NYT Crossword Hints and Solutions for 4. September, 2026
The Crossword #24366 for Friday, September 4, 2026 is a 15x15 grid with 66 clues (34 Across, 32 Down), starting with 1-Across: “Result of a tense build-up?”. Every answer stays hidden until you reveal it.
Across
11 Across: Hit a point of no return?
15 Across: Kick off
16 Across: “Outta my way!”
17 Across: ABC's realm
18 Across: Body part affected by heterochromia
19 Across: Fed
20 Across: ___ Mai, Grammy-winning R&B singer
21 Across: Buff
22 Across: Drops
24 Across: Mars rover named in honor of a 19th-century activist
26 Across: Ludwig ___, post-W.W. II leader who led West Germany's economic recovery
28 Across: Cooking term whose name is composed of two synonyms for "criticize"
29 Across: Agcy. tracking popular baby names
30 Across: Agcy. concerned with declarations
32 Across: Parts of some high-speed rail systems
33 Across: Be exceptionally good, in modern slang
34 Across: Vaper's purchase
35 Across: What Esau got in exchange for selling his birthright to Jacob
38 Across: Disclaimer in a quote
39 Across: "Hang"
42 Across: Detaches from the frame, perhaps
44 Across: Grammatical case in 48-Across
46 Across: Longtime Pixar character who saiys "I might be old, but I still got a spring in my step!"
48 Across: See 44-Across
49 Across: Super, slangily
50 Across: Curve on a score
52 Across: Follower of hand or home
53 Across: Bit of filming
54 Across: Asteroids and Space Invaders
56 Across: In the past
57 Across: System by which all speech is protected?
58 Across: Cravings
59 Across: Club runners
Down
1 Down: Change sounds
2 Down: Captivates
3 Down: Actress Lyonne
4 Down: Neighbor of Sierra Leone
5 Down: In the past
6 Down: Use a fork for, in a way
7 Down: Some thesis defenses
8 Down: Trounce
9 Down: Singer dubbed the "Matriarch of the Blues"
10 Down: Gun before the green, say
11 Down: "Is it not?"
12 Down: Stellar visual effects
13 Down: Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped
14 Down: Strands
21 Down: Precise and calculated
23 Down: First country to elect a female prime minister (1960)
25 Down: Tripping
27 Down: Sluggish
31 Down: One putting the pedal to the metal
33 Down: No-goodniks
35 Down: Toddler's walking aid
36 Down: Like someone using autoreply, perhaps
37 Down: Start to congeal
39 Down: Part of some gummies
40 Down: Clear
41 Down: Births
43 Down: Comfort
45 Down: Mesoamerican staple with a "hot" variety
47 Down: Mentors
51 Down: "Rude Boy" singer, to fans
54 Down: Ancient symbol of royalty
55 Down: Test not offered in high school, for short
How NYT Crossword Works
The NYT Crossword is the classic daily puzzle: a full-size grid of Across and Down clues published every day of the week. Difficulty ramps up from Monday (easiest) through Saturday (hardest), with Sunday running a larger, standalone puzzle.
- Full-Size Grid A standard 15x15 weekday grid, expanding to a significantly larger grid on Sundays.
- Daily Difficulty Curve Monday starts easy and each day gets progressively harder through Saturday, the toughest of the week.
- Archive Access Select past dates using the date selector above to browse historical Crossword solutions and clue archives.
Today's NYT Crossword FAQ
How many clues are in today's NYT Crossword crossword?
Today's Crossword (#24366, 2026-09-04) has 66 clues — 34 Across and 32 Down.
What size is today's Crossword grid?
A 15x15 grid.
What's the longest answer today?
10 letters — no spoilers, but that's your longest foothold if you're stuck.