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 24, 2026 covers every clue in order.
24 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.
NYT Crossword Across hints and answers for August 24, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | Apex | Highest point | ACME |
| 5A | Curry ingredient | Common spice | CUMIN |
| 10A | Hay unit | Bale of hay | BALE |
| 14A | Robert Frost creation | A work by Frost | POEM |
| 15A | Grilled, at a taqueria | Mexican cooking style | ASADA |
| 16A | Mined metals | Extracted resources | ORES |
| 17A | Criminals’ sphere | World of crime | UNDERWORLD |
| 19A | Have a hankering for | Desire | WANT |
| 20A | Floral Van Gogh subject | Flower | IRIS |
| 21A | Latin gods | Deities | DEI |
| 22A | Enemy | Opponent | FOE |
| 23A | End of the Greek alphabet | Final Greek letter | OMEGA |
| 25A | Tsunami | Large ocean wave | TIDAL WAVE |
| 28A | Common motive in a murder case | Reason for revenge | REVENGE |
| 30A | Follower of latch or catch | Goes with “onto” | ONTO |
| 31A | Nashville honor, briefly | Country music award | CMA |
| 32A | Oft-torn knee part, in brief | Knee ligament | ACL |
| 34A | Confederate soldier, informally | Civil War term | REB |
| 35A | Any foreseeable difficulty … with a hint to 17-, 25-, 50- and 60-Across | Difficult situation | HELL OR HIGH WATER |
| 42A | Clerical vestment | Priest’s garment | ALB |
| 43A | Writer Edgar Allan ___ | Famous author | POE |
| 44A | She, in Portuguese | Portuguese pronoun | ELA |
| 45A | Zing ___ (brand of Bloody Mary mix) | Brand name | ZANG |
| 47A | Zoomed past | Passed quickly | RACED BY |
| 50A | Stop in the afterlife | Place of punishment or purification | PURGATORY |
| 54A | Fill in for | Substitute for | ACT AS |
| 55A | Fury | Anger | IRE |
| 56A | Source of fleece | Wool-producing animal | EWE |
| 57A | Jazz great Fitzgerald | First name | ELLA |
| 58A | White part of an orange | Citrus pith | PITH |
| 60A | Natural wonder in Venezuela | Famous waterfall | ANGEL FALLS |
| 64A | Sound in a cavernous empty room | Reverberating sound | ECHO |
| 65A | Arctic creatures with flippers | Marine animals | SEALS |
| 66A | International retailer with a three-syllable name | Swedish retailer | IKEA |
| 67A | Dance whose name is also a hairstyle | Dance and haircut | SHAG |
| 68A | Golfer Els | First name | ERNIE |
| 69A | Letters on an invitation | Response abbreviation | RSVP |
NYT Crossword Down hints and answers for August 24, 2026
| No. | Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1D | Storekeeper on “The Simpsons” | Kwik-E-Mart owner | APU |
| 2D | Trick | Deception | CON |
| 3D | Like the period known as the Middle Ages | Medieval | MEDIEVAL |
| 4D | Leave the cocoon | Emerge | EMERGE |
| 5D | Sparrows : cheeps :: crows : ___ | Crow sound | CAWS |
| 6D | Grp. that entertains troops | Military entertainment group | USO |
| 7D | Tuesday, in Lyon | French weekday | MARDI |
| 8D | Sat at a red light | Waited in traffic | IDLED |
| 9D | Gymnast Comaneci | Olympic champion’s first name | NADIA |
| 10D | Cousin of a curtsy | Similar gesture | BOW |
| 11D | Yasir of the P.L.O. | Palestinian leader | ARAFAT |
| 12D | Chinese computer giant | Technology company | LENOVO |
| 13D | Lauder of cosmetics | Cosmetics mogul’s first name | ESTEE |
| 18D | “Knives Out” director Johnson | Director Rian | RIAN |
| 23D | Philharmonic grp. | Orchestra abbreviation | ORCH |
| 24D | Many a viral post | Internet item | MEME |
| 25D | Word after Georgia, Virginia or low | Common follow-up | TECH |
| 26D | Big name in movie theaters | Theater chain predecessor | LOEW |
| 27D | Caitlin Clark’s league | Women’s basketball league | WNBA |
| 29D | Apparel | Clothing | GARB |
| 33D | Place for gloss | Body part | LIP |
| 34D | Actress Perlman of “Cheers” | Actress Rhea | RHEA |
| 36D | “Auld ___ Syne” | Traditional song phrase | LANG |
| 37D | “Three Sisters” sister | Chekhov character | OLGA |
| 38D | Like many horror flicks | Frightening style | GORY |
| 39D | Presentations with an 18-minute limit | Conference talks | TED TALKS |
| 40D | Actor Idris | Actor Elba | ELBA |
| 41D | Tampa Bay players | Baseball team nickname | RAYS |
| 45D | Financial center of Switzerland | Swiss city | ZURICH |
| 46D | Franklin who sang “Chain of Fools” | Soul legend | ARETHA |
| 48D | Baby bovine | Young cow | CALF |
| 49D | Filled pastry | French pastry | ECLAIR |
| 50D | Plumbing conduits | Pipes | PIPES |
| 51D | Needle mischievously | Tease | TEASE |
| 52D | Renter’s counterpart | Property owner | OWNER |
| 53D | Daughter of King Lear | Shakespeare character | REGAN |
| 57D | Coder’s counterpart to “if” | Programming word | ELSE |
| 59D | Non-sharer | Self-centered person | HOG |
| 61D | One of football’s Mannings | Manning brother | ELI |
| 62D | “The Magicians” novelist Grossman | Author’s first name | LEV |
| 63D | Maple syrup base | Tree product | SAP |
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 24, 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.
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