT CROSS BUNS
77	A failed transaction	Unsuccessful sale	NO SALE
78	Good, but not great, grade	Grade just above B	B PLUS
79	Tennis great Arthur	American tennis legend	ASHE
80	___ King Cole	Singer Nat	NAT
81	Fall asleep, with “off”	Doze	NOD
82	Word with constrictor or feather	Snake or boa	BOA
83	Goddess of the dawn	Greek goddess	EOS
85	Car-pooling convenience	High-occupancy lane	HOV LANE
88	Taco bar adjective	Grilled-meat style	ASADA
91	____ Féin	Irish political party	SINN
92	____ room	Recording room, perhaps	REC
94	Showing less bias	More impartial	FAIRER
95	Musical staff symbol	Clef	C CLEF
96	Aggressive move allowed in some forms of kickboxing	Knee strike	KNEEING
99	“Sounds like a blast!”	Fun response	OH FUN
101	Mini-gulp	Small drink	SIP
102	Some Ivy Leaguers	Students at elite schools	ELIS
104	Meeting that goes above and beyond?	Supernatural gathering	SEANCE
106	Intimate	Get close to	GET AT
110	Bitter	Acrid	ACRID
112	Image on one side of this puzzle’s subject	Historical emblem	THE UNION SHIELD
115	Badge-pinning site	Sash location	SASH
117	Tree where the Buddha found enlightenment	Sacred tree	BODHI
119	Spanish for “wealthy”	Rich	RICO
120	Get in the game?	Put money into play	ANTE UP
121	Offer advice … or a hint to 24- and 72-Across	Give an opinion	PUT IN YOUR TWO CENTS
125	D’Arcy of “House of the Dragon”	Actress Emma	EMMA
126	Paradise	Ideal place	UTOPIA
127	Pucker producer, perhaps	Sour fruit	LEMON
128	Modernists, informally	Contemporary thinkers/artists	NEOS
129	Department store department	Men’s section	MEN’S
130	Vikings, for example	Scandinavian people	NORSE
131	Long members of the onion family	Green vegetables	LEEKS
132	Nervous	On edge	EDGY
133	Slam	Criticize harshly	DIS

NYT Crossword Down hints and answers for August 23, 2026

No.	Clue	Hint	Answer
1	Discount merchandise indicator	Sale marker	RED TAG
2	Organism that moves using pseudopodia	Single-celled organism	AMOEBA
3	Change the course of	Redirect	DIVERT
4	____ del Carmen	Mexican resort	PLAYA
5	Two farthings, informally	Old British coin amount	HA’PENNY
6	Deny responsibility for	Reject blame	DISCLAIM
7	Like certain easy-to-install hardware components	Push-to-install	SNAP-IN
8	Much of Diego Rivera’s work	Wall paintings	FRESCOS
9	Young Scot	Scottish youth	LAD
10	“You can count on me”	Promise of help	I WILL
11	It can become amber	Substance that fossilizes	RESIN
12	Streetcar	Public transit vehicle	TRAM
13	Doo-wop’s ____ Na Na	Famous refrain	SHA
14	Protected space for women in the Ottoman Empire	Historical quarters	HAREM
15	If necessary	As required	AS NEEDED
16	Scottish dance	Traditional dance	REEL
17	Offspring	Children	KIDS
19	“Enemies, a Love Story” actress	Actress Lena	LENA OLIN
22	“GoodFellas” Oscar winner	Supporting actor	PESCI
25	Perspective	Point of view	VANTAGE
26	Demonstrate frugality, in a way	Save every penny	PENNY-PINCH
28	Got tinier	Became smaller	SHRANK
33	Hosts, in brief	Event presenters	MCS
34	Tolkien monster	Middle-earth creature	ORC
36	Exams for ambitious H.S. students	College-prep tests	AP TESTS
39	Date night bookings	Child-care arrangements	SITTERS
41	Indigenous people of the Colorado Plateau	Native group	UTE
42	Setting for many a New Yorker cartoon	Common cartoon location	BAR
44	Having impeded growth	Stunted	STUNTED
46	Bird with an S-shaped neck	Wading bird	EGRET
47	Place for pliers	Tool storage	TOOL CASE
49	Muslim head scarf	Traditional covering	HIJAB
50	Target with, as a pickup line	Aim a romantic line at	USE ON
51	Scribe in a courtroom, in brief	Court reporter	STENO
52	Prepares for an interview, say	Gets microphones ready	MIKES
54	Notorious Chicago bootlegger	Prohibition-era gangster	AL CAPONE
58	What a dog uses to shake	Canine body part	PAW
60	Island location of Iolani Palace	Hawaiian island	OAHU
62	Say something fresh	Speak sharply	WISE OFF
65	Tom who wrote “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”	American author	ROBBINS
67	Information in a prescription	Medication instruction	DOSE
69	Out of this world?	Relating to the moon	LUNAR
70	Silly	Foolish	INANE
71	Fall bloomer	Autumn flower	ASTER
73	“Hoarders” network	TV network	A&E
74	Shoe originally known as a “Weejun”	Slip-on shoe	PENNY LOAFER
75	Street in Liverpool that has been immortalized in song	Beatles-associated street	PENNY LANE
76	“Wow!”	Exclamation	OHH
84	Like many farm stand purchases	Grown without synthetic chemicals	ORGANIC
86	“Dodgeball” star Vince	Actor	VAUGHN
87	Specific charge on an invoice	Billing detail	LINE ITEM
88	Cooling units, in brief	Air conditioners	ACS
89	Poli-____	Political science abbreviation	SCI
90	Pork-based taco option	Mexican taco style	AL PASTOR
91	Snowmobile brand	Winter vehicle brand	SKI-DOO
93	Made cozy	Made comfortable	COCOONED
97	Suffix in British English	Alternative spelling ending	-ISE
98	Makeup of a nervous system, largely	Nerve cells	NEURONS
100	Layer of a farm	Female chicken	HEN
103	Locale for camel racing	North African country	LIBYA
105	Christians’ ____ Creed	Religious statement	NICENE
107	Overflowed (with)	Filled abundantly	TEEMED
108	Reunion attendees	Former classmates	ALUMNI
109	Cause for a QB’s celebration	Scoring play	TD PASS
111	Fries in England	British term for fries	CHIPS
112	Deuce topper	Next score in tennis	THREE
113	“I’ll take another card”	Blackjack request	HIT ME
114	Cheeky	Impudent	SASSY
115	Like cotton candy	Whipped into strands	SPUN
116	Lead-in to pilot or pay	Prefix relating to cars	AUTO
118	Grayish, say	Lacking brightness	DULL
122	Emphatic refusal in Germany	German “no”	NIE
123	Stir-fry staple	Asian cooking vessel	WOK
124	Dress (up)	Put on clothing	TOG

Tips for solving the NYT Crossword

Even if today’s crossword proved difficult, a few strategies can make future puzzles much easier.

• Fill in the shortest clues first to build crossing letters.
• Skip clues that seem impossible and return later with more letters in place.
• Watch for question marks, as they often signal puns or wordplay.
• Look for common crossword abbreviations, initials, and shortened forms.
• Don’t ignore theme clues, as they often unlock multiple answers throughout the puzzle.
• Use crossing answers to verify uncertain guesses instead of forcing words that don’t fit.

Consistently solving a few puzzles each week also helps build familiarity with recurring clue styles commonly used in the NYT Crossword.

Final thoughts

The NYT Crossword for August 23, 2026 delivers another enjoyable daily challenge with a satisfying mix of straightforward clues, clever wordplay, and a memorable theme. Whether only a couple of answers were needed or the complete solution was required, hopefully this guide helped finish today’s puzzle.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for another complete set of NYT Crossword hints and answers, including spoiler-free clues followed by the full solution.