Today's NYT Crossword Answers
Stuck on puzzle #24,416? Take a hint at a time, or drop straight to the full answer list. Nothing spoils until you tap.
Hints, one at a time
Welcome back, puzzler. The NYT Crossword for Sunday, September 13, 2026 is live: a 22x22 grid with 160 clues to fill in, 80 Across and 80 Down. If yesterday's grid took you a while, today's is a fresh start.
Here's how this page works: the five hints below start with nothing but opening letters and end with two entries handed over outright, so reveal them one at a time and stop the moment the long answers start falling. The full set of answers sits in the green box further down, organized by Across and Down, locked behind a tap. Nothing here reveals itself on its own, not a long entry and not the shortest crossing.
Letters first, then whole entries. Stop when the long answers begin to fall.
Drumroll, please…
NYT Crossword Answers for September 13
Answers hidden · tap a tile strip to revealAcross (80)
- 1
Less injurious
- 6
Showed some real malice toward
- 12
Mideast currency
- 17
Landscaper's timesaver
- 20
"Well, how about that?!"
- 21
Practice taught in a dojo
- 22
Combined
- 23
Computer's "brain," in brief
- 24
Certain group of orchestral winds
- 26
Large insect named from Greek myth
- 28
Yank
- 29
Hook for a newspaper article
- 30
Forerunners of CDs
- 31
New start?
- 32
Nautical lever
- 33
"De dónde ___ tú?" ("Where are you from?": Sp.)
- 35
Rope in
- 37
Mechanic's offering
- 41
Told, as a story
- 43
Special offer
- 46
Turn from solid to liquid
- 47
Diamond, e.g.
- 48
Santa Fe automaker
- 50
Two of them make up a diameter
- 52
Chilling
- 54
Frat ___
- 56
Sharp nail
- 57
Group project on a winter's day, perhaps
- 59
What snobby people put on
- 61
___ Simmons, founding member of Kiss
- 62
Missouri airport code
- 63
Highly anomalous
- 64
Distraction-limiting lifestyle trend
- 66
[24-Across]
- 70
Rake in
- 72
Enthusiastic response to "Who's ready?"
- 73
[37-Across]
- 74
Celebration between Xmas and M.L.K. Day
- 75
Classic Dalmatian name
- 79
"Am I invisible or what?!"
- 84
[41-Across]
- 85
Airport screening org.
- 86
Another name for Vishnu, translating to "the remover"
- 87
Broadway's "Dear ___ Hansen"
- 88
Mellow, in a way
- 89
[57-Across]
- 90
Prompts to play, while conducting
- 92
Largest zodiac constellation
- 94
Privacy doc
- 96
Material in reusable diapers
- 99
Rihanna song with the lyric "Please, someone help me"
- 100
Tonsil doc
- 101
Baby fox
- 103
Pioneering premium channel
- 106
Pole, e.g.
- 107
Advantageous
- 109
Qualm
- 112
Plot feature of "Planet of the Apes"
- 114
Casals who popularized Bach's cello suites
- 115
Suitable
- 117
Source of the word "tuk-tuk" used for a motorized rickshaw
- 120
Crumb carriers
- 122
"What ___ we doing?"
- 123
Took a load off
- 124
Cousins of cobras
- 127
"Good job!"
- 129
Absorbent
- 132
Cell network letters
- 134
Co-Stooge of Larry
- 135
Reply to "Nuh-uh!"
- 136
1990s exercise fad
- 138
Descended with rappelling ropes
- 141
Step forcefully
- 142
Alternative to a username when logging in
- 143
1,000,000,000 years
- 144
Stank
- 145
Builds muscle
- 146
Period of letting loose
- 147
Abbr. after some business names
- 148
Looks of contempt
Down (80)
- 1
Flour de-clumper
- 2
Intriguing appeal
- 3
Cornet lookalike
- 4
Food assistance syst.
- 5
Easily recite, with "off"
- 6
Scampered away
- 7
Walks nervously, in a way
- 8
Jazz drummer Blakey
- 9
Customize (to)
- 10
Over
- 11
Stunners, so to speak
- 12
William and Harry's mum
- 13
Occasional
- 14
Like choices that can't turn out that badly
- 15
Japan's largest carrier
- 16
Locale with many seasonal businesses
- 17
Previously unseen sporting result (term coined in 2014)
- 18
Pick, with "for"
- 19
"That's obvious!"
- 25
Mabel Mora's portrayer on "Only Murders in the Building"
- 27
Dallas baller
- 34
Use your words?
- 36
Central support
- 37
Concluding passage, in music
- 38
Enthusiasm
- 39
French film award
- 40
Reword, perhaps
- 42
Child king of Egypt
- 44
URL ender for many nonprofits
- 45
___ tai
- 49
Primo
- 51
Hookups
- 53
Isle of ___ (Scottish locale whose name sounds like an expression of endearment)
- 54
Sound of impact
- 55
Home of the Christ the Redeemer statue
- 58
Brings the house down, like a comic
- 60
Moving between the poles?
- 65
Computer covered by AppleCare
- 66
[109-Across]
- 67
[115-Across]
- 68
[127-Across]
- 69
[138-Across]
- 71
What acids do when mixed with bases
- 75
___-wolf
- 76
Secondhand lung irritant
- 77
Bird whose name comes from the Latin for "golden"
- 78
Glittery holiday strands
- 79
Not even once
- 80
Sheeplike
- 81
Pastries that can be very sweet, ironically
- 82
Tucked-away observations
- 83
Conclude
- 91
Shipmate of Spock
- 93
Pods in bhindi masala
- 95
Yellowfin tuna
- 96
Advertising award
- 97
Home décor options
- 98
As a whole
- 102
Hookup during infusion therapy, in brief
- 104
Mardi Gras accessory
- 105
Released with conditions
- 106
Topping for an apple crisp
- 108
"Toodles!"
- 110
Embodiment
- 111
Young 'un
- 113
Snickers
- 116
Expert
- 117
Soft-serve request
- 118
Must
- 119
Deandre ___, N.B.A. center who was picked first in the 2018 draft
- 121
Weapon used by some chimpanzees
- 125
Lead-in to grid or play
- 126
Puts in the mail
- 128
"My bad!"
- 130
Off Broadway award
- 131
___-free
- 133
Heaven on earth
- 137
Boomer at a concert
- 139
It's sometimes shortened to the letter "N"
- 140
Dennis's sister on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
Blank tiles show each answer's length. Tap a strip to fill it in. Stuck on one? First letters deals just each entry's opening tile.
Yesterday's longest answer (#24,398): THATDOESIT · full breakdown ›
About today's grid #24,416
160 answers in total: 80 Across and 80 Down.
The longest answer runs 12 letters; the shortest run 3 letters (48 of them).
E is today's most common letter, appearing 54 times across the grid.
Puzzle #24,416, published Sunday, September 13, 2026, edited by Will Shortz and built by Henry Lin-David and Frank S. David.
Crossword strategy that actually helps
Proven habits from top solvers, useful today and every day.
Skim every clue before committing to one. Short, direct clues (abbreviations, fill-in-the-blanks) fall fastest and open up the grid.
Three and four letter answers lean on common words and abbreviations, so bank those before the long ones.
A "?" means the clue is playing a game with you. From Thursday onward the question marks cluster around the gimmick, so treat them as a map of the theme.
Unsure of a letter? Solve the crossing clue instead of guessing, and let it fill the gap for you.
A big grid is really several small ones stitched together. Clear one corner fully before moving to the next.
Monday and Tuesday puzzles lean on straightforward definitions; by Friday and Saturday, expect trickier wordplay and less common vocabulary. Sunday is typically Thursday-level with a bigger grid.
How to play NYT Crossword
The rules in full, for anyone arriving without them.
The New York Times Crossword is the daily flagship: a full-size grid of interlocking answers that has run since 1942. Unlike most puzzles, its difficulty is scheduled, climbing steadily from Monday to Saturday.
- 1 Sweep the Acrosses, then the Downs
Fill in only what you are certain of on the first pass. Confidence, not completeness, is the goal of the opening sweep.
- 2 Anchor on the long answers
The longest entries usually carry the theme. Cracking one gives you a letter in almost every crossing word.
- 3 Read the clue exactly as written
Tense, plurality, and part of speech in the clue always match the answer. A question mark signals wordplay, and an abbreviation in the clue means an abbreviated answer.
- 4 Finish the grid
There is no guess limit. Solvers who care about the streak simply have to finish before the next day starts.
The New York Times, edited by Will Shortz
15 by 15 Monday to Saturday, 21 by 21 on Sunday
No limit
10pm Eastern the night before, 6pm on weekends
The day of the week is the single best hint you get. Monday clues are straight definitions, Thursday almost always breaks a rule with a gimmick, and Saturday is the hardest of the week despite having no theme at all.
NYT Crossword, answered
Quick answers to the questions we get every day.
What time does the new Crossword come out?
The daily Crossword resets at 10 p.m. Eastern the night before for digital subscribers, and at midnight local time once it's live everywhere. The Crossword posts at 10pm Eastern on weeknights and 6pm at weekends, so the next day's grid is live well before midnight.
Why do puzzles get harder through the week?
The NYT ramps difficulty on purpose: Monday is the easiest day and Saturday the hardest, with Sunday landing at a mid-week difficulty on a larger grid. Same editorial team, same clue conventions, just more wordplay and less common vocabulary as the week goes on.
How is the full Crossword different from the Mini?
The Mini is a small grid, usually 5x5, solvable in a couple of minutes. The full daily Crossword runs 15x15 on weekdays and up to 21x21 on Sundays, with dozens more clues and a much wider range of difficulty across the week.
Can I play past Crossword puzzles?
Yes, if you're an NYT Games subscriber, the app and site keep a deep archive of past puzzles. This page focuses on the two most recent: today's and yesterday's.
Which day of the week is hardest?
Saturday, not Sunday. Difficulty climbs from Monday to Saturday, and the Saturday grid is themeless specifically so the clues can be as oblique as the editor likes. Sunday is larger at 21 by 21 but sits around Thursday in difficulty, so it takes longer without being harder.
Today's hints for every game
Same spoiler-safe format, for each daily puzzle we cover.
Past NYT Crossword answers
The longest answer from each recent grid, organized by month. A full crossword has no single solution, so we list the marquee entry: the longest fill, which is usually the one carrying the theme. Today's stays blurred until you tap it.
| Date | Puzzle | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 13Today | #24,416 | FLUTESECTION |
| Sep 11 | #24,398 | SOBADITSGOOD |
| Sep 10 | #24,400 | EASEOFOPERATION |
| Sep 09 | #24,397 | LOOSECANNON |
| Sep 08 | #24,392 | WALGREENS |
| Sep 07 | #24,393 | ELEVATORMUSIC |
| Sep 06 | #24,381 | FLASHDANCESWITHWOLVES |
| Sep 04 | #24,366 | JENGATOWER |
| Sep 03 | #24,379 | CLASSROOM |
| Sep 02 | #24,377 | MISCHIEFMANAGED |
| Sep 01 | #24,378 | SAUSAGELINK |
| Aug 31 | #24,365 | BUTTERFINGERS |
| Aug 30 | #24,350 | RECURRINGCHARACTERS |
| Aug 28 | #24,348 | WELLWELLWELL |
| Aug 27 | #24,347 | ZZBUALDRIN |
| Aug 26 | #24,346 | SALTEDCARAMEL |
| Aug 25 | #24,345 | PERSEIDS |
| Aug 24 | #24,344 | HELLORHIGHWATER |
| Aug 23 | #24,324 | ONEAPENNYTWOAPENNYHOTCROSSBUNS |
| Aug 21 | #24,322 | CRASHINGOUT |
| Aug 20 | #24,321 | FORWARDTHINKING |
| Aug 19 | #24,288 | GOOSEFEATHERS |
| Aug 18 | #24,320 | MOONLIGHTSONATA |
| Aug 17 | #24,319 | LOUIELOUIE |
| Aug 16 | #24,305 | DOCTORSWITHOUTBORDERS |
| Aug 14 | #24,304 | IMEANCOMEON |
| Aug 13 | #24,301 | GOBERSERK |
| Aug 12 | #24,250 | INTERNETTRAFFIC |
| Aug 11 | #24,303 | FLAMINGLIPS |
| Aug 10 | #24,294 | STEPBYSTEP |
| Aug 09 | #24,277 | COMEONINTHEWATERSFINE |
| Aug 07 | #24,286 | CATSOUTOFTHEBAG |
| Aug 06 | #24,285 | JAMAICANRUM |
| Aug 05 | #24,278 | MASSAGES |
| Aug 04 | #24,266 | DELHIPLATTERS |
| Aug 03 | #24,284 | ICECREAMMAKER |
| Aug 02 | #24,275 | OFFROADVEHICLE |
| Jul 31 | #24,252 | UPSANDDOWNS |
| Jul 30 | #24,251 | CHARLIESHEEN |
| Jul 29 | #24,254 | PARTYCRASHER |
| Jul 28 | #24,249 | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Jul 27 | #24,237 | SOLOMONISLANDS |
| Jul 26 | #24,232 | PRINCESSPEACH |
| Jul 24 | #24,226 | BINGEWATCHING |
| Jul 23 | #24,227 | ENCHILADAS |
| Jul 22 | #24,236 | SPINTHEBOTTLE |
| Jul 21 | #24,235 | BADABINGBADABOOM |
| Jul 20 | #24,234 | SCRABBLETILE |
| Jul 19 | #24,220 | UNEARNEDRUN |
| Jul 17 | #24,218 | SCALLIONPANCAKE |
| Jul 13 | #24,188 | IRONCURTAIN |
| Jul 06 | #24,159 | STOPDROPANDROLL |
| Jul 05 | #24,136 | POWERBEHINDTHETHRONE |
| Jul 03 | #24,129 | PRESIDENTIALRUN |
| Jul 02 | #24,168 | DELEGATIONS |
| Jul 01 | #24,175 | PARALLELUNIVERSE |
| Jun 30 | #24,144 | MOVIETHEATER |
| Jun 29 | #24,150 | INTELLIGENTGENT |
| Jun 28 | #24,119 | STUCKOUTLIKEASORETHUMB |
| Jun 26 | #24,121 | EXTRALARGEPIZZA |
| Jun 25 | #24,124 | OVERTHINK |
| Jun 24 | #24,117 | WALKIETALKIES |
| Jun 23 | #24,115 | COVERSTORY |
| Jun 22 | #24,116 | HOMEWARDBOUND |
| Jun 21 | #24,101 | THATSATALLORDER |
| Jun 19 | #24,106 | HOMERUNTROT |
| Jun 18 | #24,097 | BROADWAYOPENING |
| Jun 17 | #24,105 | RIFFLESHUFFLES |
| Jun 16 | #24,104 | OLDMANANDTHESEA |
| Jun 15 | #24,103 | PENCILSHARPENER |
| Jun 14 | #24,044 | SOPHPOOHPOOHSPOSHSHOP |
| Jun 12 | #24,023 | GENETICLOTTERY |
| Jun 11 | #24,047 | HUNDREDLEGS |
| Jun 10 | #24,042 | WORLDCUPWINNERS |
| Jun 09 | #24,046 | EXCEEDINGLYRARE |
| Jun 08 | #24,045 | PARALLELPARKING |
| Jun 07 | #24,031 | TWOOUTOFTHREE |
| Jun 05 | #24,024 | MAKEITMAKESENSE |
| Jun 04 | #23,919 | LOWESTIMATES |
| Jun 03 | #24,022 | IMTOOOLDFORTHIS |
| Jun 02 | #24,021 | SICSTHEDOGON |
| Jun 01 | #24,020 | CAMEOUTONTOP |
| May 31 | #23,918 | MARKSMANSHIP |
| May 29 | #23,990 | ROLLINGSTOPS |
| May 28 | #24,008 | PASTORPRESENT |
| May 27 | #24,006 | FOURSCOREAND |
| May 26 | #23,997 | BODYOFKNOWLEDGE |
| May 25 | #23,991 | GHOSTPEPPER |
| May 24 | #23,942 | CONTROLLEDCHAPS |
| May 22 | #23,951 | ASKINGFORAFRIEND |
| May 21 | #23,950 | BACKWARDSCAP |
| May 20 | #23,949 | OFFYEARELECTION |
| May 19 | #23,917 | PENTATONICSCALE |
| May 18 | #23,948 | MINISTRYOFMAGIC |
| May 17 | #23,941 | CHICKENSANDWICH |
| May 15 | #23,944 | BANANASEAT |
| May 14 | #23,916 | COLORPHOTOS |
| May 13 | #23,945 | OPENPARENTHESIS |
| May 12 | #23,946 | FLAVOUROFTHEDAY |
| May 11 | #23,947 | BILLBOARDCHARTS |