NYT Crossword: answers for Friday, August 23

The New York Times has plenty of word games on its roster today — with Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the Mini Crossword, there’s something for everyone — but the newspaper’s standard crossword puzzle still reigns supreme. The daily crossword is full of interesting trivia, helps improve mental flexibility and, of course, gives you some bragging rights if you manage to finish it every day.

While the NYT puzzle might feel like an impossible task some days, solving a crossword is a skill and it takes practice — don’t get discouraged if you can’t get every single word in a puzzle.

If you’re having trouble completing today’s NYT Crossword, we’re here to help. We’ve got all the answers for today’s clues down below.

NYT Crossword answers today

Across

1 “Pretty Little Liars” author Shepard: SARA 5 Trap for the unwary: SNARE 10 High-end hotel amenities: SPAS 14 Takeoff announcement?: IHAVETORUN 16 Rocked, in a way: WORE 17 “Future me — don’t forget this!”: NOTETOSELF 18 Holly genus: ILEX 19 Gave a once-over: EYEDUP 20 Begrudging assent: YEAHFINE 22 Jazz trumpeter Jones: THAD 23 Spiny reptile that, despite its name, is actually a lizard: HORNYTOAD 24 The Flyers, on a scoreboard: PHI 25 Famed recipient of a lesser blessing: ESAU 27 “Eww, enough!”: TMI 28 Cry of fear: EEK 29 Makes, as a putt: SINKS 31 Some Reichstag votes: NEINS 35 Stage group often dressed in black: CREW 37 Struggles: TOILS 39 [And just like that …]: SNAP 40 “TiK ToK” creator: KESHA 42 “Any ___?”: IDEAS 44 Makeup ingredient?: DNA 45 Soldier of Sauron: ORC 47 Cubism-inspired style: DECO 48 Like 30-Down: ICY 49 Make a deal official, say: SHAKEONIT 53 The average person will shed at least one every day: LASH 55 Spice derived from the inner bark of a tropical tree: CINNAMON 56 Like some broken records: WARPED 58 Antagonist in a 1604 play … or a 1992 animated movie: IAGO 59 Forest, in a metaphor: BIGPICTURE 61 Breezed (by): FLEW 62 Try to get the upper hand?: ARMWRESTLE 63 Afflictions: ILLS 64 Infinitesimal: