NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 1, 2023

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:57 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, August 1, 2023. The daily crossword is the classic: a 15×15 grid on weekdays and a larger Sunday puzzle, with difficulty rising from a gentle Monday to a fiendish Saturday. Hints come first and the solution stays hidden until you ask for it.

78 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Monday, July 31, 2023

across

1. Reference point for nighttime navigation: STAR
5. Trim, as a photo: CROP
9. "Toodles!": CIAO
13. Sci-fi hero ___ Skywalker: LUKE
14. Volcano output: LAVA
15. Casper is a friendly one: GHOST
16. Not much: ABIT
17. Actor Epps: OMAR
18. Sounds from a sty: OINKS
19. Tennis great with a sister who's also a tennis great: VENUSWILLIAMS
22. Sought political office: RAN
23. Ye ___ Shoppe: OLDE
24. British royal crowned in May 2023: KINGCHARLESIII
31. Tic-___-toe: TAC
32. AMC's "Better Call ___": SAUL
33. Failed to: DIDNT
34. Cry on a roller coaster: WHEE
36. Rider's handful: REINS
39. "Great" detective of kid-lit: NATE
40. "It's ___!" (classic "Frankenstein" line): ALIVE
42. Come off as: SEEM
44. Haw's partner: HEM
45. First Latina justice, successor to David Souter: SONIASOTOMAYOR
49. Exam for an aspiring atty.: LSAT
50. Fury: IRE
51. Words before legal action … or what one might exclaim to 19-, 24- and 45-Across?: SEEYOUINCOURT
57. Material for LPs: VINYL
59. Worker welfare org.: OSHA
60. CT scan alternatives: MRIS
61. Weeps: CRIES
62. Edward ___, poet who wrote "The Owl and the Pussy-cat": LEAR
63. Frozen waffle brand: EGGO
64. Emulates Snoop Dogg or Doja Cat: RAPS
65. Small whirlpool: EDDY
66. Eliot of the Untouchables: NESS

down

1. Serb, Slovene or Slovak: SLAV
2. Paper towel roll leftover: TUBE
3. Similar (to): AKIN
4. Part of a round trip: RETURN
5. Comically packed circus vehicle: CLOWNCAR
6. Actor Malek of "Bohemian Rhapsody": RAMI
7. Speed-skating track shape: OVAL
8. Word after beauty or pizza: PARLOR
9. Adds one's two cents: CHIMESIN
10. Atoms with charges: IONS
11. Pose, as a question: ASK
12. Extra periods in sports, in brief: OTS
15. Provoked: GOADED
20. Gives in to gravity, as a roof: SAGS
21. Sick: ILL
24. Artist Frida renowned for her self-portraits: KAHLO
25. Strand, as during a blizzard: ICEIN
26. Shade of color: HUE
27. Group of showbiz elites: ALIST
28. State whose license plates read "Famous Potatoes": IDAHO
29. Prefix with continental or faith: INTER
30. Tabloid twosome: ITEM
31. "___ the night before Christmas …": TWAS
35. Stares said to inflict curses: EVILEYES
37. Keanu Reeves's role in "The Matrix": NEO
38. For-prophet institution?: SEMINARY
41. Painting studio stands: EASELS
43. Podcast host Maron: MARC
46. Pronounce: SAY
47. Peter of "Lawrence of Arabia": OTOOLE
48. Tower of London guards: YEOMEN
51. Hair salon sound: SNIP
52. Previously owned: USED
53. "If ___ a nickel …": IHAD
54. Strongly encourage: URGE
55. Fixes, as a carnival game: RIGS
56. General ___ chicken: TSOS
57. TiVo forerunner: VCR
58. Nest egg fund, in brief: IRA

Hints and full breakdown for Jul 31

More daily puzzle hints

How the week is built

Monday and Tuesday: straightforward definitions and familiar answers. These are the best days to learn.
Wednesday: a step up, often with a playful theme.
Thursday: the trick day, with rebus squares (several letters in one square) and answers that turn corners or skip squares.
Friday and Saturday: themeless and tough, with sly clues and long open sections.
Sunday: a bigger 21×21 grid with a theme, about as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday.

Crossword-solving habits worth building

Learn the common fill. Short vowel-heavy words such as ERA, OREO, ALOE and ETNA appear constantly because they help constructors connect sections.
Read clue signals. "?" means wordplay, "Abbr." means an abbreviation, "e.g." means an example of a category, and a foreign word in the clue hints at a foreign answer.
Find the theme. The longest answers usually share a gimmick; the title (on Sundays) or a "revealer" clue explains it.
Erase without fear. When crossings don't work, the wrong letter is usually in the answer you were most confident about.
Use targeted help. Reveal one letter here, or try our crossword solver with a pattern like ?R?S?.

The Crossword FAQ

When is the next crossword released?

Weekday puzzles go live at 10 p.m. Eastern Time the night before; weekend puzzles are released earlier in the evening.

What is a rebus square?

A square that holds more than one letter. Sometimes it holds a whole word or a symbol. They are most common on Thursdays.

Which day is the hardest?

Saturday is generally the hardest, followed by Friday. Sunday is larger but closer to midweek difficulty.

Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive.