Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.
Quick Navigation - Table of Contents
- Today's Puzzle Difficulty
- Across Clues Table (35 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (37 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Tricky
Pro Tip: Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues - they're usually the easiest entry points!
Across Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | 1. Coming-out party? | 10 |
| 2A | 11. Finish (up) | 4 |
| 3A | 15. "Hello-o-o?" | 10 |
| 4A | 16. Dialect featured in the literature of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, for short | 4 |
| 5A | 17. Scenario calling for self-reliance | 10 |
| 6A | 18. Summer flier | 4 |
| 7A | 19. Classic 1926 poem associated with the Harlem Renaissance | 4 |
| 8A | 20. Do some cleaning | 4 |
| 9A | 21. Creatures that can turn into humans on land, in Scottish folklore | 5 |
| 10A | 22. Sound around a summer cornfield | 3 |
| 11A | 23. Wood used for flooring | 3 |
| 12A | 24. Trunk item | 6 |
| 13A | 25. Shortest-reigning English monarch (9 days) | 8 |
| 14A | 28. Molecule that can self-splice | 3 |
| 15A | 29. Enthusiasm-curbing | 6 |
| 16A | 32. "Here we go!" | 8 |
| 17A | 34. Uncovered | 4 |
| 18A | 35. Some cuts of meat | 5 |
| 19A | 37. Tennis great who had a tennis scholarship from U.C.L.A. | 4 |
| 20A | 38. Place for trading stories? | 8 |
| 21A | 40. Diverts | 6 |
| 22A | 42. It takes a long time to get this | 3 |
| 23A | 43. Leading character on social media? | 8 |
| 24A | 45. White House partner, for short | 6 |
| 25A | 47. Assume, as costs | 3 |
| 26A | 48. Do some cleaning | 3 |
| 27A | 51. Market for currencies, informally | 5 |
| 28A | 52. Financial aid basis | 4 |
| 29A | 54. Hand count? | 4 |
| 30A | 55. Ian : Scotland :: ___ : Wales | 4 |
| 31A | 56. One might help you hitch a ride | 10 |
| 32A | 58. Parmesan cheese feature | 4 |
| 33A | 59. Novel whence the line "Four legs good, two legs bad" | 10 |
| 34A | 60. Rests | 4 |
| 35A | 61. They're green year-round | 10 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Coming-out party?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BABYSHOWER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "11. Finish (up)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that cloak that is folded or wrapped around a person
- Similar words include: roll, twine, enwrap
- Opposite of: unwrap, unwind
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WRAP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3A: "15. "Hello-o-o?""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANYONEHOME
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4A: "16. Dialect featured in the literature of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a nonstandard form of american english characteristically spoken by african americans in the united states
- Similar words include: Black English Vernacular, Black Vernacular, Black Vernacular English
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AAVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5A: "17. Scenario calling for self-reliance"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SINKORSWIM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6A: "18. Summer flier"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of various small biting flies: midges; biting midges; black flies; sand flies
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GNAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7A: "19. Classic 1926 poem associated with the Harlem Renaissance"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITOO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8A: "20. Do some cleaning"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air
- Similar words include: detritus, disperse, scatter
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DUST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9A: "21. Creatures that can turn into humans on land, in Scottish folklore"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters
- Similar words include: sealskin, SEAL, cachet
- Opposite of: unseal
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEALS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10A: "22. Sound around a summer cornfield"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the sound made by corvine birds
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11A: "23. Wood used for flooring"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that nonresinous wood of a fir tree
- Similar words include: true fir, fir tree
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12A: "24. Trunk item"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GASCAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13A: "25. Shortest-reigning English monarch (9 days)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JANEGREY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14A: "28. Molecule that can self-splice"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (biochemistry) a long linear polymer of nucleotides found in the nucleus but mainly in the cytoplasm of a cell where it is associated with microsomes; it transmits genetic information from dna to the cytoplasm and controls certain chemical processes in the cell
- Similar words include: ribonucleic acid
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RNA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "29. Enthusiasm-curbing"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that lose interest or become bored with something or somebody
- Similar words include: wear down, tire, fatigue
- Opposite of: refresh
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JADING
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16A: "32. "Here we go!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LETSROCK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "34. Uncovered"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water
- Similar words include: spread out, afford, heart-to-heart
- Opposite of: covert, closed
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "35. Some cuts of meat"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the irregular motion of waves (usually caused by wind blowing in a direction opposite to the tide)
- Similar words include: chop up, chopper, chop
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHOPS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19A: "37. Tennis great who had a tennis scholarship from U.C.L.A."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states tennis player who was the first black to win united states and english singles championships (1943-1993)
- Similar words include: Arthur Ashe, Arthur Robert Ashe
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASHE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20A: "38. Place for trading stories?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that fair organized by publishers or booksellers to promote the sale of books
- Similar words include: book fair
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOOKFAIR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "40. Diverts"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
- Similar words include: divert, disport, amuse
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMUSES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "42. It takes a long time to get this"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that past times (especially in the phrase `in days of old')
- Similar words include: older, sure-enough, sometime
- Opposite of: new, young
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OLD
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "43. Leading character on social media?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATSYMBOL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "45. White House partner, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLOTUS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "47. Assume, as costs"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that take in solid food
- Similar words include: eat on, deplete, run through
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26A: "48. Do some cleaning"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle; for cleaning floors
- Similar words include: mop up, mow, swob
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "51. Market for currencies, informally"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FOREX
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "52. Financial aid basis"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a condition requiring relief
- Similar words include: ask, call for, necessitate
- Opposite of: obviate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "54. Hand count?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
- Similar words include: quintuplet, quint, fin
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "55. Ian : Scotland :: ___ : Wales"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31A: "56. One might help you hitch a ride"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARTRAILER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "58. Parmesan cheese feature"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the natural outer covering of food (usually removed before eating)
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIND
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "59. Novel whence the line "Four legs good, two legs bad""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANIMALFARM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34A: "60. Rests"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that be around, often idly or without specific purpose
- Similar words include: sit, pose, posture
- Opposite of: arise, stand
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SITS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35A: "61. They're green year-round"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FAKEPLANTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Bare-bones | 5 |
| 2D | 2. Oscar-winning musical role for Rita Moreno | 5 |
| 3D | 3. Already | 5 |
| 4D | 4. "The Memory Police" author ___ Ogawa | 4 |
| 5D | 5. Brand lead-in to Caps or Balls | 3 |
| 6D | 6. Unwieldy situation, metaphorically | 11 |
| 7D | 7. "As if!" | 6 |
| 8D | 8. Blows away | 4 |
| 9D | 9. Release | 4 |
| 10D | 10. Kind of cycle | 3 |
| 11D | 11. Listing on a W-2 form | 5 |
| 12D | 12. Stumbled upon | 9 |
| 13D | 13. Overwhelming amount | 9 |
| 14D | 14. Some terrarium denizens | 9 |
| 15D | 21. Declares | 4 |
| 16D | 23. Tai chi accessory | 3 |
| 17D | 24. Receives unfair criticism | 11 |
| 18D | 25. Nimble, zigzagging maneuver | 4 |
| 19D | 26. Best Original Song Oscar winner from 2014's "Selma" | 5 |
| 20D | 27. P.E. unit | 3 |
| 21D | 29. Invitations to come on board | 9 |
| 22D | 30. First NASA mission broadcast live from orbit | 9 |
| 23D | 31. Secret offering? | 9 |
| 24D | 33. Julia of "The Addams Family" | 4 |
| 25D | 36. ___ Excellency | 3 |
| 26D | 39. Like leatherette | 4 |
| 27D | 41. Witticism | 3 |
| 28D | 44. Start of a secret invitation, perhaps | 6 |
| 29D | 46. Leans | 5 |
| 30D | 48. Locale of a semiannual fashion week | 5 |
| 31D | 49. Opposite of subtle | 5 |
| 32D | 50. Makes do for a while? | 5 |
| 33D | 52. Gram, by another name | 4 |
| 34D | 53. Composer Satie | 4 |
| 35D | 54. Goal-oriented global org.? | 4 |
| 36D | 56. Half-___ | 3 |
| 37D | 57. Totally | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Bare-bones"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a popular programming language that is relatively easy to learn; an acronym for beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code; no longer in general use
- Similar words include: staple, canonical, canonic
- Opposite of: incidental
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASIC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Oscar-winning musical role for Rita Moreno"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANITA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Already"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BYNOW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. "The Memory Police" author ___ Ogawa"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YOKO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Brand lead-in to Caps or Balls"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SNO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Unwieldy situation, metaphorically"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HERDINGCATS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. "As if!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OHSURE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Blows away"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a joke that seems extremely funny
- Similar words include: sidesplitter, scream, belly laugh
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WOWS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Release"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that expel (gases or odors)
- Similar words include: give off, pass off, utter
- Opposite of: absorb
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMIT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Kind of cycle"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a recurring sleep state during which dreaming occurs; a state of rapidly shifting eye movements during sleep
- Similar words include: rapid eye movement, paradoxical sleep, REM sleep
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. Listing on a W-2 form"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
- Similar words include: reward, waggle, earnings
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WAGES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Stumbled upon"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RANACROSS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "13. Overwhelming amount"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountain
- Similar words include: roll down
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AVALANCHE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "14. Some terrarium denizens"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PETSNAKES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "21. Declares"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the chance to speak
- Similar words include: enunciate, enjoin, pronounce
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAYS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "23. Tai chi accessory"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces
- Similar words include: lover, buff, devotee
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "24. Receives unfair criticism"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GETSABADRAP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "25. Nimble, zigzagging maneuver"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JINK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "26. Best Original Song Oscar winner from 2014's "Selma""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a state of high honor
- Similar words include: glorification, nimbus, aureole
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLORY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "27. P.E. unit"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that informal abbreviation of `representative'
- Similar words include: repp
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "29. Invitations to come on board"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JOBOFFERS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "30. First NASA mission broadcast live from orbit"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APOLLOVII
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "31. Secret offering?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a toiletry applied to the skin in order to mask unpleasant odors
- Similar words include: deodourant
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEODORANT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "33. Julia of "The Addams Family""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAUL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "36. ___ Excellency"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HIS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "39. Like leatherette"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
- Similar words include: fake, imitation, simulated
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FAUX
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "41. Witticism"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a clever remark
- Similar words include: Ministry of Transportation test, bon mot, MOT test
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "44. Start of a secret invitation, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MEETME
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "46. Leans"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
- Similar words include: be given, run, tend
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TENDS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "48. Locale of a semiannual fashion week"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the capital of lombardy in northern italy; has been an international center of trade and industry since the middle ages
- Similar words include: Milano
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MILAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "49. Opposite of subtle"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that open and observable; not secret or hidden
- Similar words include: open
- Opposite of: covert
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVERT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "50. Makes do for a while?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a city in the european part of russia
- Similar words include: permanent wave, permanent, Perm
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PERMS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "52. Gram, by another name"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NANA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "53. Composer Satie"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERIK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "54. Goal-oriented global org.?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIFA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
36D: "56. Half-___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAF
Remember this word for future puzzles!
37D: "57. Totally"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that quantifier; used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
- Similar words include: wholly, totally, entirely
- Opposite of: partly, some
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Expert Solving Strategies
Start Smart
Begin with fill-in-the-blank clues and short 3-4 letter words. These are your foundation.
Decode the Clues
Question marks indicate wordplay or puns. "Maybe" suggests multiple interpretations.
Use Cross-References
Let intersecting letters guide you. One correct answer unlocks several others.
Build Vocabulary
Common crossword words repeat. Learning them speeds up future solving.
Today's Puzzle Stats
35 Across Clues
37 Down Clues
72 Total Clues
More NYT Crossword Help
Looking for more puzzle solutions? Check out our comprehensive archive of NYT crossword hints and answers. We update daily with expert analysis and solving strategies.
No comments:
Post a Comment