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NYT Crossword — July 24, 2026

Friday’s 15 × 15 puzzle, 70 clues. The full solution is below — answers stay masked until you reveal them, one clue or all at once.

0 of 70 revealed

1S

2C

3A

4N

5M

6A

7G

8M

9A

10U

11F

12O

13S

14M

A

C

S

15O

R

E

O

S

16L

I

V

E

17A

R

T

F

18O

R

G

E

R

S

19C

N

E

T

20C

L

O

W

N

N

O

S

E

21D

E

E

R

22K

I

R

23L

I

T

E

24P

U

R

P

L

25E

26W

I

N

27B

U

T

28R

O

N

29B

I

N

G

30E

31W

A

T

C

32H

I

N

G

33H

E

R

E

S

T

H

E

T

H

I

N

G

34L

I

F

E

S

T

O

O

S

H

O

R

T

35I

T

O

36C

A

N

37A

V

E

38B

A

R

39C

A

R

40G

41A

T

E

42A

43A

44A

45S

E

A

M

46W

O

R

D

N

47E

R

D

S

48S

N

I

T

49M

A

N

G

O

S

T

E

E

N

50R

A

G

E

51I

K

N

O

W

52T

A

L

E

53I

G

O

R

54L

E

A

N

N

55U

S

E

R

Across

35 clues

1Bit of radiological work

5Component that may emerge from Earth's asthenosphere

10What drones might be mistaken for

15Dirt pie ingredients

16As it's happening

17Criminals in the oil industry?

19"Your guide to a better future" website

20It makes one red in the face

21Animals considered divine messengers in Shinto culture

22Aperitif with black currant liqueur

23Not full-bodied

24Like a politically diverse U.S. state

26When doubled, like a perfect outcome

27Start of a protest

28"Mark Twain" biographer Chernow

29Not show-stopping?

33Segue into a thesis statement

34"Don't sweat the small stuff!"

35Spanish diminutive suffix

37One of 17 in Monopoly: Abbr.

38Drinks are on me!

40Terminal datum

42Like a strong bond

46Group with defining traits?

49Tropical fruit with white flesh and a deep-red rind

51"That much is obvious"

52A tall one may be inflated

532019 Grammy-winning album for Tyler, the Creator

54Rimes with rhymes

55Beta tester, e.g.

Down

35 clues

1Insulting talk, informally

2U.S. soccer legend ___ Lloyd

4Warning next to a suspicious link, perhaps

5Venus, or sometimes Mercury

8Cry from a toddler during snack time

10Bad gut feeling?

11Text that's often unread

12Stretttccched out

18Modern deception

21Cookware sometimes used over campfires

25Language of Barbados: Abbr.

26Tool for a sting

29Words said while preparing to leave

30School described as "the chief nurse of England's statesmen"

31Follower of "Doctor" or "That's"

33Run into trouble

34Gay ___ (1970s movement)

39Serve a function

41Element whose name comes from the Greek for "inactive"

43Singer whose album titles represent ages

44Recipient of Emmys in different categories for the same role

46Respond to the alarm

47"Is the whole world against me?"

48Guru's honorific

49"Cool" quantity

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

Stats & info

Friday, Jul 24, 2026

15×15

Grid size

70

Total entries

36/189

Black / letter cells

5.4

Avg entry length

13 ltrs

Longest entry

Hard

Friday difficulty

PuzzleThe Crossword

PublishedJul 24, 2026

DayFriday

ThemeThemeless

ConstructorGeoffrey Schorkopf

EditorWill Shortz

Clue split35 across · 35 down

Longest entries

29ANot show-stopping?13 ltrs 33ASegue into a thesis statement13 ltrs 34A"Don't sweat the small stuff!"13 ltrs 5DVenus, or sometimes Mercury11 ltrs 24D"Drop it!"11 ltrs

Friday puzzles run themeless, so the fill leans on long open entries and wordplay clues rather than a central gimmick. This grid has 36 black squares and averages 5.4 letters per entry.