NYT Crossword January 2 2026 Answers (1/2/26)

Our NYT Crossword January 2, 2026 answers guide should help you finish today’s crossword if you’ve found yourself stuck on a crossword clue. The NYT Crossword is a daily puzzle that tests solvers’ knowledge and vocabulary. It’s one of the most popular crosswords in the world, known for its challenging clues and clever wordplay. The puzzle is published in the print edition of The New York Times and is also available online.

NYT Crossword January 2, 2026 Answers

If you need help solving the NYT Crossword on 1/2/26, we’ve listed all of the crossword clues below so you can find the answer(s) you need. You can search for the clue and then select the appropriate clue to get the answer. We have done it this way so that if you’re just looking for a handful of clues, you won’t spoil other ones you’re working on!

Looking for answers to another NYT Crossword puzzle? Check out our archive of NYT Crossword Answers.

#	Clue
1A	Havanese greeting
4A	Tolstoy book whose title asks a question
13A	Reluctantly stoop
16A	They rate up to 350,000 on the Scoville scale
17A	H.S. class for tough life lessons?
18A	"Just tell me when it's over"
19A	Dance move also known as a backslide
21A	Skims, as soup stock
22A	Fig. that cannot start with 9
23A	Org. for The Rock and Brock Lesnar
24A	Tunnel-making machine
25A	Not many
27A	Windfalls
28A	Keep coming up
30A	One might lead to pay back
34A	Make some introductions, say
35A	The Cowboys of the N.C.A.A.
36A	Word from the Lakota for "they dwell"
37A	Emotional manipulation tactic
39A	Meaty meal
40A	Attraction on the western side of Carson Range
41A	"Oof!"
42A	Seems less impressive, so to speak
43A	Spray in the kitchen
44A	German stock market index
47A	Cumbrous
49A	One-to-one relationship
51A	Exchanges blows?
53A	Up to
54A	Eggless bread spread
55A	"A-a-a-and ___!" (improv show ender)
56A	High-carb snack
57A	May day celebrant
1D	President who wrote "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it"
2D	Default outcomes, perhaps
3D	Kind of sequence that that proceeds 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...
4D	Duration
5D	Modern security threat
6D	Org. with the Rule of Law Initiative
7D	Cylindrical oven
8D	Extremely well-liked?
9D	Personal opinion?
10D	Hooting and hollering
11D	Part of an underground network
12D	Pithy put-downs
14D	Main ingredient in an aviation cocktail
15D	"I like the sound of that!"
20D	"So adorable!"
24D	Prepare to ship, say
26D	Delivery means to a gas station
27D	Count in the Blues Hall of Fame
28D	On the ___ (frequently, informally)
29D	Bird whose eggs are sometimes a canvas for Aboriginal art
30D	Capotes are flapped at them
31D	"Let's go, sleepyhead!"
32D	Booking, for short
33D	Server's obstacle
38D	"Word on the street is ..."
41D	___ Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code"
42D	Night of lawlessness in a long-running horror franchise, with "the"
43D	Try-hard
45D	Kind of acid
46D	Stem component
47D	Capitulate
48D	Lender's security
49D	Table outside
50D	Big purveyor of health supplements
52D	Gender-neutral term in a family

We also recommend trying your hand at the NYT Mini Crossword, which is definitely easier (on all days!) as it is a 5×5, compared to the full-sized crossword (which is 15×15, and the Sunday edition is 21×21!). New crosswords are released at 10PM ET on weekdays and 6PM ET on weekends.

The New York Times crossword was first published in The New York Times in 1942 and has been a daily feature ever since. It is known for its high level of difficulty and for its clever, often playful, clues and themes. The puzzles range in size from 15x15 grids on weekdays to larger 21x21 grids on Sundays, with varying levels of difficulty.

The New York Times crossword is created by a team of skilled puzzle constructors and editors, who work to ensure that each puzzle is both entertaining and challenging for solvers. The puzzles are often themed, with clues and answers related to a particular subject or concept, and they frequently feature wordplay and puns.

Solving the New York Times crossword has become a beloved pastime for many, and there are even competitions and clubs devoted to crossword puzzle solving. The New York Times crossword is available in print in the newspaper and online, and it has a dedicated following of loyal solvers who eagerly await each day's puzzle.

If you’re still struggling to solve your NYT crosswords, consider practicing with the Eugene Sheffer and Thomas Joseph dailies first. If you’re looking for similarly challenging crosswords, we recommend the WSJ Crossword and LA Times Crossword.