NYT Crossword Answers for August 16, 2026

AUG16

NYT Crossword

Sunday, August 16, 2026

21×21“Take the Edge Off”By Sam BrodyEdited by Will ShortzMedium, but big (21×21)

Sunday puzzle · 140 answers · Medium, but big (21×21). Hints first; every answer is behind a button.

Reveal the 4 longest answers (usually the theme)

23A DOCTORSWITHOUTBORDERS36A NEEDSNOINTRODUCTION99A NOTCOMPLETELYHONEST116A UNLIMITEDTALKANDTEXTS

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 3; here are their numbers and answers.

37DDown clue ending in “?” (4)
Reveal
ESPN
55DDown clue ending in “?” (9)
Reveal
SPEEDDATE
118DDown clue ending in “?” (3)
Reveal
LOT

Crossword regulars in this grid (spoilers)

Answers in this NYT Crossword that had shown up before, counted over the 276 puzzles since November 2025:

ORE ×18PSST ×14ISEE ×11TNT ×10ODDS ×9SIR ×9ESSO ×8STAR ×8

The full NYT Crossword solution

Show the solved grid

1L2O3L4I5T6A7S8I9N10T11H12E13M14L15A16M17E18ATONOF19EMU20S21ROLO22TRAP23DOCTOR24SWITH25OUTBO26RDERS27SHOOK28PEN29OPERATE30TIO31NA32IAD33ERATO34S35LOAN36N37EEDSNO38INTROD39U40CTION41FOSSIL42NODAT43PASO44LIP45PA46L47NOG48P49LOD50N51I52G53H54URN55S56NE57VERE58NDING59STORY60P61ODIA62SEAL63ELATED64B65I66CEP67SL68A69B70TSK71S72IMAGE73ASLEE74P75IDI76G77IT78SME79HEADLE80SSHOR81S82EMAN83R84O85T86E87TEND88SHED89ETC90RA91T92DIY93A94STI95RAYO96N97PU98DDLE99N100OTCOM101P102LETELY103HONEST104SANER105READS106GONGS107ORE108A109T110PEACE111SIR112SE113E114U115P116UNL117IMITEDTA118LKAN119DTEXTS120TIED121RANT122LOIN123WEDGES124HAGS125ESSO126TNT127INSIST

All 64 Across answers

1A LOLITA7A SIN10A THEM14A LAME18A ATONOF19A EMUS21A ROLO22A TRAP23A DOCTORSWITHOUTBORDERS27A SHOOK28A PEN29A OPERATE30A TIO31A NAIAD33A ERATO34A SLOAN36A NEEDSNOINTRODUCTION41A FOSSIL42A NODAT43A PASO44A LIP45A PAL47A NOG48A PLOD50A NIGH54A URNS56A NEVERENDINGSTORY60A PODIA62A SEAL63A ELATED64A BICEP67A SLAB70A TSKS72A IMAGE73A ASLEEP75A IDIG77A ITSME79A HEADLESSHORSEMAN83A ROTE87A TEND88A SHED89A ETC90A RAT92A DIY93A ASTI95A RAYON97A PUDDLE99A NOTCOMPLETELYHONEST104A SANER105A READS106A GONGS107A ORE108A ATPEACE111A SIR112A SEEUP116A UNLIMITEDTALKANDTEXTS120A TIED121A RANT122A LOIN123A WEDGES124A HAGS125A ESSO126A TNT127A INSIST

All 76 Down answers

1D LADS2D OTOH3D LOCO4D INTONES5D TOOKADIP6D AFR7D SEWEDON8D IMIN9D NUT10D TRUETO11D HOTROD12D ELBA13D MOOT14D LTD15D ARETOO16D MARIAN17D EPSON20D SHORTAGES24D SPAN25D OPART26D RESTS32D ISLAND33D ENDOR35D LIONTAMER36D NOIR37D ESPN38D IONE39D UPON40D CADGE41D FLU46D LEIS48D PDAS49D LILKIM51D IOTA52D GREG53D HYDE55D SPEEDDATE57D VALISE58D NET59D SLIM61D OPEL64D BAHT65D ISEE66D CLAN68D ADHD69D BIO71D STAR74D PESTO76D GREATDEAL78D SNAPON80D SHIM81D STYES82D ECOL84D ODDS85D TILT86D EYE91D TUNGSTEN94D SCRAM95D REACT96D NYGIANT98D DESEEDS99D NARNIA100D ONELEG101D PREENS102D LEADTO103D HORN104D SOUTH109D TIRE110D PTAS111D SKIN113D EXGI114D UTES115D PSST117D IDS118D LOT119D DWI

About This NYT Crossword

The NYT Crossword for Sunday, August 16, 2026 was a 21×21 grid by Sam Brody, edited by Will Shortz, titled “Take the Edge Off”. It had 140 answers and 73 black squares; the longest answer ran 21 letters. That is about average for a Sunday. 3 clues ended in a question mark.

Also on Aug 16: the NYT Mini Crossword and the NYT Midi Crossword.

Earlier August 2026 NYT Crossword Answers

Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7 Aug 8 Aug 9 Aug 10 Aug 11 Aug 12 Aug 13 Aug 14 Aug 15Aug 16

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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