What is The Crossword?
The Crossword is The New York Times' daily full-size crossword puzzle. You fill an interlocking grid by solving Across and Down clues. Difficulty increases from Monday through Saturday, while the larger Sunday puzzle sits around midweek difficulty. It is the subscription-based crossword in the NYT Games collection.
How to play The Crossword
- Open the daily puzzle and select an Across or Down clue.
- Type letters into the white squares so each answer matches its clue and intersects correctly with crossing answers.
- Navigate the clue list and use optional tools such as Check or Reveal if needed.
- Complete every square in the grid to finish the puzzle.
Why play The Crossword?
The Crossword offers a substantial daily word puzzle with escalating weekday difficulty, explicit learning tools and a long-term streak and archive system. It rewards clue interpretation, careful use of crossings and building a consistent solving habit over time.
Reading the feedback
A correct completion plays music and displays a congratulatory message. If every square is filled but no message appears, at least one square is wrong. The game marks checked letters blue and records blue stars for completed puzzles that do not qualify for a streak. Gold stars indicate qualifying consecutive solves.
Modes
Daily Crossword
A new full-size crossword is published daily, with difficulty increasing from Monday through Saturday and a larger Sunday puzzle.
Crossword Archive
Games and All Access subscribers can access, download and play past crossword puzzles from the archive.
Pen and pencil
A pencil control switches entries between the default black pen mode and gray pencil mode for tentative answers.
Tips for a stronger solve
Start with Monday puzzles if you are learning. NYT identifies them as the week's easiest. Fill in clues you know immediately, then use the crossing entries to test uncertain answers.
Use Check or Reveal deliberately. NYT notes that either tool resets the qualifying crossword streak, so save them for moments when you are genuinely stuck rather than applying them casually.
Look for patterns in clue phrasing. A clue ending in a question mark often signals wordplay or a less literal answer. Matching verb tenses and parts of speech between clue and answer also narrows the field.
Popular questions
Do I need a subscription to play The Crossword?
Yes. NYT says the digital Crossword is available to Games, All Access and Home Delivery subscribers. An account with Games access is required for play and features such as statistics and streaks.
How do I know that I solved it?
A correct full solve triggers music and a congratulatory message. A filled grid without that message still contains an incorrect square.