NYT Crossword Answers for September 20, 2026

SEP20

NYT Crossword

Sunday, September 20, 2026

21×21“Rise to the Power”By Tracy GrayEdited 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 2 longest answers (usually the theme)

37A WHOLETHREEYARDS101A NINEARMEDBANDIT

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.

35AAcross clue ending in “?” (5)
Reveal
ADMAN
88AAcross clue ending in “?” (3)
Reveal
DNA
96AAcross clue ending in “?” (3)
Reveal
ALI
120AAcross clue ending in “?” (8)
Reveal
EXPONENT
51DDown clue ending in “?” (4)
Reveal
TEES
99DDown clue ending in “?” (4)
Reveal
RIPE
106DDown clue ending in “?” (5)
Reveal
TEXAN

Crossword regulars in this grid (spoilers)

Answers in this NYT Crossword that had shown up before, counted over the 311 puzzles since November 2025:

ERA ×27ALI ×18ELI ×17END ×16EDIT ×14OAR ×14EPEE ×11ACTS ×10

The full NYT Crossword solution

Show the solved grid

1C2U3S4T5O6M7A8R9C10S11L12A13P14T15I16M17E18ANTONI19O20LOOP21COLLATES22TARNISH23FOUR24ASPERSES25SWEETTW26O27SPO28UTS29NAFTA30PEAT31SOO32T33LUGE34TWO35ADMA36N37WHO38LETHR39E40EYAR41D42S43GO44D45SPY46EDAM47TOO48H49O50TSHO51T52FE53S54S55RICO56CHET57ERA58ONE59IL60PP61P62THREE63YAK64WHENI65MFOU66R67ELB68A69LE70D71OSAGE72OTO73E74S75SIX76BAU77M78THA79NKSATE80N81RO82B83REA84L85M86TRY87AMATI88DNA89R90EALNEA91T92AC93TS94LAG95ASSE96ALI97ZERO98AI99R100THE101NIN102EARME103D104B105ANDI106T107TR108A109D110E111CAN112PERP113EPE114E115OVEN116L117AHTI118MALIC119E120EXP121ONENT122OVERL123OAD124BAS125E126ASSANTE127LOCALADS128ELAN129NOSUGAR130AWKWARD131SCUD132MOTELS

All 68 Across answers

1A CUSTOM7A ARCS11A LAPTIME18A ANTONIO20A LOOP21A COLLATES22A TARNISH23A FOUR24A ASPERSES25A SWEETTWO27A SPOUTS29A NAFTA30A PEAT31A SOOT33A LUGE34A TWO35A ADMAN37A WHOLETHREEYARDS43A GOD45A SPY46A EDAM47A TOO48A HOTSHOT52A FESS55A RICOCHET57A ERA58A ONEIL60A PPP62A THREE63A YAK64A WHENIMFOUR67A ELBA69A LED71A OSAGE72A OTOES75A SIX76A BAUM78A THANKSATEN81A ROB83A REALM86A TRY87A AMATI88A DNA89A REALNEAT92A ACTS94A LAGASSE96A ALI97A ZERO98A AIR100A THE101A NINEARMEDBANDIT107A TRADE111A CAN112A PERP113A EPEE115A OVEN116A LAHTI118A MALICE120A EXPONENT122A OVERLOAD124A BASE126A ASSANTE127A LOCALADS128A ELAN129A NOSUGAR130A AWKWARD131A SCUD132A MOTELS

All 72 Down answers

1D CATSPA2D UNAWED3D STREAM4D TONETAGS5D ONIT6D MISTS7D ALF8D ROOS9D COUPLE10D SPROUT11D LOSS12D ALP13D PLENTYMORE14D TARAWA15D ITSFORTHEBIRDS16D MEET17D ESSA19D OHWOW21D CATERER26D OOHS28D UGH32D TOPFLIGHT36D NOHOW38D LYE39D EDIT40D EACH41D DOE42D SOT44D DONHO48D HEY49D ORALB50D TAKEARAINCHECK51D TEES53D SPF54D SPOOK56D CELS59D INAT61D PUTSASIDE65D MEARA66D ROAM68D AXONS70D DUEL73D ETAL74D SETAT77D MANZANILLA79D NYC80D NIGHT82D BAE84D LEER85D MARM89D RAN90D ELI91D TOEPADS93D TAN95D AERONAUT99D RIPE102D EATRAW103D DEL104D BRIBES105D APCALC106D TEXAN108D AVENGE109D DENTAL110D ENTERS114D EPSOM116D LOLA117D AVOW118D MADD119D ESAU121D OSSO123D OAR125D END

About This NYT Crossword

The NYT Crossword for Sunday, September 20, 2026 was a 21×21 grid by Tracy Gray, edited by Will Shortz, titled “Rise to the Power”. It had 140 answers and 77 black squares; the longest answer ran 15 letters. That is about average for a Sunday. 7 clues ended in a question mark.

Also on Sep 20: the NYT Mini Crossword and the NYT Midi Crossword.

Earlier September 2026 NYT Crossword Answers

Sep 1 Sep 2 Sep 3 Sep 4 Sep 5 Sep 6 Sep 7 Sep 8 Sep 9 Sep 10 Sep 11 Sep 12 Sep 13 Sep 14 Sep 15 Sep 16 Sep 17 Sep 18 Sep 19Sep 20

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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