Home/Archive/Jul 8, 2026

NYT Crossword — July 8, 2026

Wednesday’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
1M
2A
3P
4S
5E
6L
7A
8P
9S
10E
11E
12S
13P
14A
T
I
T
15R
O
U
R
K
E
16A
L
A
17M
A
K
E
18O
R
B
R
E
A
K
19S
A
G
20B
R
E
A
D
21E
A
S
T
22H
Y
P
E
23A
I
S
L
O
24P
25T
E
26E
U
P
27T
R
I
28C
29K
O
R
T
R
E
30A
31T
32I
33T
34C
H
35N
A
M
36S
T
A
L
E
37N
A
H
38A
T
T
A
39B
40O
Y
41S
O
N
42C
L
E
43A
R
44R
O
T
45E
Y
E
S
46H
E
A
D
S
47O
48R
T
A
I
49L
S
50T
A
E
B
O
51S
A
T
52I
53R
54E
55H
56A
M
M
57L
O
58F
59T
60R
E
S
E
T
61A
L
E
62L
I
F
E
O
63R
D
E
A
T
H
64N
B
A
65A
G
E
N
D
A
66M
A
R
E
67G
A
L
68P
E
R
S
O
N
69S
K
O
R

Across

37 clues
1Cartographers' concerns
5Go by
11Helpful skill for guessers
14Working obediently
15Mickey with an Oscar nomination for "The Wrestler"
16Champiñones ___ plancha (Spanish dish)
17[C/P]ause
19Droop
20Food mentioned in the Lord's Prayer
21What "Eat" stands for in the mnemonic "Never Eat Soggy Waffles"
22Buzz before a release
23Low-quality synthetic images, informally
25Prepare to drive, in golf
27[L/C]ure
32Result of touching poison ivy
35"The Deer Hunter" setting, in brief
36Old, as a joke
37Casual refusal
38"Way to go, kid!"
41Heir to the throne, maybe
42Like a good explanation, say
44Brain ___
45Prominent features of tarsiers
46[M/H]inds
50Fitness fad popularized by Billy Blanks
51"Animal Farm" or "The Simpsons"
55Soccer great Mia
57Apartment with a high ceiling
60New beginning
61Pub order
62[Z/R]est
64Magic setting, in brief
65List of things to discuss
66Mother of a stable family?
67___ pal
68Individual
69Hershey toffee bar

Down

41 clues
1Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant
2Company that created Pong
3Fish, roads or weapons that are long and thin
4Sneakiness
5Goof
6Brain or ear part
7Coolness, of a sort
8Magician's cry
9Many a Winter Olympian
10"Holy moley!"
11"No sweat!"
12___ on the wrist
13Word with home or half
18What cologne may mask
22Injured
24Pub order
26Site for "unique and creative" items
28"Sleep is like a ___: It only comes to you if you ignore it": Gillian Flynn
29Big box store that merged with Sears in 2005
30Sunburn remedy
31X's, sometimes
32Ruler division
33Tall story
34Weekly reward for a strict dieter, maybe
38Keister, in Leicester
39Feathered accessory that won't constrict you
40Singer Redding
43First in a race?
45Regards highly
47Do a favor
48Worker overhead
49Cooking fat
52Chris with the 1991 hit "Wicked Game"
53Cool again, maybe
54Heavens
55Rest like a bat
56Jessica of "Fantastic Four"
58Marshy areas
59Task on a list
62Greatly surpass, as competitors in a race
63Raced

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

Stats & info

Wednesday, Jul 8, 2026
15×15
Grid size
78
Total entries
36/189
Black / letter cells
4.8
Avg entry length
12 ltrs
Longest entry
Medium
Wednesday difficulty
PuzzleThe Crossword
PublishedJul 8, 2026
DayWednesday
ThemeUntitled
ConstructorMason Hyunjin Lee
EditorWill Shortz
Clue split37 across · 41 down
Longest entries
27A[L/C]ure12 ltrs46A[M/H]inds12 ltrs17A[C/P]ause11 ltrs62A[Z/R]est11 ltrs11D"No sweat!"9 ltrs

Wednesday is the midweek pivot, where themes get denser and clues start bending the surface reading. This grid has 36 black squares and averages 4.8 letters per entry.