Check out the full NYT Crossword answer key for August 7, 2025. Puns, trickery, and a juicy theme — all revealed and explained in our fun & casual recap.
Okay, word nerds and puzzle pals — today’s New York Times crossword brought the cleverness, the sass, and a theme twist that left us feeling a bit… juiceless. Literally. The trick? Each of the starred clues has a hidden fruit removed — it’s all gone FRUITLESSLY (36A). Kinda genius. Let’s peel this thing apart and squeeze out the good stuff.
Also check:
- LA Times Crossword Answers August 7
- Bandle Answers August 7
- Quordle Answers August 7
- Waffle Answers August 7
???? Across Answers That Had Us Peelin’ Out:
- 1A. Speeding check: BUMP — Or how your coffee flies when you miss it.
- 5A. Vocally: ALOUD — AKA how you read this if you love drama.
- 10A. Source for some bubbly: ASTI — Pop, fizz, cheers.
- 14A. Where the Magi journeyed from: AFAR — Very distant cousins.
- 15A. “Over my dead body!”: GODNO — The energy of a slammed laptop lid.
- 16A. One may be in default: LOAN — Financial drama, act one.
- 17A. Mixtures in copier cartridges: TOPEARNERS — Wait, what? Yeah — it’s an anagram without “pear.” FRUITLESSLY strikes!
- 19A. Target of an exfoliator: PORE — For that baby-seal-skin glow.
- 20A. Birthplace of Albright & Havel: PRAGUE — European elegance + political powerhouse.
- 21A. Fancy drink maybe made by a hipster barista: LATTE — Foam art? A whole vibe.
- 22A. Begins dealing with: HASAT — Clunky, but it works. Like my attempts at meal prepping.
- 25A. Chatted online, in brief: IMPEACHED — This one’s fruitless without “peach.” (Yup.)
- 27A. Risk-___: AVERSE — Don’t @ me, I’m comfy in my routine.
- 29A. “Tennis uses the language of life” speaker: AGASSI — Serve deep thoughts with that forehand.
- 30A. School rival to 37D: YALE — Where the sweater game is elite.
- 31A. P.R. piece?: PUERTO — Part 1 of Puerto Rico. Clever.
- 35A. QB passer rating stat: ATT — Not your phone plan, surprisingly.
- 36A. In vain… or how to read 17-, 25-, 49-, and 58-Across: FRUITLESSLY — The “ah-ha” moment. ????
- 39A. On-air obscenity watchdog org.: FCC — Keeps your grandma’s ears safe.
- 41A. Matter in a neon sign: PLASMA — Glows like my skin under LED lighting.
- 42A. Subjects of Euro fishing bans: EELS — Slippery and political.
- 45A. Start of a lovelorn soliloquy: OROMEO — Very dramatic. Bring tissues.
- 47A. Baghdad river: TIGRIS — Not just a crossword fave, it’s iconic.
- 49A. Some fishing gear: ROMANGODS — Yup. “Rod” got dropped = “fruitless.” Zeus is snickering.
- 53A. Social level: CASTE — Deep cut.
- 54A. Street urchin: GAMIN — French + adorable + Dickensian.
- 55A. Less merry: GRAVER — Eeyore-core.
- 57A. Abbr. for co-authors: ETAL — That humble brag footnote.
- 58A. Investigate in detail: PROBLEMONE — “Lemon” is the vanished fruit. ????
- 62A. Pitchfork point: TINE — You’ve definitely stubbed yourself on one.
- 63A. Rivian rival: TESLA — Elon’s electric baby.
- 64A. Hot-springs gem: OPAL — Nature’s sparkle.
- 65A. Sober driving org.: SADD — Also describes my mood without coffee.
- 66A. Half-___ (desultory): ASSED — Half-committed, like my gym routine.
- 67A. Winter sports spot: RINK — Ice, blades, drama.
???? Down Clues That Slapped:
- 1D. Be up: BAT — Like, “you’re up,” or “at bat.” Or just hyper at 3am.
- 2D. What arrives in “Arrival”: UFO — Aliens say hi ????
- 3D. Car dash display: MAP — Still getting lost though.
- 4D. Tax ___: PREPARER — Your bestie every April.
- 5D. Delhi day trip?: AGRA — Home of the Taj Mahal and tight crossword real estate.
- 6D. Nighttime sound?: LONGI — Wordplay stretching the word “lullaby” vibes.
- 7D. Fancy concert spot: ODEUM — Not to be confused with a medium oat milk latte.
- 8D. NYC diplomat: UNREP — Diplomatic immunity and bad parking.
- 9D. “Mesa para ___”: DOS — Table for two, por favor.
- 10D. Wooly mammal: ALPACA — Absolute fluff goals.
- 11D. Futures experts?: SOOTHSAYERS — “Your latte will spill soon.”
- 12D. Most mouth-puckering: TARTEST — Sour patch adult edition.
- 13D. “Gimme!”: INEEDIT — Me @ all online sales.
- 18D. Artsy person’s focus: ARTS — Gallery galore.
- 21D. Financial hub of West Africa: LAGOS — The real $$$ scene.
- 22D. Not-actually-a-fever fever: HAY — Gesundheit.
- 23D. Director DuVernay: AVA — Legend behind Selma and more.
- 24D. Chill under pressure: SELFCOMMAND — Jedi-level Zen.
- 26D. Really annoys: EATSAT — Same energy as a squeaky shoe.
- 28D. Story epilogue: EPILOG — The “P.S.” of fiction.
- 32D. Actress Hagen: UTA — If you know, you know (theater nerds unite).
- 33D. Chicago White Sox trains?: ELS — Punny and metro-friendly.
- 34D. Dreamy rock band: REM — “Everybody Hurts” after this puzzle.
- 37D. 30A’s Ivy rival: UPENN — Ben Franklin’s crew.
- 38D. Knight’s leg protection: LEGARMOR — Medieval knee pads.
- 39D. Doesn’t value at all: FORGETS — Me and my passwords.
- 40D. Filming site for “Thrones”: CROATIA — Dubrovnik doubled as King’s Landing.
- 43D. “Fire emoji” energy: LIT — Still hot.
- 44D. Rainier road trip dir.: SSE — Very GPS-core.
- 46D. On the move (via post): MAILED — Hopefully not lost in transit.
- 48D. Tongue-dyeing treat: ICEE — Blue raspberry supremacy.
- 50D. Fable fiends: OGRES — Shrek, but less charming.
- 51D. Worthless bits: DROSS — Trash, but make it Shakespearean.
- 52D. Fancy fur: SABLE — Lux life.
- 56D. Hall-of-Famer Guerrero: VLAD — Baseball fans, rise up.
- 58D. PTA event sponsor: PTA — Moms, snacks, clipboard energy.
- 59D. Nail polish brand: OPI — Color names go crazy.
- 60D. British grandma: NAN — Proper and full of biscuits.
- 61D. Elk-adorned flags: ELK — Standing proud for MI & ID.
Final Thoughts:
Was this puzzle a juicy brain workout? Nope — it was fruitless. But in the best, punniest way. Huge props to the constructor for slicing out those hidden fruits like a crossword ninja. ????
See y’all tomorrow — bring snacks (and maybe a pear). TTYL, word warriors. ????✌️
