Monday NYT Down Solutions October 20, 2025 - Every Vertical Clue Decoded with Hints
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Crossword has 40 Down clues. We have all the vertical answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Related Puzzles: May 27 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | August 30 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | December 23 2023 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Down Clues
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 20, 2025 |
| Day of Week | Monday |
| Total Down Clues | 40 clues |
| Direction | Vertical (Top to Bottom) |
| Difficulty | Tricky |
All Down Clues - Complete List
Here are all 40 Down clues for today's puzzle. These go vertically from top to bottom.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 1. What covers the North Pole |
| 2 Down | 2. End of some sentences |
| 3 Down | 3. Having a certain natural hairstyle |
| 4 Down | 4. Furniture piece for a talk show host |
| 5 Down | 5. Shade of yellow |
| 6 Down | 6. More abrupt in language |
| 7 Down | 7. Hire to the team |
| 8 Down | 8. Band with the aptly titled debut album "High Voltage" |
| 9 Down | 9. Stratum |
| 10 Down | 10. Marketplace with stalls |
| 11 Down | 11. Occasion for a percussionist to shine |
| 12 Down | 12. With 13-Down, "___ can eat" (restaurant come-on) |
| 13 Down | 13. See 12-Down |
| 14 Down | 21. Inuit's home |
| 15 Down | 22. Time unit aptly hidden in "paleontology" |
| 16 Down | 26. University in North Carolina |
| 17 Down | 27. Difficult, tiring work |
| 18 Down | 29. Comic actress Wong |
| 19 Down | 31. Unit of flour |
| 20 Down | 32. Door handle |
| 21 Down | 34. Untuneful trumpet sound |
| 22 Down | 37. Lacking much thought |
| 23 Down | 38. Water, in Oaxaca |
| 24 Down | 39. Aforementioned |
| 25 Down | 40. Hospital area with IVs |
| 26 Down | 42. News media |
| 27 Down | 43. Crosstown rivals of the Cubbies |
| 28 Down | 46. Windpipe |
| 29 Down | 49. Decision-making consideration |
| 30 Down | 50. Neither here ___ there |
| 31 Down | 51. Only black key in a G major scale |
| 32 Down | 53. Fodder for "Jeopardy!" |
| 33 Down | 54. Alludes (to) |
| 34 Down | 55. Not interrupted by commercials ... or shortened like the middle words of 20-, 30-, 48- and 60-Across? |
| 35 Down | 58. Ties that are hard to untie |
| 36 Down | 61. Super-uptight |
| 37 Down | 62. Bit of bathroom décor |
| 38 Down | 63. Do, re or mi |
| 39 Down | 64. It goes around every year |
| 40 Down | 65. Short ___ (beef cut) |
Detailed Hints and Answers for All Down Clues
Need help? Here are comprehensive hints and answers for each Down clue. Also check these helpful guides:
- January 27 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers August 31
- Xwordhint Crossword Answers September_25
- October 14 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
Complete Down Solutions:
1 Down: "1. What covers the North Pole"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: I____P
- Similar words: ice cap
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 1
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ICECAP
2 Down: "2. End of some sentences"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: P____E
- Similar words: password, word
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a promise
- This is Down clue number 2
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PAROLE
3 Down: "3. Having a certain natural hairstyle"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: A____D
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 3
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
AFROED
4 Down: "4. Furniture piece for a talk show host"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: D__K
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 4
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DESK
5 Down: "5. Shade of yellow"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: A___R
- Similar words: brownish-yellow, yellow-brown
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a deep yellow color
- This is Down clue number 5
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
AMBER
6 Down: "6. More abrupt in language"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: T____R
- Similar words: crisp, terse
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: brief and to the point; effectively cut short
- This is Down clue number 6
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TERSER
7 Down: "7. Hire to the team"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: B_____N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 7
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BRINGON
8 Down: "8. Band with the aptly titled debut album "High Voltage""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'C'
- Word pattern: A__C
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 8
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ACDC
9 Down: "9. Stratum"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: T__R
- Similar words: tier up, grade
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
- This is Down clue number 9
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TIER
10 Down: "10. Marketplace with stalls"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: B____R
- Similar words: fair, bazar
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a shop where a variety of goods are sold
- This is Down clue number 10
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BAZAAR
11 Down: "11. Occasion for a percussionist to shine"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: D______O
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 11
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DRUMSOLO
12 Down: "12. With 13-Down, "___ can eat" (restaurant come-on)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Similar words: entirely, completely
- Opposite of: some
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 12
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ALL
13 Down: "13. See 12-Down"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'U'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 13
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
YOU
14 Down: "21. Inuit's home"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: I___O
- Similar words: iglu
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 14
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
IGLOO
15 Down: "22. Time unit aptly hidden in "paleontology""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'N'
- Similar words: aeon
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the longest division of geological time
- This is Down clue number 15
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EON
16 Down: "26. University in North Carolina"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: E__N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 16
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ELON
17 Down: "27. Difficult, tiring work"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: S__G
- Similar words: swig, tramp
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: work doggedly or persistently
- This is Down clue number 17
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SLOG
18 Down: "29. Comic actress Wong"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Similar words: Muhammad Ali, Cassius Clay
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 18
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ALI
19 Down: "31. Unit of flour"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'P'
- Similar words: loving cup, cupful
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 19
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CUP
20 Down: "32. Door handle"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'B'
- Word pattern: K__B
- Similar words: pommel, node
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a circular rounded projection or protuberance
- This is Down clue number 20
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
KNOB
21 Down: "34. Untuneful trumpet sound"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: B__T
- Similar words: baa, bleat
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: cry plaintively
- This is Down clue number 21
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BLAT
22 Down: "37. Lacking much thought"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: R__H
- Similar words: efflorescence, skin rash
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: any red eruption of the skin
- This is Down clue number 22
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RASH
23 Down: "38. Water, in Oaxaca"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: A__A
- Similar words: agua toad, Bufo marinus
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 23
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
AGUA
24 Down: "39. Aforementioned"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'V' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: V______E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 24
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
VERYSAME
25 Down: "40. Hospital area with IVs"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'U'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 25
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ICU
26 Down: "42. News media"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P___S
- Similar words: military press, bid
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the state of demanding notice or attention
- This is Down clue number 26
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PRESS
27 Down: "43. Crosstown rivals of the Cubbies"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'X'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 27
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SOX
28 Down: "46. Windpipe"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: T_____A
- Similar words: windpipe
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 28
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TRACHEA
29 Down: "49. Decision-making consideration"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: F____R
- Similar words: ingredient, divisor
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: anything that contributes causally to a result
- This is Down clue number 29
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FACTOR
30 Down: "50. Neither here ___ there"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'R'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 30
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
NOR
31 Down: "51. Only black key in a G major scale"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: F____P
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 31
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FSHARP
32 Down: "53. Fodder for "Jeopardy!""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: T____A
- Similar words: triviality, trifle
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: something of small importance
- This is Down clue number 32
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TRIVIA
33 Down: "54. Alludes (to)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: R____S
- Similar words: touch on, cite
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: make reference to
- This is Down clue number 33
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
REFERS
34 Down: "55. Not interrupted by commercials ... or shortened like the middle words of 20-, 30-, 48- and 60-Across?"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A____E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 34
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ADFREE
35 Down: "58. Ties that are hard to untie"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: K___S
- Similar words: air mile, burl
- Opposite of: unravel
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a tight cluster of people or things
- This is Down clue number 35
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
KNOTS
36 Down: "61. Super-uptight"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: A__L
- Similar words: anal retentive
- Opposite of: oral
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: of or related to the anus
- This is Down clue number 36
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ANAL
37 Down: "62. Bit of bathroom décor"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T__E
- Similar words: roofing tile
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 37
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TILE
38 Down: "63. Do, re or mi"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: N__E
- Similar words: distinction, bank note
- Opposite of: ignore
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a brief written record
- This is Down clue number 38
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
NOTE
39 Down: "64. It goes around every year"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'U'
- Similar words: grippe, influenza
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease
- This is Down clue number 39
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FLU
40 Down: "65. Short ___ (beef cut)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'B'
- Similar words: costa, laugh at
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: support resembling the rib of an animal
- This is Down clue number 40
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RIB
Expert Strategies for Solving Down Clues
Master the vertical clues with these professional tips:
Why Start with Down Clues?
- Down clues often reveal key letters for intersecting words
- Vertical patterns can unlock difficult sections
- Many prefixes and suffixes run vertically
- Down answers often help solve Across clues
Down Clue Patterns to Recognize
- Fill-in-the-blank clues: These are usually the easiest Down entries
- Prefixes and suffixes: Common word parts often run vertically
- Abbreviations: Look for clues with "Abbr." or shortened forms
- Plural indicators: Words ending in 'S' are common in Down
- Pop culture references: Names and titles often appear vertically
Time-Saving Down Techniques
| Technique | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Scan all Down first | Get a mental map of the vertical flow |
| Fill short Down words | 3-4 letter words are often prefixes or connectors |
| Use crossing letters | Across letters help confirm Down answers |
| Look for themes | Related Down answers often share a theme |
Frequently Asked Questions About Down Clues
What are Down clues in crossword puzzles?
Down clues are the vertical entries in a crossword puzzle that read from top to bottom. They're numbered and correspond to specific columns in the grid.
Should I solve Down or Across clues first?
Many solvers alternate between Down and Across clues to build momentum. Down clues can help unlock difficult sections by providing key intersecting letters. The best approach is to solve the clues you find easiest first, regardless of direction.
How many Down clues are in today's puzzle?
Today's NYT crossword has 40 Down clues.
Are Down clues easier than Across clues?
Neither direction is inherently easier. The difficulty depends on the specific clues and your knowledge. However, Down clues often contain helpful prefixes, suffixes, and word parts that can be easier to guess.
How do Down clues interact with Across clues?
Down and Across clues intersect at various points in the grid. Solving one can provide letters that help solve the other, making the puzzle easier as you progress.
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