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 (33 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (41 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. Sore | 4 |
| 2A | 5. Nail polish brand | 3 |
| 3A | 8. Some cantina fare | 5 |
| 4A | 13. "Hip hip hooray!," e.g. | 5 |
| 5A | 15. Sink-or-swim competition? | 9 |
| 6A | 17. Handles a few unresolved issues | 15 |
| 7A | 19. Like tears | 6 |
| 8A | 20. Site to build on | 3 |
| 9A | 21. Gossip, slangily | 3 |
| 10A | 22. Build on | 5 |
| 11A | 24. Welcome at the door, say | 5 |
| 12A | 27. Linguist's concern | 7 |
| 13A | 30. Serious in manner | 5 |
| 14A | 31. Bagel topping | 3 |
| 15A | 32. Not perfect, but acceptable | 11 |
| 16A | 36. Bickering | 4 |
| 17A | 38. Blade that's pulled | 3 |
| 18A | 39. Casual farewell often used outside its language of origin | 4 |
| 19A | 40. Station set up in a kitchen | 11 |
| 20A | 45. Bit of intel | 3 |
| 21A | 46. Coins of Cuba | 5 |
| 22A | 47. Ingredients in some tropical smoothies | 7 |
| 23A | 49. Foreign Service assignments | 5 |
| 24A | 50. Madrid mister | 5 |
| 25A | 51. Church seat | 3 |
| 26A | 52. Promise to pay | 3 |
| 27A | 54. Journalist, informally | 6 |
| 28A | 58. Like children, ideally, in an old adage ... or a hint to a four-letter word hidden in 17-, 32- and 40-Across | 15 |
| 29A | 62. Rigorous | 9 |
| 30A | 63. Astronomer Carl | 5 |
| 31A | 64. Irritable | 5 |
| 32A | 65. [As written] | 3 |
| 33A | 66. Civil rights activist Parks | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Sore"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that causing a dull and steady pain
- Similar words include: aching
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACHY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "5. Nail polish brand"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3A: "8. Some cantina fare"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of mexican descent
- Similar words include: greaser, wetback, taco
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TACOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4A: "13. "Hip hip hooray!," e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a cry or shout of approval
- Similar words include: sunshine, barrack, jolly up
- Opposite of: complain, dishearten
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHEER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5A: "15. Sink-or-swim competition?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WATERPOLO
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6A: "17. Handles a few unresolved issues"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIESUPLOOSEENDS
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7A: "19. Like tears"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an isotonic solution of sodium chloride and distilled water
- Similar words include: saline solution
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALINE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8A: "20. Site to build on"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
- Similar words include: quite a little, sight, band
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOT
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9A: "21. Gossip, slangily"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
- Similar words include: Camellia sinensis, tea leaf, teatime
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10A: "22. Build on"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADDTO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11A: "24. Welcome at the door, say"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASKIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12A: "27. Linguist's concern"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics)
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRAMMAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13A: "30. Serious in manner"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the rear part of a ship
- Similar words include: posterior, unforgiving, exacting
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STERN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14A: "31. Bagel topping"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a bluish translucent magnetic liquid obtained by compressing gaseous oxygen and then cooling it below its boiling point; used as an oxidizer in rocket propellants
- Similar words include: liquid oxygen
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOX
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "32. Not perfect, but acceptable"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLOSEENOUGH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16A: "36. Bickering"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATIT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "38. Blade that's pulled"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an implement used to propel or steer a boat
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "39. Casual farewell often used outside its language of origin"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an acknowledgment that can be used to say hello or goodbye (aloha is hawaiian and ciao is italian)
- Similar words include: aloha
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CIAO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19A: "40. Station set up in a kitchen"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MISEENPLACE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20A: "45. Bit of intel"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
- Similar words include: steer, bakshish, summit
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "46. Coins of Cuba"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the basic unit of money in uruguay; equal to 100 centesimos
- Similar words include: Uruguayan peso, Dominican peso, Mexican peso
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PESOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "47. Ingredients in some tropical smoothies"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that tropical american shrub or small tree having huge deeply palmately cleft leaves and large oblong yellow fruit
- Similar words include: papaya, Carica papaya, papaya tree
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAPAYAS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "49. Foreign Service assignments"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand
- Similar words include: station, military post, billet
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POSTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "50. Madrid mister"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a spanish title or form of address for a man; similar to the english `mr' or `sir'
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SENOR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "51. Church seat"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation
- Similar words include: church bench
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26A: "52. Promise to pay"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an informal debt instrument; representing `i owe you'
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IOU
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "54. Journalist, informally"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that french playwright (1791-1861)
- Similar words include: penman, scrivener, scriber
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCRIBE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "58. Like children, ideally, in an old adage ... or a hint to a four-letter word hidden in 17-, 32- and 40-Across"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEENANDNOTHEARD
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "62. Rigorous"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
- Similar words include: tight, rigorous
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRINGENT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "63. Astronomer Carl"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAGAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31A: "64. Irritable"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that easily irritated or annoyed
- Similar words include: cranky, nettlesome, irritable
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TESTY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "65. [As written]"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that urge to attack someone
- Similar words include: set
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "66. Civil rights activist Parks"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses
- Similar words include: genus Rosa
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROSA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Play parts | 4 |
| 2D | 2. Kind of seed or pet | 4 |
| 3D | 3. Sometimes-raised part of a shoe | 4 |
| 4D | 4. Emphatic confirmation | 6 |
| 5D | 5. Nocturnal hooter | 3 |
| 6D | 6. Painter Veronese | 5 |
| 7D | 7. Langston Hughes poem | 4 |
| 8D | 8. Due + 1 | 3 |
| 9D | 9. Mimic | 3 |
| 10D | 10. Script supervisor's concern | 10 |
| 11D | 11. ___ days | 5 |
| 12D | 12. Slugger Sammy | 4 |
| 13D | 14. "Raising Hell" rap trio | 6 |
| 14D | 16. Council ___ (British equivalent of a housing project) | 6 |
| 15D | 18. Part of a piano or loom | 5 |
| 16D | 23. Boots on the ground | 6 |
| 17D | 25. Rep.'s counterpart | 3 |
| 18D | 26. Ray of McDonald's | 4 |
| 19D | 27. Genre for Ziggy Stardust, informally | 4 |
| 20D | 28. Naan alternative | 4 |
| 21D | 29. Coalition that opposed the Allies in W.W. II | 10 |
| 22D | 30. Mexican wrap | 6 |
| 23D | 33. Kid-lit girl with a blueberry pail | 3 |
| 24D | 34. Greek goddess of the earth | 4 |
| 25D | 35. Brewing need | 4 |
| 26D | 37. They help you drive farther | 4 |
| 27D | 41. Ballpark fig. | 3 |
| 28D | 42. Snooping (around) | 6 |
| 29D | 43. "___ thou not minister to a mind diseased ...?": Macbeth | 5 |
| 30D | 44. Significant periods | 6 |
| 31D | 48. Overdue debt | 6 |
| 32D | 49. Golfer Calvin or QB Rodney | 5 |
| 33D | 50. Islam's largest branch | 5 |
| 34D | 51. Alternative to a tap on the shoulder | 4 |
| 35D | 53. Works of praise | 4 |
| 36D | 55. "Othello" villain | 4 |
| 37D | 56. Some supports | 4 |
| 38D | 57. ___ Lewis, the "Grande Dame of Southern Cooking" | 4 |
| 39D | 59. Minor complaint | 3 |
| 40D | 60. Unspecified amount | 3 |
| 41D | 61. Not Rx | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Play parts"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a new testament book describing the development of the early church from christ's ascension to paul's sojourn at rome
- Similar words include: play, pretend, deed
- Opposite of: refrain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Kind of seed or pet"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHIA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Sometimes-raised part of a shoe"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
- Similar words include: bounder, reheel, hound
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEEL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Emphatic confirmation"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YESIAM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Nocturnal hooter"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
- Similar words include: bird of night, bird of Minerva, hooter
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Painter Veronese"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAOLO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Langston Hughes poem"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITOO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Due + 1"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Mimic"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
- Similar words include: copycat, imitator, caricature
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Script supervisor's concern"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that uninterrupted connection or union
- Similar words include: persistence
- Opposite of: discontinuity
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CONTINUITY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. ___ days"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OLDEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Slugger Sammy"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOSA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "14. "Raising Hell" rap trio"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUNDMC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "16. Council ___ (British equivalent of a housing project)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities
- Similar words include: land, the three estates, demesne
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESTATE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "18. Part of a piano or loom"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sustained bass note
- Similar words include: foot lever, cycle, wheel
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEDAL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "23. Boots on the ground"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that soldiers collectively
- Similar words include: scout troop, scout group, military personnel
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TROOPS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "25. Rep.'s counterpart"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a fractional monetary unit of japan and indonesia and cambodia; equal to one hundredth of a yen or rupiah or riel
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "26. Ray of McDonald's"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KROC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "27. Genre for Ziggy Stardust, informally"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLAM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "28. Naan alternative"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROTI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "29. Coalition that opposed the Allies in W.W. II"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AXISPOWERS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "30. Mexican wrap"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a long brightly colored shawl; worn mainly by mexican men
- Similar words include: sarape
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SERAPE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "33. Kid-lit girl with a blueberry pail"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "34. Greek goddess of the earth"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (greek mythology) goddess of the earth and mother of cronus and the titans in ancient mythology
- Similar words include: Gaea, Ge
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GAIA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "35. Brewing need"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that twining perennials having cordate leaves and flowers arranged in conelike spikes; the dried flowers of this plant are used in brewing to add the characteristic bitter taste to beer
- Similar words include: skip, hop-skip, hop
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOPS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "37. They help you drive farther"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the starting place for each hole on a golf course
- Similar words include: golf tee, football tee, tee up
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "41. Ballpark fig."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that standard time in the 5th time zone west of greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern united states
- Similar words include: Eastern Time, Eastern Standard Time
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "42. Snooping (around)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that search or inquire in a meddlesome way
- Similar words include: horn in, intrude, nuzzle
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOSING
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "43. "___ thou not minister to a mind diseased ...?": Macbeth"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CANST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "44. Significant periods"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event
- Similar words include: date of reference, era, epoch
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPOCHS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "48. Overdue debt"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARREAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "49. Golfer Calvin or QB Rodney"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEETE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "50. Islam's largest branch"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a member of the branch of islam that accepts the first four caliphs as rightful successors to muhammad
- Similar words include: Sunnite, Sunni Muslim, Sunni Islam
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SUNNI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "51. Alternative to a tap on the shoulder"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PSST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "53. Works of praise"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
- Similar words include: ode
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ODES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
36D: "55. "Othello" villain"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the villain in william shakespeare's tragedy who tricked othello into murdering his wife
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IAGO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
37D: "56. Some supports"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an undergarment worn by women to support their breasts
- Similar words include: bandeau, brassiere, bra
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BRAS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
38D: "57. ___ Lewis, the "Grande Dame of Southern Cooking""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EDNA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
39D: "59. Minor complaint"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a luminance unit equal to 1 candle per square meter measured perpendicular to the rays from the source
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
40D: "60. Unspecified amount"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that one or some or every or all without specification
- Similar words include: whatsoever, whatever
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
41D: "61. Not Rx"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (of securities) not traded on a stock exchange
- Similar words include: over-the-counter
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OTC
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
33 Across Clues
41 Down Clues
74 Total Clues
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