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Classic Crossword

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      How to Play Crossword

      Fill in the grid using the clues provided

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      Tap a cell to select it, tap again to toggle direction
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      Fill in letters using the keyboard
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      Use Reveal Letter/Word if you get stuck
      ✓
      Green = correct letter

      Classic Crossword for Thursday 16 July 2026

      The Classic Crossword published on Thursday 16 July 2026: a 15x15 crossword with 16 clues across and 18 down. Play it above at your own pace; past editions are practice and do not count towards the daily leaderboard. Every clue is listed below so you can solve on paper or check what you are up against.

      Across

      1. 1 Deliberate destruction for an advantage (8)
      2. 5 A sudden, significant or dangerous situation requiring immediate action (6)
      3. 10 Agitate or stir (5)
      4. 11 Habit hard to break (9)
      5. 12 A specialised cell in the brain transmitting nerve impulses. (6)
      6. 13 Small NSW south coast fishing town (8)
      7. 15 Place for trains or buses to stop (7)
      8. 17 Patterned with flowers (6)
      9. 20 Inherent at birth or natural (6)
      10. 22 Festive gathering or party (7)
      11. 26 Highly respected or esteemed (8)
      12. 27 Treats injury through movement (Aus) (6)
      13. 30 Hanging around aimlessly (9)
      14. 31 Northwestern US state (5)
      15. 32 Nullify or invalidate (6)
      16. 33 In an intimate or erotic manner (8)

      Down

      1. 1 Minute fraction (6)
      2. 2 Florist's creation often given as a romantic gesture (7)
      3. 3 Ballroom dance (5)
      4. 4 Short for graduate (4)
      5. 6 Cantaloupe in Australian English (9)
      6. 7 Venomous jellyfish in tropical waters (7)
      7. 8 Practical and reasonable (8)
      8. 9 Cow's milk source (5)
      9. 14 Also (3)
      10. 16 Chaotic or unsettled (9)
      11. 18 French tyre company with a puffy white mascot (8)
      12. 19 Old word for your (3)
      13. 21 Curving or flexing, as a knee does (7)
      14. 23 Set up software on a computer (7)
      15. 24 Aladdin's lamp spirit (5)
      16. 25 Not a single person (6)
      17. 28 Japanese poem of 5-7-5 syllables (5)
      18. 29 Fairy tale giant (4)

      About the Classic Crossword

      The Classic Crossword is the traditional black-and-white 15x15 grid you know from the weekend paper, with straight clues and no cryptic tricks. It is the longest crossword on Cuppa and the one to settle in with: a proper half-hour solve with a full set of Across and Down clues.

      A new grid is published every morning and every past edition is kept in the archive. Play in your browser on any device, free, with no app to install.

      How to play Classic Crossword

      1. Choose a clue from the Across or Down list, or tap a square in the grid.
      2. Type the answer. Letters fill in along the current direction.
      3. Use Check to confirm a letter or the whole grid, and Reveal when you are truly stuck.
      4. Finish to stop the clock and see your time against other solvers.

      A new puzzle is published every morning, Sydney time, and signed-in members keep their streaks and scores across devices.

      Questions about Classic Crossword

      How big is the Classic Crossword?
      It is a 15x15 grid, the standard size for a newspaper crossword.
      Are the clues straight or cryptic?
      Straight. Each clue is a plain definition or description of the answer. The cryptic version is a separate daily puzzle.
      Can I go back to an earlier grid?
      Yes. Use the date controls above the puzzle or browse the archive to open any previous day.

      Browse the Classic Crossword archive to play any past puzzle.

      More puzzles from Cuppa