‘Surface’ July 19 NYT Crossword clue hints and answers

Let’s be honest: What sort of clue is “Surface?” The NYT Crossword is notoriously challenging, but this clue could mean many things. Is it a table? A sideboard? A floor? If, like me, these words came to mind when you saw this clue, you’re way off.

‘Surface’ hints and solution – NYT July 19 Crossword

Before I give you the answer to this clue, I’ll give you a few hints so you can try and work it out yourself.

• Hint 1: To begin to occur or exist.
• Hint 2: It can also mean to originate from a source.
• Hint 3: You do this when you wake up in the morning.
• Hint 4: Starts with the letter “A.”

As the Spice Girls once said, “Stop right now” if you don’t want the answer (they definitely were referring to the NYT Crossword). Below, I give the solution. 

The answer to the NYT clue “Surface” is “ARISE.” In this case, surface isn’t a noun, so it doesn’t mean a surface you put something on. Instead, surface is a verb, meaning to bring to the surface. According to Merriam-Webster, “arise” means to “begin to occur or to exist: to come into being or to attention.”

‘Surface’ clue difficulty rating

Given that surface is used as a verb rather than a noun in this case, I give this clue a four out of five for difficulty. It completely stumped me, and arise isn’t a very commonly used term.

How to play more Crosswords after solving the NYT Crossword

If you’re clever clogs and completed the NTY Crossword, you may be looking for your next word game fix. The first port of call should be to check out NYT’s Strands and Spelling Bee. You can also check out the LA Times and Washington Post‘s daily crosswords. If you want my personal recommendation, however, I advise checking out The Atlantic‘s daily crosswords, which get increasingly more challenging each day.