NYT Crossword hints and answer for August 18, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues76
Across35
Down41
ConstructorJeremy Venook
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
Assistance (4)
Starts with H, ends with PHELP→
5A
Dickens villain ___ Heep (5)
Starts with U, ends with HURIAH→
10A
Bears' lairs (4)
Starts with D, ends with SDENS→
14A
Plant with many topical uses (4)
Starts with A, ends with EALOE→
15A
Downright unpleasant (5)
Starts with N, ends with YNASTY→
16A
Meaning of "vidi," in Caesar's boast (4)
Starts with I, ends with WISAW→
17A
Classic Beethoven piano piece (15)
Starts with M, ends with AMOONLIGHTSONATA→
20A
Fed. agency overseeing the stock market (3)
Starts with S, ends with CSEC→
21A
To blame (7)
Starts with A, ends with TATFAULT→
22A
Online Q&A (3)
Starts with A, ends with AAMA→
25A
___ ex machina (4)
Starts with D, ends with SDEUS→
28A
Home to Kosovo and Monaco: Abbr. (3)
Starts with E, ends with REUR→
29A
Academy Award-winning tune from "La La Land" (11)
Starts with C, ends with SCITYOFSTARS→
32A
"Chiseled" muscles (3)
Starts with A, ends with SABS→
35A
Of yore (5)
Starts with O, ends with NOLDEN→
36A
Snippet in a film review show (9)
Starts with M, ends with PMOVIECLIP→
38A
"Looper" director Johnson (4)
Starts with R, ends with NRIAN→
39A
Sarcastic title girl of 1990s-2000s MTV (5)
Starts with D, ends with ADARIA→
40A
Utah skiing destination (4)
Starts with A, ends with AALTA→
41A
Coverers of current events (9)
Starts with N, ends with ANEWSMEDIA→
43A
Boss (around) (5)
Starts with O, ends with RORDER→
44A
Phoenix basketball player (3)
Starts with S, ends with NSUN→
45A
1983 Eurythmics hit whose full title includes "(Are Made of This)" (11)
Starts with S, ends with SSWEETDREAMS→
47A
Popular fantasy role-playing game, in brief (3)
Starts with D, ends with DDND→
49A
"___-haw!" (3)
Starts with Y, ends with EYEE→
50A
It has its x's and y's (7)
Starts with A, ends with AALGEBRA→
54A
T-shirt or blouse (3)
Starts with T, ends with PTOP→
56A
Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle (15)
Starts with M, ends with TMUSICOFTHENIGHT→
62A
Story of one's life? (4)
Starts with O, ends with TOBIT→
63A
Beforehand (5)
Starts with P, ends with RPRIOR→
64A
Singer Kahan with the 2026 #1 album "The Great Divide" (4)
Starts with N, ends with HNOAH→
66A
17-, 29-, 45- and 56-Across (5)
Starts with S, ends with SSONGS→
67A
Person regularly sought out for advice (4)
Starts with G, ends with OGOTO→
Down
1D
Scene stealer (3)
Starts with H, ends with MHAM→
2D
Eponym of a chess rating system (3)
Starts with E, ends with OELO→
3D
British bathroom (3)
Starts with L, ends with OLOO→
4D
Writes (4)
Starts with P, ends with SPENS→
5D
International aid org. (6)
Starts with U, ends with FUNICEF→
6D
Cloth covered in dust, say (3)
Starts with R, ends with GRAG→
7D
"… or so" (3)
Starts with I, ends with HISH→
8D
Lead-in to "boy!" or "girl!" (4)
Starts with A, ends with AATTA→
9D
Madness (8)
Starts with H, ends with AHYSTERIA→
10D
Kuwaiti currency (5)
Starts with D, ends with RDINAR→
11D
The elder of a pair of biblical twins (4)
Starts with E, ends with UESAU→
12D
The "N" of N.A.A.C.P.: Abbr. (4)
Starts with N, ends with LNATL→
13D
Smack, as flies (4)
Starts with S, ends with TSWAT→
18D
Gave false hopes (5)
Starts with L, ends with NLEDON→
19D
Coming in handy (5)
Starts with O, ends with EOFUSE→
22D
Nuts whose shells look like they have little berets (6)
Starts with A, ends with SACORNS→
23D
Environs (6)
Starts with M, ends with UMILIEU→
24D
When Hamilton and Burr had their duel (6)
Starts with A, ends with NATDAWN→
26D
Manufactured in America (6)
Starts with U, ends with EUSMADE→
27D
What gossipers and tall buildings are full of (7)
Starts with S, ends with SSTORIES→
30D
Desires (4)
Starts with Y, ends with SYENS→
31D
Fly in the sky (6)
Starts with A, ends with EAVIATE→
32D
Like some theme park passes (6)
Starts with A, ends with YALLDAY→
33D
"Oh, buzz off" (6)
Starts with B, ends with EBITEME→
34D
Thin on the ground (6)
Starts with S, ends with ESPARSE→
37D
Give a hoot (4)
Starts with C, ends with ECARE→
39D
Morning condensation (8)
Starts with D, ends with SDEWDROPS→
42D
Channel that rebranded with "NOW" in its name in 2025 (5)
Starts with M, ends with CMSNBC→
43D
"Citizen Kane" director Welles (5)
Starts with O, ends with NORSON→
46D
Forfends (6)
Starts with D, ends with SDETERS→
47D
Part of a pantheon (5)
Starts with D, ends with YDEITY→
50D
"Famous" cookie baker (4)
Starts with A, ends with SAMOS→
51D
Anti-friction fluid (4)
Starts with L, ends with ELUBE→
52D
High-end private jet, familiarly (4)
Starts with G, ends with XGSIX→
53D
Hairstyle associated with Jimi Hendrix and Angela Davis (4)
Starts with A, ends with OAFRO→
55D
Send an instant message (4)
Starts with P, ends with GPING→
57D
Sardine container (3)
Starts with T, ends with NTIN→
58D
Refuse to share (3)
Starts with H, ends with GHOG→
60D
Mario has a red "M" on his (3)
Starts with H, ends with THAT→
61D
Howe'er (3)
Starts with T, ends with OTHO→
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 August 18, 2026?+
76 clues: 35 Across and 41 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Jeremy Venook and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Assistance (HELP); Dickens villain ___ Heep (URIAH); Bears' lairs (DENS).
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.
