NYT Crossword hints and answer for March 23, 2026
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues78
Across37
Down41
ConstructorMatthew Luter
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
Mark of an old injury (4)
Starts with S, ends with RSCAR→
5A
Some Egyptian reptiles (4)
Starts with A, ends with SASPS→
9A
Sleep in the great outdoors, say (4)
Starts with C, ends with PCAMP→
13A
"The ___ Game" (song that begins "Shirley Shirley bo-berley, bonana fanna fo-ferley" (4)
Starts with N, ends with ENAME→
14A
Smell really bad (4)
Starts with R, ends with KREEK→
15A
Reef around a lagoon (5)
Starts with A, ends with LATOLL→
17A
Popular character actor in both "The Godfather" and "Barney Miller" (9)
Starts with A, ends with AABEVIGODA→
19A
Expression of proportion (5)
Starts with R, ends with ORATIO→
20A
Gold seeker's tool (3)
Starts with P, ends with NPAN→
21A
Guided visit (4)
Starts with T, ends with RTOUR→
22A
They save the day (6)
Starts with H, ends with SHEROES→
23A
Viscous goo (5)
Starts with S, ends with ESLIME→
25A
Avian metaphor for a romantic couple (9)
Starts with L, ends with SLOVEBIRDS→
27A
Short-term employee, informally (4)
Starts with T, ends with PTEMP→
30A
Two of a kind (4)
Starts with P, ends with RPAIR→
32A
Waffle House alternative (4)
Starts with I, ends with PIHOP→
35A
Divas' big moments (5)
Starts with A, ends with SARIAS→
40A
Part of the federal government that includes the presidency (15)
Starts with E, ends with HEXECUTIVEBRANCH→
43A
Amber or myrrh (5)
Starts with R, ends with NRESIN→
44A
___ a soul (nobody at all) (4)
Starts with N, ends with YNARY→
45A
Slushy frozen treat brand (4)
Starts with I, ends with EICEE→
46A
Bummed out (3)
Starts with S, ends with DSAD→
48A
Comfort (4)
Starts with E, ends with EEASE→
50A
Cinema lover (9)
Starts with M, ends with FMOVIEBUFF→
56A
Partners for ladies, informally (5)
Starts with G, ends with SGENTS→
59A
Works of Rossini and Bellini (6)
Starts with O, ends with SOPERAS→
60A
Running behind schedule (4)
Starts with L, ends with ELATE→
62A
Helpful hint (3)
Starts with T, ends with PTIP→
63A
Move with swagger (5)
Starts with S, ends with TSTRUT→
64A
Off-putting aura ... or what 17-, 25-, 40- and 50-Across each have? (9)
Starts with W, ends with EWEIRDVIBE→
66A
Move with stealth (5)
Starts with S, ends with ESIDLE→
67A
Farmland area unit (4)
Starts with A, ends with EACRE→
68A
Satanic (4)
Starts with E, ends with LEVIL→
69A
Must-have (4)
Starts with N, ends with DNEED→
70A
Kind of terrier named after a Scottish island (4)
Starts with S, ends with ESKYE→
71A
Shade of green named after a duck (4)
Starts with T, ends with LTEAL→
Down
1D
Sounds made with the fingers (quick!) (5)
Starts with S, ends with SSNAPS→
2D
Shadowy plotting group (5)
Starts with C, ends with LCABAL→
3D
Offerings on a hotel list (9)
Starts with A, ends with SAMENITIES→
4D
Race, as an engine (3)
Starts with R, ends with VREV→
5D
Best Picture Oscar winner set partially in Iran (4)
Starts with A, ends with OARGO→
6D
Korean city that hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics (5)
Starts with S, ends with LSEOUL→
7D
Pascal of "The Mandalorian" (5)
Starts with P, ends with OPEDRO→
8D
Reggae-adjacent genre (3)
Starts with S, ends with ASKA→
9D
Faddish 1980s plush toy (8)
Starts with C, ends with RCAREBEAR→
10D
Company behind the game Centipede (5)
Starts with A, ends with IATARI→
11D
___ Trend (magazine that chooses a Car of the Year annually) (5)
Starts with M, ends with RMOTOR→
12D
Worked at, as a trade (5)
Starts with P, ends with DPLIED→
16D
Profit's counterpart (4)
Starts with L, ends with SLOSS→
18D
Tabloid twosome (4)
Starts with I, ends with MITEM→
22D
That lady (3)
Starts with H, ends with RHER→
24D
Thanks, en français (5)
Starts with M, ends with IMERCI→
26D
Onetime Dodge sports car … or a creature to be dodged (5)
Starts with V, ends with RVIPER→
28D
Poe's "The ___ and the Pendulum" (3)
Starts with P, ends with TPIT→
30D
The "p" of r.p.m. (3)
Starts with P, ends with RPER→
31D
Lumberjack's tool (3)
Starts with A, ends with EAXE→
33D
Like about 80% of Indians, religiously (5)
Starts with H, ends with UHINDU→
34D
Some reproductive cells (3)
Starts with O, ends with AOVA→
36D
Poker player's option (5)
Starts with R, ends with ERAISE→
37D
Carrot on a stick, metaphorically (9)
Starts with I, ends with EINCENTIVE→
38D
Expert pilot (3)
Starts with A, ends with EACE→
39D
That lady (3)
Starts with S, ends with ESHE→
41D
Voted out of office (8)
Starts with U, ends with DUNSEATED→
42D
Pass on a tournament schedule (3)
Starts with B, ends with EBYE→
47D
Muscles in a six-pack (3)
Starts with A, ends with SABS→
49D
Got older (4)
Starts with A, ends with DAGED→
50D
"Carpet" on a forest floor (4)
Starts with M, ends with SMOSS→
51D
Agree to accept marketing emails, say (5)
Starts with O, ends with NOPTIN→
52D
Salsa ___ (condiment that might include tomatillos and cilantro) (5)
Starts with V, ends with EVERDE→
53D
Gloating winner's proclamation (5)
Starts with I, ends with EIRULE→
54D
Tiny particle (5)
Starts with F, ends with KFLECK→
55D
Tinker Bell, for one (5)
Starts with F, ends with YFAIRY→
57D
Lower leg bone (5)
Starts with T, ends with ATIBIA→
58D
Compete in a bee (5)
Starts with S, ends with LSPELL→
61D
Home for a nest (4)
Starts with T, ends with ETREE→
64D
Used to be (3)
Starts with W, ends with SWAS→
65D
Animal doc (3)
Starts with V, ends with TVET→
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 March 23, 2026?+
78 clues: 37 Across and 41 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Matthew Luter and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Mark of an old injury (SCAR); Some Egyptian reptiles (ASPS); Sleep in the great outdoors, say (CAMP).
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.
