Today's NYT Special Crossword Answers & Hints
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 | Play NYT Special Crossword
The Special Crossword is a themed 15×15 that runs in the first week of each month as part of the New York Times Bonus Puzzles, often with a guest constructor. We provide hints and full answers.
Click a square to reveal its letter. Get hints below.
The Special Crossword is a themed 15×15 that runs in the first week of each month as part of the NYT Bonus Puzzles, usually with a guest constructor. Above you’ll find the grid, every clue and the complete solution for the month you’ve selected.
Reveal a letter, open one answer, or show the full grid. Every Special Crossword we have covered stays in the archive.
What is the NYT Special Crossword?
The Special Crossword is the rarest of the six New York Times Bonus Puzzles: a themed 15×15 that appears only in the first week of each month. It is typically built around an occasion, a guest constructor, or a conceit that would not fit the daily slot — the September 2026 edition was co-constructed by Rachel Dratch, for instance.
Because it is monthly rather than daily, the theme tends to be more elaborate than a standard weekday puzzle’s, and the constructor has more room to do something unusual with the grid. Difficulty varies with the concept rather than following the Monday-to-Saturday ramp.
Tips for solving the Special Crossword
- Read the title first. Special Crosswords are titled, and the title is almost always a direct hint at the theme’s mechanism.
- Expect the grid to misbehave. Themed monthlies are where rebus squares, unusual symmetry and other gimmicks show up. If an answer is one letter too long, that is probably the theme rather than a mistake.
- Anchor on the fill. Solve the non-theme entries first to get letters into the long theme answers, then work out what the theme is doing from there.
When does the Special Crossword come out?
In the first week of each month, on the Wednesday that the NYT Bonus Puzzles drop. In every other week of the month there is no Special Crossword.
Frequently asked questions about NYT Special Crossword
A themed 15×15 New York Times crossword that appears in the first week of each month as part of the NYT Bonus Puzzles, often built with a guest constructor.
Once a month, in the first week. The other Bonus Puzzles drop every Wednesday, but the Special Crossword only joins them at the start of each month.
Not consistently. Difficulty follows the theme rather than the daily Monday-to-Saturday ramp, so a Special can be gentler or tougher than a given weekday puzzle.
Use the date picker above the grid to jump to an earlier month. Every Special Crossword we have covered stays in the archive.
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