NYT Crossword hints and answer for July 8, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues78
Across37
Down41
ConstructorMason Hyunjin Lee
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
Cartographers' concerns (4)
Starts with M, ends with SMAPS→
11A
Helpful skill for guessers (3)
Starts with E, ends with PESP→
14A
Working obediently (4)
Starts with A, ends with TATIT→
15A
Mickey with an Oscar nomination for "The Wrestler" (6)
Starts with R, ends with EROURKE→
16A
Champiñones ___ plancha (Spanish dish) (3)
Starts with A, ends with AALA→
17A
[C/P]ause (11)
Starts with M, ends with KMAKEORBREAK→
20A
Food mentioned in the Lord's Prayer (5)
Starts with B, ends with DBREAD→
21A
What "Eat" stands for in the mnemonic "Never Eat Soggy Waffles" (4)
Starts with E, ends with TEAST→
22A
Buzz before a release (4)
Starts with H, ends with EHYPE→
23A
Low-quality synthetic images, informally (6)
Starts with A, ends with PAISLOP→
25A
Prepare to drive, in golf (5)
Starts with T, ends with PTEEUP→
27A
[L/C]ure (12)
Starts with T, ends with TTRICKORTREAT→
32A
Result of touching poison ivy (4)
Starts with I, ends with HITCH→
35A
"The Deer Hunter" setting, in brief (3)
Starts with N, ends with MNAM→
36A
Old, as a joke (5)
Starts with S, ends with ESTALE→
37A
Casual refusal (3)
Starts with N, ends with HNAH→
38A
"Way to go, kid!" (7)
Starts with A, ends with YATTABOY→
41A
Heir to the throne, maybe (3)
Starts with S, ends with NSON→
42A
Like a good explanation, say (5)
Starts with C, ends with RCLEAR→
44A
Brain ___ (3)
Starts with R, ends with TROT→
45A
Prominent features of tarsiers (4)
Starts with E, ends with SEYES→
46A
[M/H]inds (12)
Starts with H, ends with SHEADSORTAILS→
50A
Fitness fad popularized by Billy Blanks (5)
Starts with T, ends with OTAEBO→
51A
"Animal Farm" or "The Simpsons" (6)
Starts with S, ends with ESATIRE→
55A
Soccer great Mia (4)
Starts with H, ends with MHAMM→
57A
Apartment with a high ceiling (4)
Starts with L, ends with TLOFT→
60A
New beginning (5)
Starts with R, ends with TRESET→
61A
Pub order (3)
Starts with A, ends with EALE→
62A
[Z/R]est (11)
Starts with L, ends with HLIFEORDEATH→
64A
Magic setting, in brief (3)
Starts with N, ends with ANBA→
65A
List of things to discuss (6)
Starts with A, ends with AAGENDA→
66A
Mother of a stable family? (4)
Starts with M, ends with EMARE→
67A
___ pal (3)
Starts with G, ends with LGAL→
68A
Individual (6)
Starts with P, ends with NPERSON→
69A
Hershey toffee bar (4)
Starts with S, ends with RSKOR→
Down
1D
Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant (5)
Starts with M, ends with AMAMBA→
2D
Company that created Pong (5)
Starts with A, ends with IATARI→
3D
Fish, roads or weapons that are long and thin (5)
Starts with P, ends with SPIKES→
4D
Sneakiness (7)
Starts with S, ends with HSTEALTH→
6D
Brain or ear part (4)
Starts with L, ends with ELOBE→
7D
Coolness, of a sort (4)
Starts with A, ends with AAURA→
8D
Magician's cry (6)
Starts with P, ends with OPRESTO→
9D
Many a Winter Olympian (6)
Starts with S, ends with RSKATER→
10D
"Holy moley!" (3)
Starts with E, ends with KEEK→
11D
"No sweat!" (9)
Starts with E, ends with YEASYPEASY→
12D
___ on the wrist (4)
Starts with S, ends with PSLAP→
13D
Word with home or half (4)
Starts with P, ends with EPAGE→
18D
What cologne may mask (4)
Starts with O, ends with RODOR→
22D
Injured (4)
Starts with H, ends with THURT→
24D
Pub order (4)
Starts with P, ends with TPINT→
26D
Site for "unique and creative" items (4)
Starts with E, ends with YETSY→
28D
"Sleep is like a ___: It only comes to you if you ignore it": Gillian Flynn (3)
Starts with C, ends with TCAT→
29D
Big box store that merged with Sears in 2005 (5)
Starts with K, ends with TKMART→
30D
Sunburn remedy (4)
Starts with A, ends with EALOE→
31D
X's, sometimes (4)
Starts with T, ends with STENS→
32D
Ruler division (4)
Starts with I, ends with HINCH→
33D
Tall story (4)
Starts with T, ends with ETALE→
34D
Weekly reward for a strict dieter, maybe (9)
Starts with C, ends with LCHEATMEAL→
38D
Keister, in Leicester (4)
Starts with A, ends with EARSE→
39D
Feathered accessory that won't constrict you (3)
Starts with B, ends with ABOA→
40D
Singer Redding (4)
Starts with O, ends with SOTIS→
43D
First in a race? (4)
Starts with A, ends with MADAM→
45D
Regards highly (7)
Starts with E, ends with SESTEEMS→
47D
Do a favor (6)
Starts with O, ends with EOBLIGE→
48D
Worker overhead (6)
Starts with R, ends with RROOFER→
49D
Cooking fat (4)
Starts with L, ends with DLARD→
52D
Chris with the 1991 hit "Wicked Game" (5)
Starts with I, ends with KISAAK→
53D
Cool again, maybe (5)
Starts with R, ends with ORETRO→
54D
Heavens (5)
Starts with E, ends with RETHER→
55D
Rest like a bat (4)
Starts with H, ends with GHANG→
56D
Jessica of "Fantastic Four" (4)
Starts with A, ends with AALBA→
58D
Marshy areas (4)
Starts with F, ends with SFENS→
59D
Task on a list (4)
Starts with T, ends with OTODO→
62D
Greatly surpass, as competitors in a race (3)
Starts with L, ends with PLAP→
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 July 8, 2026?+
78 clues: 37 Across and 41 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Mason Hyunjin Lee and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Cartographers' concerns (MAPS); Go by (ELAPSE); Helpful skill for guessers (ESP).
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.
