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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.

September 13, 2026 22×22 grid 160 clues Sunday

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.

1 Across starting lettersHow does every Across entry open? 1 S · 6 S · 12 D · 17 S · 20 I · 21 K · 22 I · 23 C · 24 F · 26 A · 28 T · 29 L · 30 L · 31 N · 32 O · 33 E · 35 L · 37 C · 41 R · 43 P · 46 M · 47 G · 48 H · 50 R · 52 A · 54 B · 56 T · 57 G · 59 A · 61 G · 62 S · 63 W · 64 M · 66 S · 70 E · 72 I · 73 T · 74 N · 75 S · 79 N · 84 A · 85 T · 86 H · 87 E · 88 Z · 89 Y · 90 C · 92 V · 94 N · 96 C · 99 S · 100 E · 101 K · 103 H · 106 S · 107 U · 109 R · 112 T · 114 P · 115 A · 117 T · 120 A · 122 A · 123 S · 124 A · 127 W · 129 P · 132 L · 134 M · 135 I · 136 T · 138 S · 141 S · 142 E · 143 E · 144 R · 145 T · 146 S · 147 L · 148 S.
2 Down starting lettersAnd every Down entry? 1 S · 2 A · 3 F · 4 E · 5 R · 6 S · 7 P · 8 A · 9 T · 10 A · 11 T · 12 D · 13 I · 14 N · 15 A · 16 R · 17 S · 18 O · 19 D · 25 S · 27 M · 34 S · 36 S · 37 C · 38 E · 39 C · 40 E · 42 T · 44 O · 45 M · 49 A · 51 I · 53 E · 54 B · 55 R · 58 S · 60 S · 65 M · 66 S · 67 T · 68 E · 69 M · 71 R · 75 S · 76 P · 77 O · 78 T · 79 N · 80 O · 81 T · 82 M · 83 E · 91 U · 93 O · 95 A · 96 C · 97 L · 98 O · 102 I · 104 B · 105 O · 106 S · 108 T · 110 E · 111 T · 113 T · 116 P · 117 T · 118 H · 119 A · 121 S · 125 P · 126 S · 128 O · 130 O · 131 S · 133 E · 137 A · 139 A · 140 D.
3 The longest entryWhich entry is doing the most work? 24 Across ("Certain group of orchestral winds") runs 12 letters, starts with F and ends with N.
4 A foothold, freeGive me one entry outright? 24 Across is FLUTESECTION. On a full grid the longest entry crosses a dozen others, so this is the cheapest way in.
5 The three-letter fillWhat are the 3-letter answers? 17 Across is SOD, 23 Across is CPU, 28 Across is TUG, 30 Across is LPS, 31 Across is NEO, 32 Across is OAR, 47 Across is GEM, 54 Across is BRO, 62 Across is STL, 72 Across is IAM, 74 Across is NYE, 85 Across is TSA, 88 Across is ZEN, 94 Across is NDA, 99 Across is SOS, 100 Across is ENT, 101 Across is KIT, 103 Across is HBO, 122 Across is ARE, 123 Across is SAT, 132 Across is LTE, 134 Across is MOE, 143 Across is EON, 147 Across is LTD, 4 Down is EBT, 8 Down is ART, 15 Down is ANA, 18 Down is OPT, 19 Down is DUH, 27 Down is MAV, 34 Down is SAY, 42 Down is TUT, 44 Down is ORG, 45 Down is MAI, 51 Down is INS, 53 Down is EWE, 54 Down is BAM, 55 Down is RIO, 65 Down is MAC, 75 Down is SHE, 83 Down is END, 95 Down is AHI, 104 Down is BOA, 111 Down is TOT, 116 Down is PRO, 137 Down is AMP, 139 Down is AND, 140 Down is DEE. Short entries are the classic crosswordese that unlock everything around them.

Drumroll, please…

NYT Crossword Answers for September 13

Answers hidden · tap a tile strip to reveal

Across (80)

  1. 1

    Less injurious

  2. 6

    Showed some real malice toward

  3. 12

    Mideast currency

  4. 17

    Landscaper's timesaver

  5. 20

    "Well, how about that?!"

  6. 21

    Practice taught in a dojo

  7. 22
  8. 23

    Computer's "brain," in brief

  9. 24

    Certain group of orchestral winds

  10. 26

    Large insect named from Greek myth

  11. 28
  12. 29

    Hook for a newspaper article

  13. 30

    Forerunners of CDs

  14. 31
  15. 32

    Nautical lever

  16. 33

    "De dónde ___ tú?" ("Where are you from?": Sp.)

  17. 35
  18. 37

    Mechanic's offering

  19. 41

    Told, as a story

  20. 43
  21. 46

    Turn from solid to liquid

  22. 47
  23. 48

    Santa Fe automaker

  24. 50

    Two of them make up a diameter

  25. 52
  26. 54
  27. 56
  28. 57

    Group project on a winter's day, perhaps

  29. 59

    What snobby people put on

  30. 61

    ___ Simmons, founding member of Kiss

  31. 62

    Missouri airport code

  32. 63

    Highly anomalous

  33. 64

    Distraction-limiting lifestyle trend

  34. 66
  35. 70
  36. 72

    Enthusiastic response to "Who's ready?"

  37. 73
  38. 74

    Celebration between Xmas and M.L.K. Day

  39. 75

    Classic Dalmatian name

  40. 79

    "Am I invisible or what?!"

  41. 84
  42. 85

    Airport screening org.

  43. 86

    Another name for Vishnu, translating to "the remover"

  44. 87

    Broadway's "Dear ___ Hansen"

  45. 88

    Mellow, in a way

  46. 89
  47. 90

    Prompts to play, while conducting

  48. 92

    Largest zodiac constellation

  49. 94
  50. 96

    Material in reusable diapers

  51. 99

    Rihanna song with the lyric "Please, someone help me"

  52. 100
  53. 101
  54. 103

    Pioneering premium channel

  55. 106
  56. 107
  57. 109
  58. 112

    Plot feature of "Planet of the Apes"

  59. 114

    Casals who popularized Bach's cello suites

  60. 115
  61. 117

    Source of the word "tuk-tuk" used for a motorized rickshaw

  62. 120

    Crumb carriers

  63. 122

    "What ___ we doing?"

  64. 123

    Took a load off

  65. 124

    Cousins of cobras

  66. 127
  67. 129
  68. 132

    Cell network letters

  69. 134

    Co-Stooge of Larry

  70. 135

    Reply to "Nuh-uh!"

  71. 136

    1990s exercise fad

  72. 138

    Descended with rappelling ropes

  73. 141

    Step forcefully

  74. 142

    Alternative to a username when logging in

  75. 143

    1,000,000,000 years

  76. 144
  77. 145
  78. 146

    Period of letting loose

  79. 147

    Abbr. after some business names

  80. 148

    Looks of contempt

Down (80)

  1. 1

    Flour de-clumper

  2. 2

    Intriguing appeal

  3. 3

    Cornet lookalike

  4. 4

    Food assistance syst.

  5. 5

    Easily recite, with "off"

  6. 6
  7. 7

    Walks nervously, in a way

  8. 8

    Jazz drummer Blakey

  9. 9

    Customize (to)

  10. 10
  11. 11

    Stunners, so to speak

  12. 12

    William and Harry's mum

  13. 13
  14. 14

    Like choices that can't turn out that badly

  15. 15

    Japan's largest carrier

  16. 16

    Locale with many seasonal businesses

  17. 17

    Previously unseen sporting result (term coined in 2014)

  18. 18

    Pick, with "for"

  19. 19

    "That's obvious!"

  20. 25

    Mabel Mora's portrayer on "Only Murders in the Building"

  21. 27
  22. 34

    Use your words?

  23. 36

    Central support

  24. 37

    Concluding passage, in music

  25. 38
  26. 39

    French film award

  27. 40

    Reword, perhaps

  28. 42

    Child king of Egypt

  29. 44

    URL ender for many nonprofits

  30. 45
  31. 49
  32. 51
  33. 53

    Isle of ___ (Scottish locale whose name sounds like an expression of endearment)

  34. 54

    Sound of impact

  35. 55

    Home of the Christ the Redeemer statue

  36. 58

    Brings the house down, like a comic

  37. 60

    Moving between the poles?

  38. 65

    Computer covered by AppleCare

  39. 66
  40. 67
  41. 68
  42. 69
  43. 71

    What acids do when mixed with bases

  44. 75
  45. 76

    Secondhand lung irritant

  46. 77

    Bird whose name comes from the Latin for "golden"

  47. 78

    Glittery holiday strands

  48. 79
  49. 80
  50. 81

    Pastries that can be very sweet, ironically

  51. 82

    Tucked-away observations

  52. 83
  53. 91

    Shipmate of Spock

  54. 93

    Pods in bhindi masala

  55. 95

    Yellowfin tuna

  56. 96

    Advertising award

  57. 97

    Home décor options

  58. 98
  59. 102

    Hookup during infusion therapy, in brief

  60. 104

    Mardi Gras accessory

  61. 105

    Released with conditions

  62. 106

    Topping for an apple crisp

  63. 108
  64. 110
  65. 111
  66. 113
  67. 116
  68. 117

    Soft-serve request

  69. 118
  70. 119

    Deandre ___, N.B.A. center who was picked first in the 2018 draft

  71. 121

    Weapon used by some chimpanzees

  72. 125

    Lead-in to grid or play

  73. 126

    Puts in the mail

  74. 128
  75. 130

    Off Broadway award

  76. 131
  77. 133

    Heaven on earth

  78. 137

    Boomer at a concert

  79. 139

    It's sometimes shortened to the letter "N"

  80. 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

Answer count

160 answers in total: 80 Across and 80 Down.

Longest and shortest

The longest answer runs 12 letters; the shortest run 3 letters (48 of them).

Letter check

E is today's most common letter, appearing 54 times across the grid.

By the numbers

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.

Do a first pass for gimmes

Skim every clue before committing to one. Short, direct clues (abbreviations, fill-in-the-blanks) fall fastest and open up the grid.

Fill the short answers first

Three and four letter answers lean on common words and abbreviations, so bank those before the long ones.

Watch for question marks

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.

Lean on crossings

Unsure of a letter? Solve the crossing clue instead of guessing, and let it fill the gap for you.

Work in sections

A big grid is really several small ones stitched together. Clear one corner fully before moving to the next.

Difficulty grows through the week

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. 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. 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. 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. 4 Finish the grid

    There is no guess limit. Solvers who care about the streak simply have to finish before the next day starts.

Made by

The New York Times, edited by Will Shortz

The board

15 by 15 Monday to Saturday, 21 by 21 on Sunday

Your limit

No limit

Resets

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.

Play on NYT ↗

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.

DatePuzzleAnswer
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