Spoilers: These answers are for the Sunday, January 4, 2026 New York Times Crossword. The theme entry is 33-Down: DOUBLECROSSED. The date alone can refer to a different puzzle in another year.
How to identify the January 4, 2026 puzzle
The third-party answer listing identifies this as the Sunday, January 4, 2026 edition and gives 64 Across clues and 73 Down clues. Check the date and a few distinctive entries before using an answer key for a grid: 1-Across is RIBCAGE, 18-Across is SESAMEPLACE, and 22-Across is STOPITYOUTWO. Those clue-answer pairs can help distinguish this puzzle from another edition dated January 4.
The listed theme clue is 33-Down: “Like five Across answers by five Down answers in this puzzle, literally and figuratively.” Its answer is DOUBLECROSSED. The clue points to the theme’s crossing-word idea; the listing alone does not establish further construction details.
Selected clues and answers
The answer source is WordDB, a third-party listing, not an official New York Times answer key. The entries below are useful reference points from that listing; consult the dated puzzle in the NYT archive if you want to verify the grid against the original.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
| Number and direction | Clue | Listed answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Across | It protects the heart | RIBCAGE |
| 18-Across | Theme park with attractions like The Count’s Splash Castle and Oscar’s Rusty Rotten Rockets | SESAMEPLACE |
| 22-Across | That’s enough bickering! | STOPITYOUTWO |
| 33-Down | Like five Across answers by five Down answers in this puzzle, literally and figuratively | DOUBLECROSSED |
| 52-Down | He led his brother to his demise by endangering his nephew | SCAR |
| 107-Down | Driven by envy toward his comrades, he fabricated events that led to their downfall | IAGO |
Other distinctive listed answers include 25-Across NEO, 28-Across MENTOR, 76-Across POPSUGAR, and 109-Across LATEBLOOMERS.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Play or verify the archived puzzle
The NYT Crossword Archive goes back more than ten years. Games and All Access subscribers can access archived puzzles; people without those subscriptions have limited access. In the archive, choose the month and year to find a past puzzle.
NYT support explains that solving means filling white squares with letters to form words or phrases whose Across and Down answers cross. It also notes that Sunday puzzles are larger than other daily puzzles and are roughly Wednesday- or Thursday-level in difficulty, while daily difficulty generally increases from Monday through Saturday.
Check an answer without spoiling the whole grid
The in-game Check and Reveal tools can verify or supply a square, an answer, or the whole puzzle. NYT warns that using Check or Reveal resets the Crossword Streak. You can also switch between pen and pencil modes, use the timer, or print the puzzle; the print solution option includes answers. See the NYT Crossword help page for those controls.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteQuick Recap
Best Value
Rank #3
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
