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NYT Crossword — August 20, 2026

Thursday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 78 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 78 revealed
1H
2A
3R
4P
5S
6A
7F
8A
9R
10I
11P
12S
13A
14T
R
O
U
15S
P
O
T
O
N
16A
I
L
17T
A
S
T
18I
N
G
R
O
O
M
19R
N
A
20P
L
A
I
D
21O
W
N
22A
23T
E
A
M
24N
U
25E
V
A
26S
T
U
D
I
O
27H
28O
R
N
S
29R
30I
P
E
R
31R
A
V
E
N
S
32D
R
Y
33N
34D
35A
36S
37B
R
A
V
O
38E
T
A
39L
O
O
F
A
40I
D
L
E
41M
E
H
42D
E
F
R
A
Y
43R
44E
I
K
I
45O
N
P
A
R
46C
47U
48S
S
A
T
49N
50E
I
G
H
51I
S
L
E
T
52O
K
S
53T
R
54A
55C
56E
57R
U
E
58S
59P
L
I
T
60S
H
A
I
R
S
61C
A
P
62U
S
E
N
E
T
63S
N
I
P
64A
L
T
65P
I
G
G
E
D
66E
T
S
Y

Across

39 clues
1Sound like heaven
5Game of observation for travel
11Ad free
14Brief in pants
15Correct thoroughly
16Bad feel
17Try to place connoisseurs?
19Cells in compound
20Checks with style
21To cop
22Competition, for starters
24York ___
26Place recording
27Signals over game
29Maturity approaching
31Crows to relatives
32Free booze
33Confidentiality of letters?
37"Done well"
38Short for "info flight"
39Sponge bath
40Nothing doing
41Say "minus C"
42Set off
43Practice Japanese
45Equal roughly
46Into light
49Nags about noise?
51Land of Spot
52On-off signs
53Lines some over draw
57For repentance some feel
58Details insignificant contests
61Spending limits it
62Forum discussion, popular once
63Cut short
64Rock-___
65Out with ate, ate, ate
66Website gift custom

Down

39 clues
1URL starter
2Asian sea currently undergoing replenishment efforts
3Civil rights icon Parks
4Shift the gears of, in a way ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues
5ID in some data breaches
6Elite H.S. class covering the Constitution
7Visionary … or what you'll need to return to when solving this puzzle's Down clues
8Loads
9Babe in the Hundred Acre Wood
10One advocated for by the National Prison Project
11Whittled (down)
12Biblical mount
13It's worth remembering!
18"No idea"
23Distinctive expression ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues
25Feature of San Francisco's Lombard Street
26Mole, e.g.
27Firm
28Like many cricket fields
30Plan to contribute to, for short
31One of 1,909 for Willie Mays, for short
34"___ the Explorer"
35Some distance away
36Declare
38"Oh no! A mouse!"
39What the second number indicates in men's jeans sizes
41Univ. with an annual Mystery Hunt
42Eager response to "Wanna join?"
44Goes nuts for
46Around
47Garden-variety
48Wasn't paying attention
50Lauder of cosmetics
52Designer Cassini
54"I don't really care / If ya think I'm strange / I ___ gonna change": Joan Jett
55N.F.L. commentator Collinsworth
56Arthur Ashe Courage Award, e.g.
59Letter after chi
60The "S" of E.S.T.: Abbr.

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

Stats & info

Thursday, Aug 20, 2026
15×15
Grid size
78
Total entries
38/187
Black / letter cells
4.8
Avg entry length
15 ltrs
Longest entry
Tricky
Thursday difficulty
PuzzleThe Crossword
PublishedAug 20, 2026
DayThursday
ThemeUntitled
ConstructorHoang-Kim Vu
EditorWill Shortz
Clue split39 across · 39 down
Longest entries
7DVisionary … or what you'll need to return to when solving this puzzle's Down clues15 ltrs4DShift the gears of, in a way ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues12 ltrs23DDistinctive expression ... or a hint to this puzzle's Across clues12 ltrs17ATry to place connoisseurs?11 ltrs58ADetails insignificant contests11 ltrs

Thursday is the gimmick day: rebus squares, reversed entries and other tricks are fair game. This grid has 38 black squares and averages 4.8 letters per entry.