NYT Crossword Answers Today, November 14, 2026
The New York Times (NYT) Crossword for Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 by Byron Walden: a hint for all 66 clues, ten wordplay clues explained, then answers.
Published 12 min read
In this article
The New York Times (NYT) Crossword for Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, was constructed by Byron Walden and edited by Will Shortz: 66 clues, 33 Across and 33 Down, in a 15-by-15 grid. Saturday grids carry no theme, and this one asks for ten wordplay readings. A hint for every clue sits behind a tap, and the answers close the page.
Ten question-mark clues and the trick in each
Each of these clues is a normal phrase pushed toward a second meaning. No note below names an answer.
- 1-Across, “Leaves with a pungent taste in one’s mouth?” (4 letters). The leaves are a crop, and the taste comes from keeping them in the cheek. The answer is a slang noun for a wad.
- 26-Across, “Light refreshments?” (8 letters). “Light” describes a color, not a calorie count. The refreshments are drinks, in the plural.
- 36-Across, “Break dancing?” (5 letters). This is not street dance. A “break” is an interruption, and the dancing is what gets interrupted.
- 53-Across, “Sow what?” (4 letters). Read “sow” as the verb and “what” as the object. The answer is the thing a gardener scatters.
- 7-Down, “Bad tipper?” (4 letters). Forget restaurants. The tip is a piece of inside information, and the bad tipper gives you away.
- 9-Down, “Bunch of dubious characters?” (14 letters). The characters are written symbols, not people, and “dubious” means hard to read.
- 11-Down, “Creature features?” (10 letters). “Features” are billed items on a show, and the creatures are the performers. The answer is two words run together.
- 13-Down, “Finishes a shift?” (4 letters). The shift is a dress, and finishing it means sewing its lower edge. The verb is in the third person.
- 15-Down, “Country house?” (14 letters). The house is an office building, and the “country” is a whole group of them in one world body. The answer begins with a two-letter abbreviation.
- 45-Down, “Rump of Parliament?” (4 letters). The rump is a body part, and “Parliament” signals British usage for the word.
Two more entries need no question mark to be tricky. 28-Across and 30-Across are a pair, and each clue points at the other.
How Saturday’s grid compares with Friday’s
Friday’s Crossword, by Mike Graczyk, had 70 entries and 33 black squares. Saturday’s has 66 entries and 26, so black squares fall from 14.7 percent of the grid to 11.6 percent, and letter squares rise from 192 to 199. Entry count drops by four, with Across down by one (34 to 33) and Down down by three (36 to 33).
| Measure | Fri., Nov. 13 | Sat., Nov. 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Entries | 70 | 66 |
| Black squares | 33 | 26 |
| Longest entries | six of 11 letters, all Across | two of 14 letters, both Down |
| Question-mark clues | 4 | 10 |
| Fill-in-the-blank clues | 5 | 6 |
Friday’s longest entries were all Across and stacked in threes. Saturday’s longest run top to bottom instead, and each of the two crosses most of the grid. The black pattern is unchanged by a half turn on both days.
How the Nov. 14 grid is built
The 66 entries break down by length as follows, counted from the puzzle data.
| Length | Across | Down | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| 5 | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Most entries are short: 33 of the 66 have 4 or 5 squares. The long ones come in three clusters. 9-Down starts in row 1, column 11 and runs to row 14, while 11-Down and 12-Down, two 10-letter entries side by side, start next to it in columns 13 and 14. 15-Down drops from row 2, column 5 to the bottom edge. 24-Down and 25-Down, the other 10-letter pair, hang from row 6, columns 2 and 3. Among the 9-square Across entries, 14-Across and 17-Across fill rows 2 and 3 from column 1, and 48-Across and 50-Across do the same in rows 13 and 14 from column 7. The hub explains the daily format on our NYT Crossword page; on this Saturday, the two 14-square Down entries are the ones to chase, since both cross so many Across answers.
Hints for every clue
Across
1-Across (4 letters), Leaves with a pungent taste in one’s mouth?
a slangy noun for a plug of tobacco kept in the cheek; begins with C and ends with W.Show the answer
Chaw5-Across (4 letters), Artist’s pad, perhaps
a high studio space, often a converted warehouse floor; begins with L.Show the answer
Loft9-Across (5 letters), ___ pad
slang for a place to sleep for a night; begins with C and ends with H.Show the answer
Crash14-Across (9 letters), Country that celebrates Stork Day on March 25 to honor the return of its national bird
a Baltic nation; begins with L and ends with A.Show the answer
Lithuania16-Across (5 letters), It follows that
a word meaning “for that reason”; begins with H.Show the answer
Hence17-Across (9 letters), Orchestrator’s work
the job of adapting a piece of music for a group of players; the last three letters are I, N and G; begins with A.Show the answer
Arranging18-Across (5 letters), Hot potato or cold fish, e.g.
an expression whose meaning is not literal; begins with I and ends with M.Show the answer
Idiom19-Across (8 letters), S-shaped hanger
a butcher’s tool for hanging cuts; two words run together; begins with M.Show the answer
Meathook20-Across (6 letters), Saps
a slangy word for gullible fools, plural; begins with S and ends with S.Show the answer
Schmos21-Across (4 letters), Very long span
an age of the world; the vowels are A, E and O in that order; begins with A.Show the answer
Aeon22-Across (6 letters), Nudge
to prod, written as a verb plus a short preposition run together; begins with P.Show the answer
Pokeat23-Across (6 letters), Like some saws and bobsleds
needing a pair of people; two words run together; begins with T.Show the answer
Twoman26-Across (8 letters), Light refreshments?
pub drinks of a pale kind, in the plural; two words run together; begins with P and ends with S.Show the answer
Paleales28-Across (5 letters), With 30-Across, kind of movement
an adjective for fast; the phrase it forms is a stage of sleep; begins with R.Show the answer
Rapid29-Across (9 letters), Nutty pastry
a dessert with a tree-nut filling in a crust; two words run together; begins with P.Show the answer
Pecantart30-Across (3 letters), See 28-Across
the body part that darts around behind closed lids in that sleep stage; begins with E.Show the answer
Eye31-Across (7 letters), First Day observers
members of a religious society that calls Sunday by that name; plural; begins with Q and ends with S.Show the answer
Quakers33-Across (3 letters), Intel component, for short
three initials for a computer’s processor; begins with C.Show the answer
Cpu34-Across (9 letters), Emcee
the person who calls out each name at a ceremony; begins with A.Show the answer
Announcer36-Across (5 letters), Break dancing?
to interrupt a couple on the floor and take over as partner; two words run together; begins with C.Show the answer
Cutin38-Across (8 letters), Alex Honnold’s “How I climbed a 3,000-foot vertical cliff — without ropes” and others
short stage lectures from a famous conference series; an abbreviation plus a plural word; begins with T.Show the answer
Tedtalks39-Across (6 letters), Kind of concrete that does not require pre-mixing
poured in dry form and wetted in place; two words run together; begins with D.Show the answer
Dryset40-Across (6 letters), Lengths at the London Olympics
the way a Briton spells a basic unit of distance, in the plural; begins with M and ends with S.Show the answer
Metres41-Across (4 letters), “He clasps the ___ with crooked hands”: Tennyson, “The Eagle”
a rocky cliff face; begins with C.Show the answer
Crag42-Across (6 letters), Eponymous Ontario brewer John
a Canadian beer company’s founder; double T; begins with L.Show the answer
Labatt43-Across (8 letters), Kind of catfish or screw
a screw whose slot is a single line, as opposed to a cross; two words run together; begins with F.Show the answer
Flathead47-Across (5 letters), Stupefied
amazed to the point of silence; two words run together; begins with I.Show the answer
Inawe48-Across (9 letters), Spicy, savory South Asian dish
a stew in a hot sauce made from cattle meat; two words run together; begins with B.Show the answer
Beefcurry49-Across (5 letters), Vape marketing claim
a boast that the sticky residue from smoke is absent; two words run together; begins with N and ends with R.Show the answer
Notar50-Across (9 letters), Depiction on a 1969 postage stamp honoring the Apollo 8 mission
the famous photograph of our planet over the moon’s horizon; two words run together; begins with E.Show the answer
Earthrise51-Across (5 letters), Lock
a strand of long hair; double S; begins with T.Show the answer
Tress52-Across (4 letters), Cabinets used by cantors
the holders for scrolls at the front of a synagogue; also the boats in a biblical flood story; begins with A and ends with S.Show the answer
Arks53-Across (4 letters), Sow what?
the thing you scatter in a garden bed in spring; begins with S and ends with D.Show the answer
Seed
Down
1-Down (4 letters), Kind of juice in a bloody Caesar
a broth from a shellfish that keeps its shell shut; begins with C.Show the answer
Clam2-Down (4 letters), Charter
to rent for a time, as a boat or a bus; begins with H.Show the answer
Hire3-Down (4 letters), Name amusingly hidden in “cutthroat razor”
look across the break between the two words in the phrase; begins with A and ends with A.Show the answer
Atra4-Down (7 letters), End of a riddle
the question the riddler leaves you with; three words run together; begins with W.Show the answer
Whatami5-Down (6 letters), Biscayne Bay, for example
a shallow body of water; double O; begins with L.Show the answer
Lagoon6-Down (5 letters), Whopper topper
a round, layered vegetable sliced thin for a burger; begins with O.Show the answer
Onion7-Down (4 letters), Bad tipper?
slang for a snitch or informer; begins with F and ends with K.Show the answer
Fink8-Down (3 letters), Word with dog or ear
a small label that attaches to a collar or a pierced ear; begins with T.Show the answer
Tag9-Down (14 letters), Bunch of dubious characters?
sloppy handwriting that nobody can read; two words run together; begins with C.Show the answer
Chickenscratch10-Down (7 letters), 1988 comedy with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ivan Danko
an action comedy from the late 1980s; two words run together; begins with R.Show the answer
Redheat11-Down (10 letters), Creature features?
the billed numbers at a circus that star beasts; two words run together; begins with A.Show the answer
Animalacts12-Down (10 letters), Confection named for Yankee legend Phil Rizzuto
a packaged sweet named after a Yankee legend; two words run together; begins with S.Show the answer
Scooterpie13-Down (4 letters), Finishes a shift?
sews the bottom edge of a dress; begins with H and ends with S.Show the answer
Hems15-Down (14 letters), Country house?
the main offices of a world body of nations; a two-letter abbreviation then a long word; begins with U.Show the answer
Unheadquarters20-Down (5 letters), “Go ___” (environmentalist’s catchphrase)
energy that comes from the sun; begins with S.Show the answer
Solar22-Down (5 letters), Fast bowler, in cricket
a pitcher of the cricket field who relies on speed; begins with P.Show the answer
Pacer23-Down (5 letters), “My ___”
what you say when you offer to pay the bill; begins with T.Show the answer
Treat24-Down (10 letters), Noted DC locale since 1939
the DC here is comics, not Washington; a mansion belonging to a masked hero; two words run together; begins with W.Show the answer
Waynemanor25-Down (10 letters), Freewheeling exchange
a discussion with no set rules where anyone may speak; two words run together; begins with O.Show the answer
Opendebate26-Down (5 letters), Toys from China, for short
nickname for small dogs from the East, plural; begins with P and ends with S.Show the answer
Pekes27-Down (5 letters), Set back the growth of
to keep a plant or a child from reaching full size; begins with S.Show the answer
Stunt29-Down (5 letters), Starts to make a move
gets boxes ready for a new address; begins with P.Show the answer
Packs32-Down (5 letters), Available, as an apartment
a British word for a flat with no tenant; begins with U.Show the answer
Unlet35-Down (7 letters), Pontiac and others
members of a Native American nation, and the plural of a Canadian capital’s name; begins with O and ends with S.Show the answer
Ottawas37-Down (7 letters), Ethnic group in China’s Xinjiang region
a people of western China; begins with U.Show the answer
Uyghurs39-Down (6 letters), Works in progress
early versions of a manuscript; begins with D.Show the answer
Drafts41-Down (5 letters), Supreme Court position
a young lawyer who assists a justice; begins with C.Show the answer
Clerk42-Down (4 letters), Stuff in a trap
gray fluff caught by a dryer filter; begins with L.Show the answer
Lint43-Down (4 letters), “In time we hate that which we often ___”: “Antony and Cleopatra”
dread, as a verb; begins with F.Show the answer
Fear44-Down (4 letters), Fort ___, Ontario
a Great Lake on the Canadian border that shares its name with this town; begins with E.Show the answer
Erie45-Down (4 letters), Rump of Parliament?
a British word for the backside; begins with A and ends with E.Show the answer
Arse46-Down (4 letters), Processed with bloodroot or butternut
given color with a plant pigment; begins with D.Show the answer
Dyed48-Down (3 letters), Actress/comedian Benaderet
her first name, a woman’s name that also sounds like an insect; begins with B.Show the answer
Bea
Mark the solving days on our printable calendar for November 2026 or the weekly calendar to print.
More puzzles for Saturday: Wordle hints, Connections hints and Strands hints. Yesterday’s grid is in our Crossword answers for Nov. 13.
Today’s NYT Crossword answers (spoilers)
Stop here if you still want to solve it yourself.
| Clue | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1-Across | Chaw |
| 5-Across | Loft |
| 9-Across | Crash |
| 14-Across | Lithuania |
| 16-Across | Hence |
| 17-Across | Arranging |
| 18-Across | Idiom |
| 19-Across | Meathook |
| 20-Across | Schmos |
| 21-Across | Aeon |
| 22-Across | Pokeat |
| 23-Across | Twoman |
| 26-Across | Paleales |
| 28-Across | Rapid |
| 29-Across | Pecantart |
| 30-Across | Eye |
| 31-Across | Quakers |
| 33-Across | Cpu |
| 34-Across | Announcer |
| 36-Across | Cutin |
| 38-Across | Tedtalks |
| 39-Across | Dryset |
| 40-Across | Metres |
| 41-Across | Crag |
| 42-Across | Labatt |
| 43-Across | Flathead |
| 47-Across | Inawe |
| 48-Across | Beefcurry |
| 49-Across | Notar |
| 50-Across | Earthrise |
| 51-Across | Tress |
| 52-Across | Arks |
| 53-Across | Seed |
| 1-Down | Clam |
| 2-Down | Hire |
| 3-Down | Atra |
| 4-Down | Whatami |
| 5-Down | Lagoon |
| 6-Down | Onion |
| 7-Down | Fink |
| 8-Down | Tag |
| 9-Down | Chickenscratch |
| 10-Down | Redheat |
| 11-Down | Animalacts |
| 12-Down | Scooterpie |
| 13-Down | Hems |
| 15-Down | Unheadquarters |
| 20-Down | Solar |
| 22-Down | Pacer |
| 23-Down | Treat |
| 24-Down | Waynemanor |
| 25-Down | Opendebate |
| 26-Down | Pekes |
| 27-Down | Stunt |
| 29-Down | Packs |
| 32-Down | Unlet |
| 35-Down | Ottawas |
| 37-Down | Uyghurs |
| 39-Down | Drafts |
| 41-Down | Clerk |
| 42-Down | Lint |
| 43-Down | Fear |
| 44-Down | Erie |
| 45-Down | Arse |
| 46-Down | Dyed |
| 48-Down | Bea |
How the ten question-mark clues resolve:
- 1-Across, Chaw: a wad of tobacco leaf held in the cheek.
- 26-Across, Paleales: light-colored beers served as refreshments.
- 36-Across, Cutin: interrupting a dancing pair to take over.
- 53-Across, Seed: what a gardener sows.
- 7-Down, Fink: an informer who tips off the authorities.
- 9-Down, Chickenscratch: handwriting whose characters are hard to read.
- 11-Down, Animalacts: the show features that star creatures.
- 13-Down, Hems: finishes the edge of a shift dress.
- 15-Down, Unheadquarters: the main offices of the United Nations (UN).
- 45-Down, Arse: British word for the rump.
The answers come from the puzzle’s official data.
Yesterday's Crossword answer
The Crossword on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026: Across 1 Aloneatlast, 12 Ars, 15 Cerealaisle, 16 Nov, 17 Canttopthat, 18 Ale, 19 Epa, 20 Sept, 21 Beapal, 23 Duty, 25 Seem, 27 Whit, 28 Epees, 30 Dresscode, 33 Ato, 35 Sailors, 36 Theta, 38 Drama, 39 Crywolf, 41 Ene, 42 Cheesedip, 44 Gobig, 48 Rosa, 49 Idea, 51 Nada, 52 Arched, 55 Grrr, 57 Bud, 58 Nah, 59 Moveitalong, 62 Eli, 63 Imetsomeone, 64 Sec, 65 Letshopenot; Down 1 Accede, 2 Leapup, 3 Ornate, 4 Net, 5 Eats, 6 Aloes, 7 Tapped, 8 Litters, 9 Ash, 10 Slab, 11 Tete, 12 Anaphora, 13 Rolaids, 14 Svelte, 22 Awcomeon, 24 Yeahyeah, 26 Mead, 29 Stews, 31 Sire, 32 Slang, 34 Otoe, 36 Treschic, 37 Aldi, 39 Chorale, 40 Fidgets, 42 Cranes, 43 Perish, 45 Baboon, 46 Idunno, 47 Gadget, 50 Artoo, 53 Emil, 54 Dome, 56 Ramp, 60 Vet, 61 Lee. Yesterday's hints and full solution.
Frequently asked questions
Who made today's NYT Crossword?
Byron Walden constructed the Nov. 14, 2026 grid and Will Shortz edited it, according to the puzzle data.
Which entries are the longest in the Nov. 14, 2026 Crossword?
Two Down entries of 14 squares: 9-Down, in column 11 from row 1 to row 14, and 15-Down, in column 5 from row 2 to row 15. Both clues end in a question mark.
Do 28-Across and 30-Across belong together on Nov. 14, 2026?
Yes. 28-Across reads "With 30-Across, kind of movement" and 30-Across reads "See 28-Across", so the two answers form one two-word phrase.
What are the NYT Crossword answers for Nov. 14, 2026?
Spoilers: Across, Chaw, Loft, Crash, Lithuania, Hence, Arranging, Idiom, Meathook, Schmos, Aeon, Pokeat, Twoman, Paleales, Rapid, Pecantart, Eye, Quakers, Cpu, Announcer, Cutin, Tedtalks, Dryset, Metres, Crag, Labatt, Flathead, Inawe, Beefcurry, Notar, Earthrise, Tress, Arks, Seed, Down, Clam, Hire, Atra, Whatami, Lagoon, Onion, Fink, Tag, Chickenscratch, Redheat, Animalacts, Scooterpie, Hems, Unheadquarters, Solar, Pacer, Treat, Waynemanor, Opendebate, Pekes, Stunt, Packs, Unlet, Ottawas, Uyghurs, Drafts, Clerk, Lint, Fear, Erie, Arse, Dyed, Bea.
Sources
- The Crossword (The New York Times)
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