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NYT Crossword — August 16, 2026

Sunday’s 21 × 21 puzzle, 140 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 140 revealed

1L

2O

3L

4I

5T

6A

7S

8I

9N

10T

11H

12E

13M

14L

15A

16M

17E

18A

T

O

N

O

F

19E

M

U

20S

21R

O

L

O

22T

R

A

P

23D

O

C

T

O

R

24S

W

I

T

H

25O

U

T

B

O

26R

D

E

R

S

27S

H

O

O

K

28P

E

N

29O

P

E

R

A

T

E

30T

I

O

31N

A

32I

A

D

33E

R

A

T

O

34S

35L

O

A

N

36N

37E

E

D

S

N

O

38I

N

T

R

O

D

39U

40C

T

I

O

N

41F

O

S

S

I

L

42N

O

D

A

T

43P

A

S

O

44L

I

P

45P

A

46L

47N

O

G

48P

49L

O

D

50N

51I

52G

53H

54U

R

N

55S

56N

E

57V

E

R

E

58N

D

I

N

G

59S

T

O

R

Y

60P

61O

D

I

A

62S

E

A

L

63E

L

A

T

E

D

64B

65I

66C

E

P

67S

L

68A

69B

70T

S

K

71S

72I

M

A

G

E

73A

S

L

E

E

74P

75I

D

I

76G

77I

T

78S

M

E

79H

E

A

D

L

E

80S

S

H

O

R

81S

82E

M

A

N

83R

84O

85T

86E

87T

E

N

D

88S

H

E

D

89E

T

C

90R

A

91T

92D

I

Y

93A

94S

T

I

95R

A

Y

O

96N

97P

U

98D

D

L

E

99N

100O

T

C

O

M

101P

102L

E

T

E

L

Y

103H

O

N

E

S

T

104S

A

N

E

R

105R

E

A

D

S

106G

O

N

G

S

107O

R

E

108A

109T

110P

E

A

C

E

111S

I

R

112S

E

113E

114U

115P

116U

N

L

117I

M

I

T

E

D

T

A

118L

K

A

N

119D

T

E

X

T

S

120T

I

E

D

121R

A

N

T

122L

O

I

N

123W

E

D

G

E

S

124H

A

G

S

125E

S

S

O

126T

N

T

127I

N

S

I

S

T

Across

64 clues

1Work parodied by Umberto Eco's "Granita"

7Subject of Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter"

10One's opponents

19Down Under runners

21Caramel-filled candy

22Word following bear or honey

23_ATSO_ and _EKYL_

27Astonished, informally

28With 45-Across, many a correspondent

30Uncle, in Uruguay

31Water nymph of Greek myth

34Memorial ___ Kettering (New York City medical facility)

41It may be petrified

45See 28-Across

54Some funerary selections

60Stands for speakers

62Preserver of freshness

64Place for a sailor's anchor, informally

70Disapproving syllables

72It may be mental

73Out, in a way

75"That's cool, man"

77Words that may open doors

83Learning method

87Guard, as a goal

89"Yadda, yadda"

90Squeaker … or squealer

92Home improvement initials

93Italian wine city

95Fiber also known as viscose

97Toddler's jumping spot on a rainy day

104More reasonable

106Suspended musical instruments

107Vein contents

111Title that becomes loftier when an E is added

112Escort to a penthouse, say

123Pie portions, shapewise

125Gas brand that sounds like two letters of the alphabet

126Invention originally developed as a yellow dye

127Refuse to budge

Down

76 clues

2Texter's "Then again …"

6Home to more than 1,500 languages: Abbr.

7Affixed, as a patch

8"Let's do this!"

9Macadamia, for one

10Closely following

11Racing vehicle

12Napoleon exile site

13No longer relevant

15Childish comeback

16Maid of Sherwood Forest

17Many a printer

20Consequences of supply chain problems

25Dizzying gallery works

26Pauses while playing

32Treasure or desert follower

33Ewoks' home moon

35Job that may involve jumping through hoops

36Form of detective fiction

37Channel for gaming enthusiasts?

39Words after check, follow or catch

41Reason to take a shot

46Some odoriferous gifts

48Smartphone predecessors, for short

49Female rapper with a longtime feud with Foxy Brown

51"Diminutive" Greek letter

52Nickname that omits "-ory"

55Chemistry test?

59Not very favorable, as some 84-Down

61Car with a stylized lightning bolt logo

66Group with a tartan

68It may drive one to distraction, in brief

69Thumbnail, maybe

74Sauce traditionally made in a mortar

78Attach with a click

80Carpenter's spacer

81Ophthalmology concerns

85Infraction at an arcade

86___ of Horus (Egyptian symbol of healing)

91Element used in bulb filaments

95Display some emotion, perhaps

96Member of the N.F.L.'s "Big Blue," in brief

98Prepares to puree, perhaps, as papayas

99Fantasy realm ruled by King Caspian

100Feature of Anthony Robles, a 2011 N.C.A.A. national champion wrestler

101Shows pride in one's appearance, in a way

103Producer of a call to arms

104Go ___ (fail)

110School grps.

113Vet

114Western Indians

115Subtle summons

119Road recklessness of a sort, for short

Click a clue for its own page with the answer and a short explanation.

Stats & info

Sunday, Aug 16, 2026

21×21

Grid size

140

Total entries

73/368

Black / letter cells

5.3

Avg entry length

21 ltrs

Longest entry

Themed

Sunday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedAug 16, 2026

DaySunday

ThemeTake the Edge Off

ConstructorSam Brody

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split64 across · 76 down

Longest entries

23A_ATSO_ and _EKYL_21 ltrs 116A_IALO_21 ltrs 36A_RAVES19 ltrs 99AFRAN_19 ltrs 56ASAG_16 ltrs

Sunday is the big one, a 21 by 21 grid built around a named theme rather than raw difficulty. This grid has 73 black squares and averages 5.3 letters per entry.