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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIf you mean Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the NYT Crossword’s five theme answers are TINKER BELL, NANCY DREW, DOROTHY GALE, ELLE WOODS, and HELLO KITTY. The title does not specify a year, so this answer uses the most recent January 7 as of October 8, 2026.
January 7, 2026 NYT Crossword theme answers
The theme pairs familiar question phrases with well-known female characters. Here are the five theme entries and their clues:
| Number and direction | Answer | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Across | TINKER BELL | “Wing woman?” |
| 25-Across | NANCY DREW | “Cover girl?” |
| 35-Across | DOROTHY GALE | “Homecoming queen?” |
| 48-Across | ELLE WOODS | “Sister-in-law?” |
| 57-Across | HELLO KITTY | “Cat lady?” |
Each clue’s final phrase takes on a character-specific meaning: the answer is a familiar woman or girl associated with the wording. DOROTHY GALE, at 11 letters, is the puzzle’s longest answer. Crossword Fiend’s recap describes the theme as female characters cued by familiar phrases.
Puzzle details
- Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
- Constructor: Adrianne Baik
- Editor: Will Shortz
- Grid: 15×15
- Clues: 76 total—39 Across and 37 Down
Crossword Chef calls the puzzle “Medium” and rates it 3.5 out of 10; that is the site’s own assessment, not an official New York Times difficulty rating. The recap also highlights JET LAG and CONGEE as notable fill. Crossword Chef’s puzzle page lists the constructor, editor, grid size, and clue count.
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How to find and play the archived puzzle
The NYT Crossword Archive goes back over ten years. According to the New York Times Help Center, select Daily or Mini, choose a month and year, and then select the puzzle. Games and All Access subscribers have archive access; non-subscribers have limited access. The archived puzzle can also be downloaded and played offline in the Games app.
The NYT’s Crossword help page explains that Check and Reveal can apply to a square, a word, or the full puzzle; using either resets your Crossword Streak. Print options, including printing a solution, vary by puzzle type and platform.
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