NYT Crossword July 16, 2026 Answers

Across

1A Smart 4 5A Sensation 5 10A Acquisition on the big day 5 15A "That's a good one!" 4 16A Galápagos island that was home to Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his subspecies 5 17A Who knows what preceded the Big Bang 5 18A *Yes — three arduous ones 16 21A February 14, informally 4 22A Scratch that! 4 23A El ___ 3 24A Like novices 5 26A Spoil 6 28A Preceder of how, way or where 3 29A *Yes — sometimes more than 1,000 9 31A Patooties 5 33A Little dipper? 3 34A "Tout à fait!" 3 35A Tire 4 37A *Yes — exactly one, in common usage 12 42A First line on many a form 4 43A Common garnish in a chirashi bowl 3 44A Had at present? 3 47A Article of lab wear 5 50A *No — but it does have three feet 9 53A Elizabethan curse 3 54A Country that las islas Canarias are part of 6 57A Important blood line 5 58A "___ is the proper task of life": Nietzsche 3 59A Business whose rewards program gives "Stackholder Perks" 4 60A Raving 4 61A Question during a brainstorming session ... or of the answers to the starred clues 16 67A Popular Japanese brew 5 68A Alcohol, slangily 5 69A Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified" 4 70A Its capital is Sanaa 5 71A Heavens 5 72A Debugging component? 4

Down

1D Letter after upsilon 3 2D Trireme tool 3 3D Cleared, as snow 8 4D "Messiah" composer 6 5D Neuter 4 6D What a big hand indicates: Abbr. 3 7D Its colony can be considered one superorganism 3 8D Struggle 6 9D World's most populous Creole-speaking country 5 10D Pretty much assured 8 11D Japanese drama 3 12D Feline in a 2000s meme 6 13D Dub ... or rub 6 14D Fast-food restaurant that sells Frostys 6 19D ___-pedi 4 20D Oft-injured part of the knee, for short 3 24D Clock-setting std. 3 25D ___ Bravo (México/Tejas border) 3 26D Certain tie score 5 27D Mince words? 4 30D Frost piece 4 32D Sound of dissatisfaction 3 35D Botanist's study 5 36D Told stories 4 38D Business ending 3 39D Roll in dough 8 40D Actress/union leader Drescher 4 41D Symbol of spiritual insight, in Hinduism 8 45D Class ___ 3 46D Music genre with "walking" bass lines 3 47D Steamy occasion? 6 48D Lugubrious 6 49D Pioneers' prairie pullers 6 50D Harangues 6 51D Store 4 52D Worked sufferingly 6 55D "Pipe down!" 3 56D Composure 5 60D Attest 4 62D ___-goat 3 63D "Wait ... really?" 3 64D One of a kind 3 65D Test for future Ph.D.s 3 66D Not needing anything else 3