NYT Crossword · Tuesday, July 14, 2026
A wordplay theme that turns four everyday phrases “off course,” plus every Across and Down answer laid out clearly.
Word Unscrambler · Constructors: Gus Bloxham & Bharati Hemmady · Editor: Will Shortz
The Tuesday, July 14, 2026 New York Times crossword is a friendly, theme-forward puzzle. If you got stuck on a corner or just want to check your grid, every answer is below, split into Across and Down and listed in clue order.
The theme, explained
The revealer sits at 58-Across: “Heading the wrong way … or, interpreted culinarily, a hint to 15-, 21-, 35- and 47-Across” — OFF COURSE. Each themed answer contains a hidden meal course, but scrambled or running “off,” which is where the culinary pun lands.
The four themers are BAD APPLES (15A), SPOILED BRATS (21A), ROTTEN TOMATOES (35A), and FUNKY CHICKEN (47A). Notice the pattern: each pairs a “gone bad” adjective (bad, spoiled, rotten, funky) with a food, tying neatly back to the “off” revealer.
Across answers
1AClosest budBFF
4APut-up jobSHAM
8ADestination for some sci-fi travelersPAST
12A___ and dearNEAR
13AMagician’s “Look at what I just did!”TADA
14ASupportive advocate, as for L.G.B.T.Q. rightsALLY
15ACorrupting sorts, in an orchard metaphorBAD APPLES
17AMerest little chirpPEEP
18AFolded French pancakeCREPE
19A___ mode (in the fashionable style)ALA
20AIndustry showcaseEXPO
21ANightmares for nanniesSPOILED BRATS
24A“We come in peace” speakers, in a sci-fi tropeALIENS
26AYoungest woman ever elected to Congress, familiarlyAOC
27A+ or − particleION
28AWord after twin, tanning or trundleBED
31ARapper ___ RhymesBUSTA
35AMovie review site with a percentage rating scaleROTTEN TOMATOES
39ASchnozzleSNOOT
40AFirefighter’s toolAXE
41AHelpful posting at a trailheadMAP
42A“Stop, Look and Listen” spot, e.g., in briefPSA
44ACuriosity and Perseverance, for twoROVERS
47ANovelty dance with comical elbow-flappingFUNKY CHICKEN
52AHasn’t been canceledISON
53AStimpy’s TV companionREN
54A___ peekSNEAK
57AState along a river of the same nameOHIO
58AHeading the wrong way … a hint to the theme (revealer)OFF COURSE
60AHome in the woodsNEST
61AEarring typeSTUD
62AActress ___ Rachel WoodEVAN
63AHalf brother and rival of the goddess AthenaARES
64AAlignSYNC
65AMo. with International Talk Like a Pirate DaySEP
Down answers
1DCampsite crasher in the RockiesBEAR
2DGradually blends withFADESINTO
3DChilled coffee drinkFRAPPE
4DLongtime NASCAR sponsorSTP
5DSpecial request for a flight mealHALAL
6DSinger with the best-selling album “21”ADELE
7DAncient fortress overlooking the Dead SeaMASADA
8DSlice of Life or nick of Time?PAPERCUT
9DAssistant with a whisper modeALEXA
10DGave it a rest?SLEPT
11DWriting wrongsTYPOS
12DJimmy Fallon’s networkNBC
16DUnderappreciated worker, sayPEON
22DLibrary IDISBN
23DTea with tapioca pearlsBOBA
24DPublicizesAIRS
25DLake bird with a laughing callLOON
29DWhen U R dueETA
30DReveal private info about, in online lingoDOX
32D“The audacity!”SOMENERVE
33DLachrymal unitTEAR
34DNile reptilesASPS
36DTraditional sumo hairstylesTOPKNOTS
37DOnline crafts bazaarETSY
38DHired soldier, in slangMERC
43DUnlike the direction of this clue’s answerACROSS
45D“All right. What’s the big deal?”OKSO
46DConcert sitesVENUES
47DShrek’s belovedFIONA
48DEscortUSHER
49DSnap, crackle or popNOISE
50DSizableHEFTY
51DFor kicks and gigglesINFUN
55D“I need this immediately”ASAP
56D“She’s everything. He’s just ___” (“Barbie” tagline)KEN
59DPublic health agcy.CDC
A few clues worth a second look
Tuesday grids reward you for spotting the playful clues. 8-Down, “Slice of Life or nick of Time?” is a lovely misdirection: the answer is PAPERCUT, since both a paper and a cut hide in the phrasing. 43-Down is even cheekier, cluing ACROSS with “Unlike the direction of this clue’s answer.”
If proper nouns tripped you up, the likely culprits were MASADA (7D), the Dead Sea fortress, and BUSTA Rhymes (31A). Everything else leans on everyday knowledge, which is exactly what you want from an early-week puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the theme of the July 14, 2026 NYT crossword?
The revealer OFF COURSE (58A) ties together four phrases that pair a “gone bad” word with a food: BAD APPLES, SPOILED BRATS, ROTTEN TOMATOES, and FUNKY CHICKEN.
Who constructed today’s puzzle?
The July 14, 2026 crossword was built by Gus Bloxham and Bharati Hemmady and edited by Will Shortz.
What is the answer to 8-Down, “Slice of Life or nick of Time?”
PAPERCUT. It is a double play: a paper (slice of life story) and a cut (nick), rolled into one word.
Word Unscrambler is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times. The New York Times Crossword is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Answers are provided for solvers who are stuck or curious.