NYT Crossword Answers and Hints for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026: Four Rebus Squares, 78 Clues

The New York Times (NYT) Crossword for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026: a hint for all 78 of David P. Williams's clues, the four rebus squares explained, then answers.

By Fresh Calendars News Desk

Published November 6, 2026, 12:45 p.m. ET 13 min read

NYT Crossword answers for Nov. 5, 2026: a blank 15 by 15 crossword grid with one row highlighted — The New York Times Crossword for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026; hints come first, the full list of answers at the end. Illustration: Fresh Calendars

In this article

The four rebus squares in Thursday’s grid
The five question-mark clues, explained
Hints for every clue
How Thursday’s grid is built
NYT Crossword answers for Nov. 5, 2026 (spoilers)

The New York Times (NYT) Crossword for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, was constructed by David P. Williams and edited by Will Shortz: a 15-by-15 grid with 78 clues, four of its squares holding more than one letter. Each clue below has a hint that stays shut until you tap it, and the answers wait at the end of the page.

The four rebus squares in Thursday’s grid

A rebus square holds several letters instead of one. Here, four squares hold three letters each, so an entry that passes through one has more letters than squares. Every count in the hints below is a count of squares.

Square	Across entry	Down entry
Row 3, column 6	17-Across, sixth of 11 squares	5-Down, third of 4 squares
Row 5, column 13	26-Across, seventh of 9 squares	11-Down, fifth of 8 squares
Row 11, column 5	55-Across, fifth of 9 squares	56-Down, first of 5 squares
Row 13, column 10	64-Across, sixth of 11 squares	61-Down, second of 4 squares

What links the four is a pair of alphabets. According to the clue for 59-Across, the circled letters in the Down answers belong to one alphabet, and the Across answers use another. So each square reads as a three-letter letter name in one direction and as a single letter in the other. The clue for 39-Across says it is a hint for four answers, and these are the four.

To enter a rebus, most crossword apps have a rebus key or a mode that lets one square take several letters. Look in your app’s help for the exact control. On paper, write the small letters across the square.

The five question-mark clues, explained

Five clues end in a question mark. None of the notes below names an answer.

46-Across, “Political leader?” Read “leader” as the part that comes first in a longer word, not as a head of state. Three letters.
47-Across, “Gray matter?” Here “Gray” is a surname, not a color, and the answer is a plural kind of poem. Four letters.
68-Across, “Vehicle for taking a trip?” The trip is not a journey. The vehicle is a three-letter drug abbreviation.
37-Down, “Unlikely buyer?” Picture a shopper who doubts every pitch. The answer is a seven-letter word for that person.
66-Down, “Letter indicating ownership?” The letter is the one added after an apostrophe to show possession, and the answer spells that letter out in full.

Hints for every clue

Three clues have a blank to fill: 1-Across, 34-Down and 52-Down.

Across

1-Across (4 letters), ___ Batlló, Antoni Gaudí masterpiece whose roof arch mimics a dragon’s back
Spanish for “house”; the blank comes before a Barcelona surname. Opening letter C. Final letter A.
Show the answer
Casa
5-Across (6 letters), Cheese that comes from northern Italy (and not another continent!)
A firm, nutty Italian cheese; the clue names the region it comes from. Opening letter A. Final letter O.
Show the answer
Asiago
11-Across (3 letters), Tote, for one
What a shopper carries groceries in; “tote” is a synonym. Opening letter B. Final letter G.
Show the answer
Bag
14-Across (4 letters), Certain sports bet
One side of a total-points wager, the other being “under.” Opening letter O. Final letter R.
Show the answer
Over
15-Across (6 letters), You can see right through it
The clear dome at the front of the eye. Opening letter C. Final letter A.
Show the answer
Cornea
16-Across (3 letters), Subject of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
A molecule that carries genetic messages in cells, three letters. Opening letter R. Final letter A.
Show the answer
Rna
17-Across (11 letters), Hand-held communication devices
Two-way radios held in the palm, two words run together, plural. The sixth square is a rebus. Opening letter W. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Walki[Eta]lkies
19-Across (3 letters), Pioneers, in hip-hop slang
Slang for old-school trailblazers, an initialism with a plural S. Opening letter O. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Ogs
20-Across (3 letters), D.O.J. branch
A federal bureau under the justice department, known by three initials. Opening letter A. Final letter F.
Show the answer
Atf
21-Across (3 letters), Online chat sign-off
Text-speak that sounds like “see ya.” Opening letter C. Final letter A.
Show the answer
Cya
22-Across (5 letters), Pottery needs
Ovens that fire clay. Opening letter K. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Kilns
24-Across (5 letters), It accompanies a promotion, typically
A bump in pay. Opening letter R. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Raise
26-Across (9 letters), Songs played on an oldies station
Oldies-station fare, two words run together. The seventh square is a rebus. Opening letter C. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Classi[Chi]ts
30-Across (5 letters), Word after pipe or before team
One word completes both phrases in the clue. Opening letter D. Final letter M.
Show the answer
Dream
31-Across (3 letters), Canal site
The clue’s canal sits in an organ you hear with. Opening letter E. Final letter R.
Show the answer
Ear
32-Across (4 letters), Book of the Bible that includes doings of Cyrus the Great
A short book of the Hebrew Bible named for a scribe, also a first name. Opening letter E. Final letter A.
Show the answer
Ezra
33-Across (3 letters), Whistle blower, informally
The official in stripes, shortened. Opening letter R. Final letter F.
Show the answer
Ref
35-Across (4 letters), Disapproving sounds
A plural for the clicking tongue sound of disapproval. Opening letter T. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Tsks
38-Across (3 letters), Sound after a gut punch
The grunt that follows a hard hit to the stomach. Opening letter O. Final letter F.
Show the answer
Oof
39-Across (15 letters), Admission of confusion … or a hint for interpreting four answers in this puzzle
A shrug in words, five short words run together; the clue says it explains the rebus squares. Fifteen squares, no rebus inside. Opening letter I. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Itsallgreektome
44-Across (3 letters), Flying off the shelves
Selling fast, and the opposite of cold. Opening letter H. Final letter T.
Show the answer
Hot
45-Across (4 letters), Author Morrison
A first name; the clue supplies the surname. Opening letter T. Final letter I.
Show the answer
Toni
46-Across (3 letters), Political leader?
A wordplay clue; see the question-mark section. Think of what leads a longer word. Opening letter G. Final letter O.
Show the answer
Geo
47-Across (4 letters), Gray matter?
A wordplay clue; see the question-mark section. A kind of poem. Opening letter O. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Odes
49-Across (3 letters), Sea urchin, on a sushi menu
The sushi-bar word for a sea creature’s creamy orange part. Opening letter U. Final letter I.
Show the answer
Uni
51-Across (5 letters), Women’s dress shoes
Heeled shoes with no laces, and what a gas station does. Opening letter P. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Pumps
55-Across (9 letters), Juggernauts
Forces that dominate their field, plural. The fifth square is a rebus. Opening letter P. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Powe[Rho]uses
58-Across (5 letters), Buy a round for, say
Pick up the tab for a friend’s drink. Opening letter T. Final letter T.
Show the answer
Treat
59-Across (5 letters), Like the alphabet of the circled letters in the Down answers, but not in the Across answers
The clue is a riddle about the single letters in the Down answers; the reply names their alphabet. Opening letter L. Final letter N.
Show the answer
Latin
60-Across (3 letters), Junior’s Jr.
A numeral after a name, for the third in a family line. Opening letter I. Final letter I.
Show the answer
Iii
62-Across (3 letters), Way to go: Abbr.
Highway label on a map, shortened. Opening letter R. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Rte
63-Across (3 letters), Voice, as grievances
Go public with a complaint. Opening letter A. Final letter R.
Show the answer
Air
64-Across (11 letters), Popular fund-raising event
A charity sale where bids go on paper sheets, two words run together. The sixth square is a rebus. Opening letter S. Final letter N.
Show the answer
Silen[Tau]ction
68-Across (3 letters), Vehicle for taking a trip?
A wordplay clue; see the question-mark section. Three initials. Opening letter L. Final letter D.
Show the answer
Lsd
69-Across (6 letters), The smallest of samples
An article plus a word for a small sample, run together. Opening letter A. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Ataste
70-Across (4 letters), Ampere or volt
Something measured, such as the ampere or the volt. Opening letter U. Final letter T.
Show the answer
Unit
71-Across (3 letters), Symbols on a post
The @ sign’s name, in plural. Opening letter A. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Ats
72-Across (6 letters), Governor Gavin
The surname of the governor named in the clue. Opening letter N. Final letter M.
Show the answer
Newsom
73-Across (4 letters), Head honcho
Whoever signs your performance review. Opening letter B. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Boss

Down

1-Down (6 letters), Hardly a risk-taker
Someone who shies away from danger. Opening letter C. Final letter D.
Show the answer
Coward
2-Down (6 letters), A gamer may use one
A player’s on-screen persona. Opening letter A. Final letter R.
Show the answer
Avatar
3-Down (6 letters), One might be taken with a stick
A photo you take of yourself, here with a pole. Opening letter S. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Selfie
4-Down (3 letters), U.S. state with the most dry counties: Abbr.
A state’s abbreviation, south of Missouri. Opening letter A. Final letter K.
Show the answer
Ark
5-Down (4 letters), Feeling tender
Sore and stiff, as muscles after a hike. The third square is a rebus. Opening letter A. Final letter Y.
Show the answer
Ac[Eta]y
6-Down (6 letters), Comfort
Consolation in a sad hour. Opening letter S. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Solace
7-Down (3 letters), Peeve
Annoy. Opening letter I. Final letter K.
Show the answer
Irk
8-Down (3 letters), Nickname of the protagonist in 2024’s “Anora”
A short name for the title character of a 2024 film. Opening letter A. Final letter I.
Show the answer
Ani
9-Down (5 letters), Enthusiasts, so to speak
People who are devoted to a niche subject. Opening letter G. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Geeks
10-Down (5 letters), Refueling spot
A desert watering stop. Opening letter O. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Oasis
11-Down (8 letters), Big Apple menagerie
A New York animal park, two words run together. The fifth square is a rebus. Opening letter B. Final letter O.
Show the answer
Bron[Chi]zoo
12-Down (8 letters), 0.1 nanometer
A tiny length unit, one ten-billionth of a meter. Opening letter A. Final letter M.
Show the answer
Angstrom
13-Down (3 letters), Super-fun time
Slang for a good time, and what a car runs on. Opening letter G. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Gas
18-Down (7 letters), Salt for wintry roads
Granules thrown on frozen sidewalks, two words run together. Opening letter I. Final letter T.
Show the answer
Icemelt
23-Down (3 letters), More than just exaggerate
To tell a falsehood. Opening letter L. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Lie
25-Down (4 letters), Singer Bareilles
A singer’s first name; the clue gives the surname. Opening letter S. Final letter A.
Show the answer
Sara
27-Down (7 letters), Place to go, in the army
A toilet facility at a military base. Opening letter L. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Latrine
28-Down (4 letters), British bottom
The British word for the rear, one that sounds rude to American ears. Opening letter A. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Arse
29-Down (4 letters), Call made with outstretched arms
The umpire’s call when a runner makes the base. Opening letter S. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Safe
34-Down (3 letters), Rock duo ___ & Eddie
A woman’s three-letter name that fills the blank. Opening letter F. Final letter O.
Show the answer
Flo
36-Down (3 letters), Center of a beer blast
A barrel of beer. Opening letter K. Final letter G.
Show the answer
Keg
37-Down (7 letters), Unlikely buyer?
A wordplay clue; see the question-mark section. A person who doubts claims. Opening letter S. Final letter C.
Show the answer
Skeptic
39-Down (4 letters), Restaurant chain with a smiling face in its logo
A pancake chain, four initials. Opening letter I. Final letter P.
Show the answer
Ihop
40-Down (8 letters), Where things get ticked off
A list of tasks to cross off, three words run together. Opening letter T. Final letter T.
Show the answer
Todolist
41-Down (8 letters), Cruise ship workers
Attendants on a ship or plane. Opening letter S. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Stewards
42-Down (4 letters), Wildebeests
Another name for the animal in the clue; the first letter is silent. Opening letter G. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Gnus
43-Down (4 letters), Go on the road
What a band does when it plays one city after another. Opening letter T. Final letter R.
Show the answer
Tour
48-Down (3 letters), Solidify
Harden, as concrete does. Opening letter S. Final letter T.
Show the answer
Set
50-Down (6 letters), Digs
A verb phrase for enjoys a lot, written as two words run together. Opening letter I. Final letter O.
Show the answer
Isinto
52-Down (6 letters), ___ wool
A soft sheep breed. Opening letter M. Final letter O.
Show the answer
Merino
53-Down (6 letters), Vernacular
A regional dialect, a word from French. Opening letter P. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Patois
54-Down (6 letters), Medical inserts
Tiny tubes placed in arteries. Opening letter S. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Stents
56-Down (5 letters), Galileo, for one
The adjective for someone from Galileo’s city. The first square is a rebus; read Down, it gives the opening letter P. Final letter N.
Show the answer
[Rho]isan
57-Down (5 letters), Get together
Come together. Opening letter U. Final letter E.
Show the answer
Unite
61-Down (4 letters), Couple
A pair of people dating is called this; also one entry on a list. The second square is a rebus. Opening letter I. Final letter M.
Show the answer
I[Tau]em
63-Down (3 letters), In the manner of
A French-sounding word for “in the style of.” Opening letter A. Final letter A.
Show the answer
Ala
65-Down (3 letters), What a bill may become
What a bill becomes once passed. Opening letter L. Final letter W.
Show the answer
Law
66-Down (3 letters), Letter indicating ownership?
A wordplay clue; see the question-mark section. Spell out a letter. Opening letter E. Final letter S.
Show the answer
Ess
67-Down (3 letters), Large popcorn purchase
A big container for movie-theater popcorn. Opening letter T. Final letter B.
Show the answer
Tub

How Thursday’s grid is built

The grid has 189 white squares and 36 black squares. Friday’s, by Aidan Deshong, has 70 clues and 30 black squares, so today’s has eight more clues and six more black squares. The Nov. 4 grid had 74 clues and the same 36 black squares.

By length in squares, the 78 entries break down this way: 28 of 3, 16 of 4, 10 of 5, 12 of 6, three of 7, four of 8, two of 9, two of 11 and one of 15. The 15-square entry is 39-Across. The 11-square entries are 17-Across and 64-Across, and the 9-square entries are 26-Across and 55-Across.

The rules for the daily grid are collected on our NYT Crossword page, and with four rebus squares today, the table above tells you where to look when a crossing refuses to fit.

Plan your solving days on our printable weekly calendar or the November 2026 printable calendar.

The same date has more puzzles: Wordle hints, Connections hints, Strands hints, Spelling Bee hints and Pips hints. The smaller grids are our Mini answers for Nov. 5 and our Midi answers for Nov. 5. Browse the previous day’s Crossword or the next day’s Crossword.

NYT Crossword answers for Nov. 5, 2026 (spoilers)

Stop here if you still want to solve it yourself.

Clue	Answer
1-Across	Casa
5-Across	Asiago
11-Across	Bag
14-Across	Over
15-Across	Cornea
16-Across	Rna
17-Across	Walki[Eta]lkies
19-Across	Ogs
20-Across	Atf
21-Across	Cya
22-Across	Kilns
24-Across	Raise
26-Across	Classi[Chi]ts
30-Across	Dream
31-Across	Ear
32-Across	Ezra
33-Across	Ref
35-Across	Tsks
38-Across	Oof
39-Across	Itsallgreektome
44-Across	Hot
45-Across	Toni
46-Across	Geo
47-Across	Odes
49-Across	Uni
51-Across	Pumps
55-Across	Powe[Rho]uses
58-Across	Treat
59-Across	Latin
60-Across	Iii
62-Across	Rte
63-Across	Air
64-Across	Silen[Tau]ction
68-Across	Lsd
69-Across	Ataste
70-Across	Unit
71-Across	Ats
72-Across	Newsom
73-Across	Boss
1-Down	Coward
2-Down	Avatar
3-Down	Selfie
4-Down	Ark
5-Down	Ac[Eta]y
6-Down	Solace
7-Down	Irk
8-Down	Ani
9-Down	Geeks
10-Down	Oasis
11-Down	Bron[Chi]zoo
12-Down	Angstrom
13-Down	Gas
18-Down	Icemelt
23-Down	Lie
25-Down	Sara
27-Down	Latrine
28-Down	Arse
29-Down	Safe
34-Down	Flo
36-Down	Keg
37-Down	Skeptic
39-Down	Ihop
40-Down	Todolist
41-Down	Stewards
42-Down	Gnus
43-Down	Tour
48-Down	Set
50-Down	Isinto
52-Down	Merino
53-Down	Patois
54-Down	Stents
56-Down	[Rho]isan
57-Down	Unite
61-Down	I[Tau]em
63-Down	Ala
65-Down	Law
66-Down	Ess
67-Down	Tub

The filled grid, with each clue number in its first square. Drawn from the official puzzle data published by The New York Times.

Brackets mark the four rebus squares. Across, read each one as the Greek letter’s name: 17-Across Walkie-Talkies, 26-Across Classic Hits, 55-Across Powerhouses, 64-Across Silent Auction. Down, read it as the Latin capital the Greek letter looks like (H, X, P and T): 5-Down Achy, 11-Down Bronx Zoo, 56-Down Pisan, 61-Down Item.

The answers come from the puzzle’s official data.

Yesterday's Crossword answer

The Crossword on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026: Across 1 Watts, 6 Adlib, 11 Upc, 14 Aleut, 15 Noyou, 16 Rio, 17 Sorrywereclosed, 20 Nerf, 21 Hwys, 22 Glare, 23 Tsetse, 25 Haim, 26 Outofservice, 32 Xmen, 34 Nutrients, 35 Aba, 36 Medea, 37 Orc, 38 Longrange, 41 Earl, 43 Expectdelays, 45 Utah, 46 Newcar, 50 Lurid, 52 Capn, 55 Elle, 56 Itsnotagoodsign, 59 Fee, 60 Manes, 61 Ranat, 62 Ess, 63 Exert, 64 Sykes; Down 1 Wasnt, 2 Aloes, 3 Terre, 4 Turftoe, 5 Sty, 6 Anew, 7 Dory, 8 Lyes, 9 Ioc, 10 Bulgari, 11 Ursaminor, 12 Pier, 13 Code, 18 Whet, 19 Olive, 24 Sun, 25 Hera, 27 Onend, 28 Fudge, 29 Steel, 30 Ctrl, 31 Esc, 32 Xbox, 33 Manpurses, 35 Ale, 36 Math, 39 Getin, 40 Rcadome, 41 Eye, 42 Aswesay, 44 Anno, 47 Clink, 48 Algae, 49 Rents, 50 Life, 51 Utes, 52 Cane, 53 Ager, 54 Post, 57 Tax, 58 Drs. Yesterday's hints and full solution.

Frequently asked questions

Who made today's NYT Crossword?

David P. Williams constructed the Nov. 5, 2026 grid and Will Shortz edited it, according to the puzzle data. The Nov. 4 grid, by Peggy Sue Marlin, had 74 clues.

Where are the rebus squares in the Nov. 5 grid?

They sit in row 3, column 6; row 5, column 13; row 11, column 5; and row 13, column 10. Across, they fall in 17-, 26-, 55- and 64-Across; Down, in 5-, 11-, 56- and 61-Down. The clues for 39-Across and 59-Across explain the trick.

What are the NYT Crossword answers for Nov. 5, 2026?

Spoilers: Across, Casa, Asiago, Bag, Over, Cornea, Rna, Walki[Eta]lkies, Ogs, Atf, Cya, Kilns, Raise, Classi[Chi]ts, Dream, Ear, Ezra, Ref, Tsks, Oof, Itsallgreektome, Hot, Toni, Geo, Odes, Uni, Pumps, Powe[Rho]uses, Treat, Latin, Iii, Rte, Air, Silen[Tau]ction, Lsd, Ataste, Unit, Ats, Newsom, Boss; Down, Coward, Avatar, Selfie, Ark, Ac[Eta]y, Solace, Irk, Ani, Geeks, Oasis, Bron[Chi]zoo, Angstrom, Gas, Icemelt, Lie, Sara, Latrine, Arse, Safe, Flo, Keg, Skeptic, Ihop, Todolist, Stewards, Gnus, Tour, Set, Isinto, Merino, Patois, Stents, [Rho]isan, Unite, I[Tau]em, Ala, Law, Ess, Tub.

Sources

The Crossword (The New York Times)

Fresh Calendars News Desk

Editorial team, daily puzzles

The Fresh Calendars News Desk is the editorial team behind Fresh Calendars News. It publishes the daily puzzle pages for games such as Wordle, NYT Connections, Strands, Pips, Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword and Contexto, each with graded hints first and a clearly marked answer section after them. Answers come from the publisher's own game data where it exists and are checked against that saved data before a page goes live; for games without official data, a page waits until two independent published solutions agree. The desk also handles reader tips and correction reports for the whole site, works with the editors who cover holidays, school calendars, money, time changes and seasonal events, and notes each correction at the end of the article with the date it was made.