AUG9

NYT Crossword

Sunday, August 9, 2026

21×21“Freestyle Exercise”By Erik AgardEdited by Will ShortzMedium, but big (21×21)

Sunday puzzle · 128 answers · Medium, but big (21×21). Hints first; every answer is behind a button.

Reveal the 4 longest answers (usually the theme)

19A COMEONINTHEWATERSFINE23A CONGRESSIONALDISTRICT91A CORPORATESURVEILLANCE96A INVERTEDROLLERCOASTER

The question-mark clues

A “?” at the end of an NYT clue means wordplay: a pun, a double meaning or a trick. This grid had 7; here are their numbers and answers.

  1. 28AAcross clue ending in “?” (4)
    RevealUNUM
  2. 66AAcross clue ending in “?” (8)
    RevealBEESTING
  3. 16DDown clue ending in “?” (3)
    RevealXII
  4. 20DDown clue ending in “?” (9)
    RevealNEUROLOGY
  5. 21DDown clue ending in “?” (12)
    RevealALPHABETSONG
  6. 52DDown clue ending in “?” (6)
    RevealSNOWED
  7. 72DDown clue ending in “?” (7)
    RevealSILENTA
Crossword regulars in this grid (spoilers)

Answers in this NYT Crossword that had shown up before, counted over the 269 puzzles since November 2025:

SET ×20SASS ×12SLY ×9STYE ×8HOE ×7IHOP ×7URSA ×7ERE ×6

The full NYT Crossword solution

Show the solved grid
All 61 Across answers

1A ATALL6A HEISTS12A FLU15A AXIS19A COMEONINTHEWATERSFINE23A CONGRESSIONALDISTRICT24A OCEANUS25A SWAMP26A DAYO27A ROSTER28A UNUM29A HOE31A EMAIL35A DOTE36A ONTOP38A DAUNT40A ANNE41A SLY42A SLEET43A DEBT44A HINTAT46A BOONS47A LIFESPAN49A CHI50A LODGE51A HAVETHINGSOUT53A TODAY54A MOVEASONE55A NLRB56A ROTIS57A TONISTONE58A MOORE59A IMIN60A PALESTINE61A TAWNY62A TONGUELASHING64A COVEY65A URL66A BEESTING67A DOMED68A ARISEN70A SANG71A GROAN72A SIP75A LOFT76A SHENG78A WRIST79A MINE80A SWEEP82A USS83A IHOP84A ISOLDE86A POOL88A WARIO90A FLAREUP91A CORPORATESURVEILLANCE96A INVERTEDROLLERCOASTER97A SASS98A ODS99A FESSES100A TSARS

All 67 Down answers

1D ACCORDS2D TOOCOOL3D AMNESTY4D LEGATE5D LORNE6D HISS7D ENS8D ITISNOT9D SHOWUP10D TENAM11D SWAM12D FTD13D LEIDEN14D URSA15D AFROMAN16D XII17D INC18D SET20D NEUROLOGY21D ALPHABETSONG22D STYE28D UTES30D OUTSHONE32D ANTCOLONY33D INAHURRY34D LETITBE37D NENE38D DEFEATING39D THANE42D SODAS43D DIVESTING45D ING46D BODING47D LAVISHING48D PINE50D LOTINLIFE51D HONESTANSWER52D SNOWED53D TOMORROW54D MOLASSES56D RITUALS57D TALE58D MAVEN60D PEENS61D TOMATILLO63D UBE64D COOS67D DRIP69D STEPPES71D GROOVES72D SILENTA73D INDUCER74D PEEPERS77D HULAED78D WHIRLS79D MORASS81D POOR83D IRULE85D SALAT87D ORTO89D ASOF90D FICS91D CIS92D ONA93D RVS94D TDS95D ERE

About This NYT Crossword

The NYT Crossword for Sunday, August 9, 2026 was a 21×21 grid by Erik Agard, edited by Will Shortz, titled “Freestyle Exercise”. It had 128 answers and 58 black squares; the longest answer ran 21 letters. That is 11 fewer than the average Sunday before it (139.3). 7 clues ended in a question mark.

Also on Aug 9: the NYT Mini Crossword and the NYT Midi Crossword.

Earlier August 2026 NYT Crossword Answers

Every earlier puzzle is in the NYT Crossword archive. For the newest one, see today's NYT Crossword answers, which switch to the next puzzle as soon as it's released.

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