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Yesterday's NYT Crossword Answers

Stuck on puzzle #24,365? Take a hint at a time, or drop straight to the full answer list. Nothing spoils until you tap.

August 31, 2026 15×15 grid 78 clues Monday
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Hints, one at a time

Welcome back, puzzler. The NYT Crossword for Monday, August 31, 2026 is live: a 15x15 grid with 78 clues to fill in, 38 Across and 40 Down.

Here's how this page works: the five hints below start with nothing but opening letters and end with two entries handed over outright, so reveal them one at a time and stop the moment the long answers start falling. The full set of answers sits in the green box further down, organized by Across and Down, locked behind a tap. Nothing here reveals itself on its own, not a long entry and not the shortest crossing.

Letters first, then whole entries. Stop when the long answers begin to fall.

1 Across starting lettersHow does every Across entry open? 1 S · 5 U · 9 T · 14 L · 15 B · 16 A · 17 O · 18 E · 19 L · 20 B · 23 L · 24 T · 25 C · 28 M · 31 J · 34 A · 35 S · 36 P · 37 R · 40 P · 41 S · 42 R · 43 T · 44 H · 46 H · 48 A · 49 I · 50 P · 51 S · 58 I · 60 C · 61 A · 62 C · 63 L · 64 R · 65 E · 66 E · 67 D.
2 Down starting lettersAnd every Down entry? 1 S · 2 T · 3 E · 4 P · 5 U · 6 C · 7 L · 8 A · 9 T · 10 I · 11 P · 12 S · 13 Y · 21 E · 22 G · 26 A · 27 T · 28 M · 29 A · 30 B · 31 J · 32 Y · 33 F · 35 S · 38 A · 39 T · 40 P · 42 R · 45 O · 46 H · 47 O · 50 P · 52 P · 53 R · 54 T · 55 O · 56 R · 57 D · 58 I · 59 G.
3 The longest entryWhich entry is doing the most work? 20 Across ("One who regularly drops things") runs 13 letters, starts with B and ends with S.
4 A foothold, freeGive me one entry outright? 20 Across is BUTTERFINGERS. On a full grid the longest entry crosses a dozen others, so this is the cheapest way in.
5 The three-letter fillWhat are the 3-letter answers? 23 Across is LES, 24 Across is TAU, 25 Across is CAT, 34 Across is AVA, 35 Across is SAD, 42 Across is RAD, 43 Across is TRI, 48 Across is ANA, 49 Across is IRA, 50 Across is PUN, 12 Down is SET, 13 Down is YES, 21 Down is EEL, 31 Down is JAB, 32 Down is YET, 33 Down is FRI, 38 Down is ALE, 39 Down is TOY, 40 Down is PAN, 46 Down is HUE, 58 Down is ICE, 59 Down is GOD. Short entries are the classic crosswordese that unlock everything around them.

Drumroll, please…

NYT Crossword Answers for August 31

Answers hidden · tap a tile strip to reveal

Across (38)

  1. 1

    Part of a dance

    4-letter words ·start with S ·end in P

  2. 5

    Sch. with the Daily Bruin newspaper

    4-letter words ·start with U ·end in A

  3. 9

    Slightly intoxicated

    5-letter words ·start with T ·end in Y

  4. 14

    Fancy

    4-letter words ·start with L ·end in E

  5. 15

    Worms and such on hooks

    4-letter words ·start with B ·end in T

  6. 16

    Be of the same mind

    5-letter words ·start with A ·end in E

  7. 17

    Redding with two posthumous Grammys

    4-letter words ·start with O ·end in S

  8. 18

    "Sesame Street" character who was once sung to sleep by Andrea Bocelli

    4-letter words ·start with E ·end in O

  9. 19

    Ransacks

    5-letter words ·start with L ·end in S

  10. 20

    One who regularly drops things

    13-letter words ·start with B ·end in S

  11. 23

    The : English :: ___ : French

    3-letter words ·start with L ·end in S

  12. 24

    Letter after sigma

    3-letter words ·start with T ·end in U

  13. 25

    One dining on Friskies

    3-letter words ·start with C ·end in T

  14. 28

    Role for Selena Gomez on "Only Murders in the Building"

    5-letter words ·start with M ·end in L

  15. 31

    Umbrella-shaped sea creature

    9-letter words ·start with J ·end in H

  16. 34

    Director DuVernay

    3-letter words ·start with A ·end in A

  17. 35

    Pathetic

    3-letter words ·start with S ·end in D

  18. 36

    Examine at length

    6-letter words ·start with P ·end in E

  19. 37

    Took shots first, then paid for them later

    7-letter words ·start with R ·end in B

  20. 40

    Clothing sizes for shorter women

    7-letter words ·start with P ·end in S

  21. 41

    Ski in zigzags

    6-letter words ·start with S ·end in M

  22. 42

    "Far out!"

    3-letter words ·start with R ·end in D

  23. 43

    Tetra- minus one

    3-letter words ·start with T ·end in I

  24. 44

    Newlyweds' getaway

    9-letter words ·start with H ·end in N

  25. 46

    Owl sounds

    5-letter words ·start with H ·end in S

  26. 48

    Actress de Armas

    3-letter words ·start with A ·end in A

  27. 49

    401(k) relative

    3-letter words ·start with I ·end in A

  28. 50

    "Need an ark? I Noah guy," e.g.

    3-letter words ·start with P ·end in N

  29. 51

    "Tell everyone!" … or what to do with the starts of 20-, 31- and 44-Across?

    13-letter words ·start with S ·end in D

  30. 58

    Inuit for "house"

    5-letter words ·start with I ·end in O

  31. 60

    Italian hello

    4-letter words ·start with C ·end in O

  32. 61

    Et ___ (and others: Lat.)

    4-letter words ·start with A ·end in A

  33. 62

    Tennis locale

    5-letter words ·start with C ·end in T

  34. 63

    Pre-Easter observance

    4-letter words ·start with L ·end in T

  35. 64

    R-rated, maybe

    4-letter words ·start with R ·end in Y

  36. 65

    A cube has 12 of them

    5-letter words ·start with E ·end in S

  37. 66

    Petrol brand

    4-letter words ·start with E ·end in O

  38. 67

    Easter egg decorating supplies

    4-letter words ·start with D ·end in S

Down (40)

  1. 1

    Mess maker

    4-letter words ·start with S ·end in B

  2. 2

    Attire for the Sugar Plum Fairy

    4-letter words ·start with T ·end in U

  3. 3

    Off-ramp

    4-letter words ·start with E ·end in T

  4. 4

    Pulverizing tool

    6-letter words ·start with P ·end in E

  5. 5

    Alternatives to Lyfts

    5-letter words ·start with U ·end in S

  6. 6

    Baby whale

    4-letter words ·start with C ·end in F

  7. 7

    In finite supply

    7-letter words ·start with L ·end in D

  8. 8

    Lacking a musical key

    6-letter words ·start with A ·end in L

  9. 9

    A ___ as old as time

    4-letter words ·start with T ·end in E

  10. 10

    Composer Stravinsky

    4-letter words ·start with I ·end in R

  11. 11

    Ham on an antipasto platter

    10-letter words ·start with P ·end in O

  12. 12

    Solidify

    3-letter words ·start with S ·end in T

  13. 13

    "You called?"

    3-letter words ·start with Y ·end in S

  14. 21

    Sinuous swimmer

    3-letter words ·start with E ·end in L

  15. 22

    Swallowed hard

    6-letter words ·start with G ·end in D

  16. 26

    Aver

    6-letter words ·start with A ·end in T

  17. 27

    Graduate student’s project

    6-letter words ·start with T ·end in S

  18. 28

    ___ P. Johnson (gay rights activist)

    6-letter words ·start with M ·end in A

  19. 29

    Island of Arthurian legend

    6-letter words ·start with A ·end in N

  20. 30

    Fruit-resembling mollusk

    10-letter words ·start with B ·end in G

  21. 31

    The "one" of a one-two

    3-letter words ·start with J ·end in B

  22. 32

    So far

    3-letter words ·start with Y ·end in T

  23. 33

    Part of the week that workers look forward to: Abbr.

    3-letter words ·start with F ·end in I

  24. 35

    Lunch item that might be made with cold cuts, in slang

    6-letter words ·start with S ·end in E

  25. 38

    Ginger ___

    3-letter words ·start with A ·end in E

  26. 39

    Cup-and-ball or yo-yo

    3-letter words ·start with T ·end in Y

  27. 40

    Deep-dish vessel

    3-letter words ·start with P ·end in N

  28. 42

    Support staff for a rock band

    7-letter words ·start with R ·end in S

  29. 45

    Soothsayer

    6-letter words ·start with O ·end in E

  30. 46

    Tint

    3-letter words ·start with H ·end in E

  31. 47

    "To victory!"

    6-letter words ·start with O ·end in D

  32. 50

    Part of an Instagram post

    5-letter words ·start with P ·end in O

  33. 52

    Skin opening

    4-letter words ·start with P ·end in E

  34. 53

    Goes bad

    4-letter words ·start with R ·end in S

  35. 54

    Gets bronzed at the beach

    4-letter words ·start with T ·end in S

  36. 55

    Brand with "anti-aging" products

    4-letter words ·start with O ·end in Y

  37. 56

    Bibimbap base

    4-letter words ·start with R ·end in E

  38. 57

    Pages on a desk calendar

    4-letter words ·start with D ·end in S

  39. 58

    "Rocks" at a bar

    3-letter words ·start with I ·end in E

  40. 59

    Lead-in to forbid or forsaken

    3-letter words ·start with G ·end in D

Blank tiles show each answer's length. Tap a strip to fill it in. Stuck on one? First letters deals just each entry's opening tile.

About yesterday's grid #24,365

Answer count

78 answers in total: 38 Across and 40 Down.

Longest and shortest

The longest answer runs 13 letters; the shortest run 3 letters (22 of them).

Letter check

E is today's most common letter, appearing 22 times across the grid.

By the numbers

Puzzle #24,365, published Monday, August 31, 2026, edited by Will Shortz and built by Christopher Youngs.

Crossword strategy that actually helps

Proven habits from top solvers, useful today and every day.

Do a first pass for gimmes

Skim every clue before committing to one. Short, direct clues (abbreviations, fill-in-the-blanks) fall fastest and open up the grid.

Fill the short answers first

Three and four letter answers lean on common words and abbreviations, so bank those before the long ones.

Watch for question marks

A "?" means the clue is playing a game with you. From Thursday onward the question marks cluster around the gimmick, so treat them as a map of the theme.

Lean on crossings

Unsure of a letter? Solve the crossing clue instead of guessing, and let it fill the gap for you.

Work in sections

A big grid is really several small ones stitched together. Clear one corner fully before moving to the next.

Difficulty grows through the week

Monday and Tuesday puzzles lean on straightforward definitions; by Friday and Saturday, expect trickier wordplay and less common vocabulary. Sunday is typically Thursday-level with a bigger grid.

How to play NYT Crossword

The rules in full, for anyone arriving without them.

The New York Times Crossword is the daily flagship: a full-size grid of interlocking answers that has run since 1942. Unlike most puzzles, its difficulty is scheduled, climbing steadily from Monday to Saturday.

  1. 1 Sweep the Acrosses, then the Downs

    Fill in only what you are certain of on the first pass. Confidence, not completeness, is the goal of the opening sweep.
  2. 2 Anchor on the long answers

    The longest entries usually carry the theme. Cracking one gives you a letter in almost every crossing word.
  3. 3 Read the clue exactly as written

    Tense, plurality, and part of speech in the clue always match the answer. A question mark signals wordplay, and an abbreviation in the clue means an abbreviated answer.
  4. 4 Finish the grid

    There is no guess limit. Solvers who care about the streak simply have to finish before the next day starts.
Made by

The New York Times, edited by Will Shortz

The board

15 by 15 Monday to Saturday, 21 by 21 on Sunday

Your limit

No limit

Resets

10pm Eastern the night before, 6pm on weekends

The day of the week is the single best hint you get. Monday clues are straight definitions, Thursday almost always breaks a rule with a gimmick, and Saturday is the hardest of the week despite having no theme at all.

NYT Crossword, answered

Quick answers to the questions we get every day.

What time does the new Crossword come out?

The daily Crossword resets at 10 p.m. Eastern the night before for digital subscribers, and at midnight local time once it's live everywhere. The Crossword posts at 10pm Eastern on weeknights and 6pm at weekends, so the next day's grid is live well before midnight.

Why do puzzles get harder through the week?

The NYT ramps difficulty on purpose: Monday is the easiest day and Saturday the hardest, with Sunday landing at a mid-week difficulty on a larger grid. Same editorial team, same clue conventions, just more wordplay and less common vocabulary as the week goes on.

How is the full Crossword different from the Mini?

The Mini is a small grid, usually 5x5, solvable in a couple of minutes. The full daily Crossword runs 15x15 on weekdays and up to 21x21 on Sundays, with dozens more clues and a much wider range of difficulty across the week.

Can I play past Crossword puzzles?

Yes, if you're an NYT Games subscriber, the app and site keep a deep archive of past puzzles. This page focuses on the two most recent: today's and yesterday's.

Which day of the week is hardest?

Saturday, not Sunday. Difficulty climbs from Monday to Saturday, and the Saturday grid is themeless specifically so the clues can be as oblique as the editor likes. Sunday is larger at 21 by 21 but sits around Thursday in difficulty, so it takes longer without being harder.

Play on NYT ↗

Today's hints for every game

Same spoiler-safe format, for each daily puzzle we cover.

Wordle5 letters · hints first NYT Connections4 groups · hints first Connections SportsSports edition groups NYT StrandsSpangram + theme words NYT Mini CrosswordAll clues answered NYT Midi CrosswordMidi clues & answers NYT PipsAll 3 difficulties solved NYT SudokuAll 3 grids solved NYT Spelling BeePangram + word list NYT Letter BoxedToday's best solution ContextoClosest words today QuordleAll four answers OctordleAll eight answers WaffleSwaps + solution grid PhrazleBoth daily phrases Daily JumbleAll words unscrambled KeywordToday's missing letters BlossomPangram + best words Minute CrypticDaily cryptic clue BetweenleGuess the word in between Bracket CityNested clues, one fact

Past NYT Crossword answers

The longest answer from each recent grid, organized by month. A full crossword has no single solution, so we list the marquee entry: the longest fill, which is usually the one carrying the theme. Today's stays blurred until you tap it.

DatePuzzleAnswer
Sep 01Today #24,378 SAUSAGELINK
Aug 31 #24,365 BUTTERFINGERS
Aug 30 #24,350 RECURRINGCHARACTERS
Aug 28 #24,348 WELLWELLWELL
Aug 27 #24,347 ZZBUALDRIN
Aug 26 #24,346 SALTEDCARAMEL
Aug 25 #24,345 PERSEIDS
Aug 24 #24,344 HELLORHIGHWATER
Aug 23 #24,324 ONEAPENNYTWOAPENNYHOTCROSSBUNS
Aug 21 #24,322 CRASHINGOUT
Aug 20 #24,321 FORWARDTHINKING
Aug 19 #24,288 GOOSEFEATHERS
Aug 18 #24,320 MOONLIGHTSONATA
Aug 17 #24,319 LOUIELOUIE
Aug 16 #24,305 DOCTORSWITHOUTBORDERS
Aug 14 #24,304 IMEANCOMEON
Aug 13 #24,301 GOBERSERK
Aug 12 #24,250 INTERNETTRAFFIC
Aug 11 #24,303 FLAMINGLIPS
Aug 10 #24,294 STEPBYSTEP
Aug 09 #24,277 COMEONINTHEWATERSFINE
Aug 07 #24,286 CATSOUTOFTHEBAG
Aug 06 #24,285 JAMAICANRUM
Aug 05 #24,278 MASSAGES
Aug 04 #24,266 DELHIPLATTERS
Aug 03 #24,284 ICECREAMMAKER
Aug 02 #24,275 OFFROADVEHICLE
Jul 31 #24,252 UPSANDDOWNS
Jul 30 #24,251 CHARLIESHEEN
Jul 29 #24,254 PARTYCRASHER
Jul 28 #24,249 MASSACHUSETTS
Jul 27 #24,237 SOLOMONISLANDS
Jul 26 #24,232 PRINCESSPEACH
Jul 24 #24,226 BINGEWATCHING
Jul 23 #24,227 ENCHILADAS
Jul 22 #24,236 SPINTHEBOTTLE
Jul 21 #24,235 BADABINGBADABOOM
Jul 20 #24,234 SCRABBLETILE
Jul 19 #24,220 UNEARNEDRUN
Jul 17 #24,218 SCALLIONPANCAKE
Jul 13 #24,188 IRONCURTAIN
Jul 06 #24,159 STOPDROPANDROLL
Jul 05 #24,136 POWERBEHINDTHETHRONE
Jul 03 #24,129 PRESIDENTIALRUN
Jul 02 #24,168 DELEGATIONS
Jul 01 #24,175 PARALLELUNIVERSE
Jun 30 #24,144 MOVIETHEATER
Jun 29 #24,150 INTELLIGENTGENT
Jun 28 #24,119 STUCKOUTLIKEASORETHUMB
Jun 26 #24,121 EXTRALARGEPIZZA
Jun 25 #24,124 OVERTHINK
Jun 24 #24,117 WALKIETALKIES
Jun 23 #24,115 COVERSTORY
Jun 22 #24,116 HOMEWARDBOUND
Jun 21 #24,101 THATSATALLORDER
Jun 19 #24,106 HOMERUNTROT
Jun 18 #24,097 BROADWAYOPENING
Jun 17 #24,105 RIFFLESHUFFLES
Jun 16 #24,104 OLDMANANDTHESEA
Jun 15 #24,103 PENCILSHARPENER
Jun 14 #24,044 SOPHPOOHPOOHSPOSHSHOP
Jun 12 #24,023 GENETICLOTTERY
Jun 11 #24,047 HUNDREDLEGS
Jun 10 #24,042 WORLDCUPWINNERS
Jun 09 #24,046 EXCEEDINGLYRARE
Jun 08 #24,045 PARALLELPARKING
Jun 07 #24,031 TWOOUTOFTHREE
Jun 05 #24,024 MAKEITMAKESENSE
Jun 04 #23,919 LOWESTIMATES
Jun 03 #24,022 IMTOOOLDFORTHIS
Jun 02 #24,021 SICSTHEDOGON
Jun 01 #24,020 CAMEOUTONTOP
May 31 #23,918 MARKSMANSHIP
May 29 #23,990 ROLLINGSTOPS
May 28 #24,008 PASTORPRESENT
May 27 #24,006 FOURSCOREAND
May 26 #23,997 BODYOFKNOWLEDGE
May 25 #23,991 GHOSTPEPPER
May 24 #23,942 CONTROLLEDCHAPS
May 22 #23,951 ASKINGFORAFRIEND
May 21 #23,950 BACKWARDSCAP
May 20 #23,949 OFFYEARELECTION
May 19 #23,917 PENTATONICSCALE
May 18 #23,948 MINISTRYOFMAGIC
May 17 #23,941 CHICKENSANDWICH
May 15 #23,944 BANANASEAT
May 14 #23,916 COLORPHOTOS
May 13 #23,945 OPENPARENTHESIS
May 12 #23,946 FLAVOUROFTHEDAY
May 11 #23,947 BILLBOARDCHARTS
May 06 #23,907 CROSSPOLLINATED
May 05 #23,931 HEADLESSHORSEMAN
May 04 #23,930 CLICKITORTICKET
May 03 #23,921 PLASTICSHEETS
May 01 #23,897 COLLEGEROOMMATE
Apr 30 #23,896 COMEONMAN
Apr 29 #23,895 COMPROMISE
Apr 28 #23,894 TIESUPLOOSEENDS
Apr 27 #23,882 VANDERPUMPRULES
Apr 26 #23,893 DRESSFORTHEJOBYOUWANT