All NYT Down Clues September 15, 2025 - 39 Vertical Answers with Hints
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Crossword has 39 Down clues. We have all the vertical answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Related Puzzles: May 01 2024 NYT Clues Solutions | August 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | January 22 2016 NYT Clues Answers |
About Today's Down Clues
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 15, 2025 |
| Day of Week | Monday |
| Total Down Clues | 39 clues |
| Direction | Vertical (Top to Bottom) |
| Difficulty | Medium |
All Down Clues - Complete List
Here are all 39 Down clues for today's puzzle. These go vertically from top to bottom.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 1. Summer drink that might cause a brain freeze |
| 2 Down | 2. "Not another step!" |
| 3 Down | 3. Above |
| 4 Down | 4. Winged horse of Greek myth |
| 5 Down | 5. One-dimensional, in math |
| 6 Down | 6. Make a choice |
| 7 Down | 7. Say "Oh, my God!," say |
| 8 Down | 8. Stinky smell |
| 9 Down | 9. ___ change (a measly amount) |
| 10 Down | 10. Tattletale |
| 11 Down | 11. Pungent, round deli order |
| 12 Down | 12. Alternative to an iron, in golf |
| 13 Down | 13. Three squared |
| 14 Down | 18. Brings into the family |
| 15 Down | 19. Make less tight |
| 16 Down | 24. Liqueur in a mudslide |
| 17 Down | 26. Part of the body with a lobe |
| 18 Down | 27. Its capital is Accra |
| 19 Down | 28. Spy's info-gathering mission |
| 20 Down | 29. Bright choices for artists |
| 21 Down | 30. ___ pole (Native American carving) |
| 22 Down | 31. Skips, as a syllable |
| 23 Down | 33. Common origami bird |
| 24 Down | 34. Edgar ___, "The Ballet Class" artist |
| 25 Down | 40. What security clearance grants |
| 26 Down | 41. Magic Johnson's real first name |
| 27 Down | 44. Hebrew name meaning "high" |
| 28 Down | 47. ___ Stone (relic inscribed in three languages) |
| 29 Down | 50. Special trip away from the house |
| 30 Down | 52. Echelons |
| 31 Down | 54. Engrave |
| 32 Down | 55. "Get outta here!" |
| 33 Down | 57. Places to stay overnight |
| 34 Down | 58. Item on a mechanic's belt |
| 35 Down | 60. Out of battery juice |
| 36 Down | 61. 36 inches |
| 37 Down | 62. CPR-administering crew, for short |
| 38 Down | 64. Brain ___ (low-quality internet content) |
| 39 Down | 65. "Lemme square up later" note |
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:
- August 19 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- July 21 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- May 01 2024 NYT Clues Solutions
- Monday La Times August 19 2024
Complete Down Solutions:
1 Down: "1. Summer drink that might cause a brain freeze"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: I__E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 1
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ICEE
2 Down: "2. "Not another step!""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: H__T
- Similar words: hitch, arrest
- Opposite of: start
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the state of inactivity following an interruption
- This is Down clue number 2
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
HALT
3 Down: "3. Above"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O__R
- Similar words: complete, concluded
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 3
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
OVER
4 Down: "4. Winged horse of Greek myth"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: P_____S
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 4
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PEGASUS
5 Down: "5. One-dimensional, in math"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: L____R
- Similar words: one-dimensional, additive
- Opposite of: planar
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 5
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LINEAR
6 Down: "6. Make a choice"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'T'
- Similar words: choose, prefer
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: select as an alternative over another
- This is Down clue number 6
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
OPT
7 Down: "7. Say "Oh, my God!," say"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: G__P
- Similar words: heave, pant
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
- This is Down clue number 7
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
GASP
8 Down: "8. Stinky smell"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: O__R
- Similar words: scent, odour
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: any property detected by the olfactory system
- This is Down clue number 8
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ODOR
9 Down: "9. ___ change (a measly amount)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'P'
- Word pattern: C___P
- Similar words: sucker, gull
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
- This is Down clue number 9
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CHUMP
10 Down: "10. Tattletale"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Similar words: scab, dirty dog
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 10
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RAT
11 Down: "11. Pungent, round deli order"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 10 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: O________L
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 11
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ONIONBAGEL
12 Down: "12. Alternative to an iron, in golf"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: W__D
- Similar words: forest, woodwind
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 12
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
WOOD
13 Down: "13. Three squared"
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: 9, ennead
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
- This is Down clue number 13
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
NINE
14 Down: "18. Brings into the family"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A____S
- Similar words: take in, embrace
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: choose and follow; as of theories
- This is Down clue number 14
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ADOPTS
15 Down: "19. Make less tight"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: L____N
- Similar words: loose, relax
- Opposite of: stiffen
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: make loose or looser
- This is Down clue number 15
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LOOSEN
16 Down: "24. Liqueur in a mudslide"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: K____A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: coffee-flavored liqueur made in Mexico
- This is Down clue number 16
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
KAHLUA
17 Down: "26. Part of the body with a lobe"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Similar words: auricle, spike
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
- This is Down clue number 17
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EAR
18 Down: "27. Its capital is Accra"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: G___A
- Similar words: Gold Coast
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea
- This is Down clue number 18
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
GHANA
19 Down: "28. Spy's info-gathering mission"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: R___N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 19
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RECON
20 Down: "29. Bright choices for artists"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 10 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: O________S
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 20
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
OILPASTELS
21 Down: "30. ___ pole (Native American carving)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: T___M
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 21
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TOTEM
22 Down: "31. Skips, as a syllable"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E____S
- Similar words: elide
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: leave or strike out
- This is Down clue number 22
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ELIDES
23 Down: "33. Common origami bird"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C___E
- Similar words: Grus, Stephen Crane
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: United States writer (1871-1900)
- This is Down clue number 23
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CRANE
24 Down: "34. Edgar ___, "The Ballet Class" artist"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: D___S
- Similar words: Edgar Degas
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: French impressionist painter (1834-1917)
- This is Down clue number 24
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DEGAS
25 Down: "40. What security clearance grants"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A____S
- Similar words: approach, admission
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the right to enter
- This is Down clue number 25
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ACCESS
26 Down: "41. Magic Johnson's real first name"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 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 26
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EARVIN
27 Down: "44. Hebrew name meaning "high""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'I'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 27
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ELI
28 Down: "47. ___ Stone (relic inscribed in three languages)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: R_____A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 28
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ROSETTA
29 Down: "50. Special trip away from the house"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'G'
- Word pattern: O____G
- Similar words: come out, picnic
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a journey taken for pleasure
- This is Down clue number 29
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
OUTING
30 Down: "52. Echelons"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T___S
- Similar words: grade, tier up
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
- This is Down clue number 30
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TIERS
31 Down: "54. Engrave"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'H'
- Word pattern: E__H
- Similar words: engrave
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: make an etching of
- This is Down clue number 31
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ETCH
32 Down: "55. "Get outta here!""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: S__O
- Similar words: shoo off, shoo away
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: drive away by crying `shoo!'
- This is Down clue number 32
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SHOO
33 Down: "57. Places to stay overnight"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: I__S
- Similar words: lodge, hostelry
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
- This is Down clue number 33
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
INNS
34 Down: "58. Item on a mechanic's belt"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: T__L
- Similar words: shaft, puppet
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: an implement used in the practice of a vocation
- This is Down clue number 34
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TOOL
35 Down: "60. Out of battery juice"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: D__D
- Similar words: all in, utterly
- Opposite of: live
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: people who are no longer living
- This is Down clue number 35
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DEAD
36 Down: "61. 36 inches"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: Y__D
- Similar words: G, cubic yard
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 36
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
YARD
37 Down: "62. CPR-administering crew, for short"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: E__S
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 37
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EMTS
38 Down: "64. Brain ___ (low-quality internet content)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
- Similar words: moulder, putrefaction
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor
- This is Down clue number 38
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ROT
39 Down: "65. "Lemme square up later" note"
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
- Definition: an informal debt instrument; representing `I owe you'
- This is Down clue number 39
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
IOU
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 39 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.
