This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

New York Times, Thursday, July 16, 2026

Author:
Zhou Zhang and Mallory Montgomery
Editor:
Will Shortz
Blog:
Had at present?
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
87/6/20257/16/20266
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1102400
RebusCircleScrabFlowFresh
111.7129.325%
Zhou Zhang
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
31/8/20267/16/20263
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0000300
ScrabFlowFresh
1.7228.528%
Mallory Montgomery

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 16 Words: 81, Blocks: 42 Missing: {JQZ} Spans: 2 This is puzzle # 8 for Ms. Zhang. This is puzzle # 3 for Ms. Montgomery. Grid flow: 26.7 Thursday freshness: 18%
Constructor notes:
Zhou Zhang: I felt so sure this was a Wednesday puzzle that I titled our shared cluing spreadsheet "LEGS - Wednesday Difficulty". Hah — joke's ... read more
Jim Horne notes:

Genuinely funny theme!

1
P
2
O
3
S
4
H
5
S
6
M
7
A
8
S
9
H
10
I
11
N
12
L
13
A
14
W
15
H
A
H
A
16
P
I
N
T
A
17
N
O
O
N
E
18
I
R
O
N
19
M
A
N
T
R
I
20
A
T
H
L
O
N
21
V
D
A
Y
22
I
T
C
H
23
C
I
D
24
G
25
R
E
E
N
26
D
27
E
F
I
L
E
28
A
N
Y
29
M
I
L
L
I
30
P
E
D
E
31
B
32
U
T
T
S
33
T
O
E
34
O
U
I
35
F
36
L
A
G
37
D
38
I
39
R
E
C
T
40
F
L
I
G
H
41
T
42
N
A
M
E
43
R
O
E
44
H
45
A
46
S
47
S
48
M
49
O
C
K
50
Y
A
R
D
51
S
52
T
I
C
K
53
P
O
X
54
E
55
S
56
P
A
N
A
57
A
O
R
T
A
58
A
R
T
59
I
H
O
P
60
A
V
I
D
61
D
O
E
62
S
T
H
I
S
63
H
64
A
V
E
L
E
65
G
66
S
67
A
S
A
H
I
68
S
A
U
C
E
69
E
Y
R
E
70
Y
E
M
E
N
71
E
T
H
E
R
72
D
E
E
T
© 2026, The New York Times7/16/26 ( No. 28,009 )
Across
1
Smart : POSH
5
Sensation : SMASH
10
Acquisition on the big day : INLAW
15
"That's a good one!" : HAHA
16
Galápagos island that was home to Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his subspecies : PINTA
17
Who knows what preceded the Big Bang : NOONE
18
*Yes — three arduous ones : IRONMANTRIATHLON
21
February 14, informally : VDAY
22
Scratch that! : ITCH
23
El ___ : CID
24
Like novices : GREEN
26
Spoil : DEFILE
28
Preceder of how, way or where : ANY
29
*Yes — sometimes more than 1,000 : MILLIPEDE
31
Patooties : BUTTS
33
Little dipper? : TOE
34
"Tout à fait!" : OUI
35
Tire : FLAG
37
*Yes — exactly one, in common usage : DIRECTFLIGHT
42
First line on many a form : NAME
43
Common garnish in a chirashi bowl : ROE
44
Had at present? : HAS
47
Article of lab wear : SMOCK
50
*No — but it does have three feet : YARDSTICK
53
Elizabethan curse : POX
54
Country that las islas Canarias are part of : ESPANA
57
Important blood line : AORTA
58
"___ is the proper task of life": Nietzsche : ART
59
Business whose rewards program gives "Stackholder Perks" : IHOP
60
Raving : AVID
61
Question during a brainstorming session ... or of the answers to the starred clues : DOESTHISHAVELEGS
67
Popular Japanese brew : ASAHI
68
Alcohol, slangily : SAUCE
69
Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified" : EYRE
70
Its capital is Sanaa : YEMEN
71
Heavens : ETHER
72
Debugging component? : DEET
Down
1
Letter after upsilon : PHI
2
Trireme tool : OAR
3
Cleared, as snow : SHOVELED
4
"Messiah" composer : HANDEL
5
Neuter : SPAY
6
What a big hand indicates: Abbr. : MIN
7
Its colony can be considered one superorganism : ANT
8
Struggle : STRIFE
9
World's most populous Creole-speaking country : HAITI
10
Pretty much assured : INTHEBAG
11
Japanese drama : NOH
12
Feline in a 2000s meme : LOLCAT
13
Dub ... or rub : ANOINT
14
Fast-food restaurant that sells Frostys : WENDYS
19
___-pedi : MANI
20
Oft-injured part of the knee, for short : ACL
24
Clock-setting std. : GMT
25
___ Bravo (México/Tejas border) : RIO
26
Certain tie score : DEUCE
27
Mince words? : EDIT
30
Frost piece : POEM
32
Sound of dissatisfaction : UGH
35
Botanist's study : FLORA
36
Told stories : LIED
38
Business ending : INC
39
Roll in dough : RAKEITIN
40
Actress/union leader Drescher : FRAN
41
Symbol of spiritual insight, in Hinduism : THIRDEYE
45
Class ___ : ACT
46
Music genre with "walking" bass lines : SKA
47
Steamy occasion? : SPADAY
48
Lugubrious : MOROSE
49
Pioneers' prairie pullers : OXTEAM
50
Harangues : YAPSAT
51
Store : SAVE
52
Worked sufferingly : TOILED
55
"Pipe down!" : SHH
56
Composure : POISE
60
Attest : AVER
62
___-goat : SHE
63
"Wait ... really?" : HUH
64
One of a kind : ACE
65
Test for future Ph.D.s : GRE
66
Not needing anything else : SET

Answer summary:
5 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Modern Era but used previously.

Log in or purchase a subscription to view an analysis of this puzzle.

Found bugs or have suggestions? Please let us know.

Like this puzzle? Please share this page on social media to help spread the word about XWord Info. Thanks!

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2026, Jim Horne
42 ms