NYT Crossword Answers for Wednesday, September 16, 2026
NYT Crossword
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Wednesday puzzle · 78 answers · Medium. Hints first; every answer is behind a button.
Rebus puzzle: 7 squares hold more than one letter.
Reveal the 4 longest answers (usually the theme)
17A PROTOTYPES24A ASTRONAUT55A RETAINER63A NECTARINES
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 4; here are their numbers and answers.
- 10AAcross clue ending in “?” (4)
Reveal
REFI - 24AAcross clue ending in “?” (9)
Reveal
ASTRONAUT - 55AAcross clue ending in “?” (8)
Reveal
RETAINER - 25DDown clue ending in “?” (4)
Reveal
RAID
Crossword regulars in this grid (spoilers)
Answers in this NYT Crossword that had shown up before, counted over the 307 puzzles since November 2025:
ETA ×21STY ×13INN ×12ADS ×11ESSO ×11SMOG ×11TNT ×11SLY ×10
The full NYT Crossword solution
Show the solved grid
All 40 Across answers
1A ETA4A TOPPLE10A REFI14A SHUT15A SPROUTS16A AXON17A PROTOTYPES19A TERN20A NOPE21A TNT22A ONICE24A ASTRONAUT27A YOUTH28A TYRA29A ERUPT31A IAM33A AIR35A TRE36A BONO37A ALADDIN41A NOCANDO43A DENS44A PEC46A NOS47A STY48A PEARS50A REPO53A SMOG55A RETAINER57A RINSE59A WAR60A JADA62A JONI63A NECTARINES66A PLUTO67A YOUTUBE68A UTAH69A GLEN70A ASSESS71A SLY
All 38 Down answers
1D ESPN2D THROAT3D AUTOPSY4D TSO5D OPTTO6D PRYNNE7D POPTART8D LUTE9D ESSO10D RATIO11D EXECUTION12D FOREHAND13D INN18D TETRADS23D NYT25D RAID26D UTURN30D PEON32D MOO34D RIPE36D BASENJI37D ADS38D LETSROLL39D ANYMINUTE40D NEAR42D CORI45D CREWCUTS48D PGS49D STATUE51D PEANUTS52D ORDEAL54D ONION56D ARABS58D ENYA61D ASHY62D JPG64D EOS65D RES
About This NYT Crossword
The NYT Crossword for Wednesday, September 16, 2026 was a 15×15 grid by Peter Gorman, edited by Will Shortz. It had 78 answers and 39 black squares; the longest answer ran 10 letters. That is 1 more than the average Wednesday before it (76.8). 4 clues ended in a question mark. 7 squares held more than one letter (a rebus).
Also on Sep 16: the NYT Mini Crossword and the NYT Midi Crossword.
Earlier September 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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