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Showing posts sorted by date for query BITTEN. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers June 17, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

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: Medium

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. Like Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, some say 7
2A 8. App brought back by Microsoft in 2024 3
3A 11. Swear 4
4A 15. Disney film set in a fictional Colombian village 7
5A 16. BEFORE (Deck 1): Slackers 8
6A 18. Celebrity 7
7A 19. Fast-paced scam, such as the shell game 8
8A 20. BEFORE (Deck 2): PlayStation and Switch 8
9A 22. Laterite, for example 3
10A 23. Folkie DiFranco 3
11A 24. Chills 5
12A 26. "___ Recall" (1990 sci-fi film) 5
13A 31. Jay who hosted the 2020s revival of "You Bet Your Life" 4
14A 33. Wild European rabbit in Australia, e.g. 4
15A 36. Beer buy 4
16A 37. Join tightly 4
17A 41. BEFORE (Deck 3): Quarry 8
18A 43. Casino maneuvers carried out three times in this puzzle? 14
19A 46. AFTER (Deck 3): Crucial moment in a tennis match 8
20A 47. Osso ___ (veal dish) 4
21A 48. "The Emperor's New Groove" setting 4
22A 49. Blond, but not really 4
23A 51. Many a discovery in the Valley of the Kings 4
24A 55. Visit by plane 5
25A 57. ___ With Friends 5
26A 61. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" 3
27A 62. Telepathy, e.g. 3
28A 65. AFTER (Deck 2): Noted quality of the Fonz 8
29A 67. Geraldo Rivera uncovered his "vaults" on live TV 8
30A 72. "___ the Day" (Thomas Pynchon's longest novel) 7
31A 73. AFTER (Deck 1): Slackers 8
32A 74. Was up the river 7
33A 75. Awards achievement reached in 2026 by Steven Spielberg 4
34A 76. Outdo 3
35A 77. Rival of a Raven 7

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Like Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, some say"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cast an actor, singer, or dancer in an unsuitable role
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MISCAST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "8. App brought back by Microsoft in 2024"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MSN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. Swear"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a persistently annoying person
  • Similar words include: pest, feller, swearword
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CUSS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. Disney film set in a fictional Colombian village"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENCANTO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. BEFORE (Deck 1): Slackers"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOOFOFFS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. Celebrity"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the status of being acknowledged as a star
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STARDOM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "19. Fast-paced scam, such as the shell game"

8 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHORTCON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. BEFORE (Deck 2): PlayStation and Switch"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small table fixed to a wall or designed to stand against a wall
  • Similar words include: cabinet, solace, console table
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CONSOLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Laterite, for example"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. Folkie DiFranco"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that black tropical american cuckoo
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. Chills"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that something left after other parts have been taken away
  • Similar words include: roost, residue, stay
  • Opposite of: change, be active
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RESTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "26. "___ Recall" (1990 sci-fi film)"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the whole amount
  • Similar words include: summate, add together, tot
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOTAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "31. Jay who hosted the 2020s revival of "You Bet Your Life""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LENO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "33. Wild European rabbit in Australia, e.g."

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
  • Similar words include: plague, cuss, blighter
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "36. Beer buy"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an occurrence of something
  • Similar words include: compositor's case, type, pillowcase
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CASE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "37. Join tightly"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an electrical device that can interrupt the flow of electrical current when it is overloaded
  • Similar words include: commingle, flux, fuze
  • Opposite of: defuse
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FUSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "41. BEFORE (Deck 3): Quarry"

8 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STONEPIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "43. Casino maneuvers carried out three times in this puzzle?"

14 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIFFLESHUFFLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "46. AFTER (Deck 3): Crucial moment in a tennis match"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SETPOINT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "47. Osso ___ (veal dish)"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BUCO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "48. "The Emperor's New Groove" setting"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a republic in western south america; achieved independence from spain in 1821; was the heart of the inca empire from the 12th to 16th centuries
  • Similar words include: Republic of Peru
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PERU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "49. Blond, but not really"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that color with dye
  • Similar words include: bleached, colored, dye
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DYED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "51. Many a discovery in the Valley of the Kings"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
  • Similar words include: grave
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOMB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "55. Visit by plane"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLYTO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "57. ___ With Friends"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the words that are spoken
  • Similar words include: quarrel, password, give-and-take
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WORDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "61. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "62. Telepathy, e.g."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of pressure
  • Similar words include: pounds per square inch
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PSI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "65. AFTER (Deck 2): Noted quality of the Fonz"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that calm and unruffled self-assurance
  • Similar words include: iciness, imperturbableness, chilliness
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COOLNESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "67. Geraldo Rivera uncovered his "vaults" on live TV"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALCAPONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "72. "___ the Day" (Thomas Pynchon's longest novel)"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGAINST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "73. AFTER (Deck 1): Slackers"

8 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOOFOFFS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "74. Was up the river"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIDTIME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "75. Awards achievement reached in 2026 by Steven Spielberg"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EGOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "76. Outdo"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the upper part of anything
  • Similar words include: summit, meridian, spinning top
  • Opposite of: bottom
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "77. Rival of a Raven"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEELER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Paul who played William Shakespeare in "Hamnet" 6
2D 2. Vocalize 6
3D 3. Digitize, as a document 6
4D 4. "Just What I Needed" band, with "the" 4
5D 5. Disney+ series whose name sounds like a compound conjunction 5
6D 6. Got via the "five-finger discount" 5
7D 7. "The Complete Works of ..." books, say 5
8D 8. Booker T.'s backing band 3
9D 9. Neighborhood mentioned in "Werewolves of London" 4
10D 10. Former queen of Jordan 4
11D 11. Portable bed 3
12D 12. Mixed martial arts org. 3
13D 13. Bay Area airport code 3
14D 14. ID thief's target: Abbr. 3
15D 17. Instrument ridge 4
16D 21. Valvoline rival 3
17D 25. Gathering, informally 4
18D 27. Cat that's spotted in South America 6
19D 28. It's on a roll 4
20D 29. Sale caveat 4
21D 30. Permitted to 3
22D 32. Repelled 6
23D 34. Scrapbook keepsake 4
24D 35. Popcorn ___ (fried vegan treat) 4
25D 38. Subject of a declassified Pentagon document, in brief 3
26D 39. Averted a tag, maybe 4
27D 40. Start of a counting-out rhyme 4
28D 42. Lions and Bears are in it, in brief 3
29D 43. Stagger 4
30D 44. "Hey, doing my best" 4
31D 45. Goulash, e.g. 4
32D 46. UV blockage fig. 3
33D 50. Medical moniker 3
34D 52. Final score of at least 10% of professional soccer matches 6
35D 53. "Glad I'm back?" 6
36D 54. Thanksgiving kitchen tool 6
37D 56. Research for a political hit, slangily 4
38D 58. Map lines 5
39D 59. Give minimum effort 5
40D 60. British glam rock band of the 1970s 5
41D 63. Lenient 4
42D 64. 411 4
43D 66. TV's Nick at ___ 4
44D 67. Gray, say 3
45D 68. Record 3
46D 69. Bill's partner 3
47D 70. Back at sea 3
48D 71. "Ability" that's hard to believe, for short 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Paul who played William Shakespeare in "Hamnet""

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small spineless globe-shaped cactus; source of mescal buttons
  • Similar words include: peyote, mezcal, Lophophora williamsii
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MESCAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Vocalize"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically
  • Similar words include: cantillate, intonate, chant
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INTONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Digitize, as a document"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCANIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "Just What I Needed" band, with "the""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
  • Similar words include: motorcar, elevator car, railcar
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Disney+ series whose name sounds like a compound conjunction"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANDOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Got via the "five-finger discount""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
  • Similar words include: steal, slip
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STOLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. "The Complete Works of ..." books, say"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a (usually) large and scholarly book
  • Similar words include: tome
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOMES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Booker T.'s backing band"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one thousandth (1/1,000) gram
  • Similar words include: milligram, magnesium, Mg
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Neighborhood mentioned in "Werewolves of London""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a district in southwestern manhattan noted for its shops and restaurants and galleries and artist's lofts
  • Similar words include: South of Houston
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Former queen of Jordan"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Portable bed"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sheath worn to protect a finger
  • Similar words include: fingerstall, camp bed, crib
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Mixed martial arts org."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UFC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Bay Area airport code"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SFO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. ID thief's target: Abbr."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SSN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "17. Instrument ridge"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that agitation resulting from active worry
  • Similar words include: Greek key, stew, choke
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FRET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "21. Valvoline rival"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that standard temperature and pressure
  • Similar words include: s.t.p.
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Gathering, informally"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SESH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. Cat that's spotted in South America"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that nocturnal wildcat of central america and south america having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat
  • Similar words include: Felis pardalis, panther cat
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCELOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. It's on a roll"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
  • Similar words include: videotape, tapeline, taping
  • Opposite of: erase
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Sale caveat"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASIS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. Permitted to"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a brutal terrorist group active in kashmir; fights against india with the goal of restoring islamic rule of india
  • Similar words include: allow, countenance, get
  • Opposite of: disallow, prevent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. Repelled"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OFFPUT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "34. Scrapbook keepsake"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a short piece remaining on a trunk or stem where a branch is lost
  • Similar words include: ticket stub, nub, check stub
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STUB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "35. Popcorn ___ (fried vegan treat)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cheeselike food made of curdled soybean milk
  • Similar words include: bean curd
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOFU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Subject of a declassified Pentagon document, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an (apparently) flying object whose nature is unknown; especially those considered to have extraterrestrial origins
  • Similar words include: flying saucer, unidentified flying object
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UFO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. Averted a tag, maybe"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
  • Similar words include: slew, slue, slither
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "40. Start of a counting-out rhyme"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EENY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "42. Lions and Bears are in it, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NFC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "43. Stagger"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a roll of photographic film holding a series of frames to be projected by a movie projector
  • Similar words include: stagger, whirl, swag
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "44. "Hey, doing my best""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "45. Goulash, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that agitation resulting from active worry
  • Similar words include: swither, fret, sweat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "46. UV blockage fig."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the degree to which a sunscreen protects the skin from the direct rays of the sun
  • Similar words include: sun protection factor
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "50. Medical moniker"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a licensed medical practitioner
  • Similar words include: MD, Commerce, medico
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "52. Final score of at least 10% of professional soccer matches"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONENIL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "53. "Glad I'm back?""

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MISSME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "54. Thanksgiving kitchen tool"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cook who bastes roasting meat with melted fat or gravy
  • Similar words include: tacker
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASTER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "56. Research for a political hit, slangily"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPPO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "58. Map lines"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a partly sheltered anchorage
  • Similar words include: road, route, roadstead
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROADS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "59. Give minimum effort"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOGIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "60. British glam rock band of the 1970s"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLADE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "63. Lenient"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that yielding readily to pressure or weight
  • Similar words include: diffused, easy, gentle
  • Opposite of: hard, forte
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOFT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

42D: "64. 411"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a message received and understood
  • Similar words include: information
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INFO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

43D: "66. TV's Nick at ___"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NITE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

44D: "67. Gray, say"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that how long something has existed
  • Similar words include: historic period, years, maturate
  • Opposite of: rejuvenate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

45D: "68. Record"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
  • Similar words include: lumber, logarithm
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

46D: "69. Bill's partner"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sound made by a pigeon
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

47D: "70. Back at sea"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (nautical, aeronautical) situated at or toward the stern or tail
  • Similar words include: abaft, astern
  • Opposite of: fore
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

48D: "71. "Ability" that's hard to believe, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses
  • Similar words include: clairvoyance, extrasensory perception, E.S.P.
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESP

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
48 Down Clues
83 Total Clues

More NYT Crossword Help

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Disclaimer: Crossword clues and grid © The New York Times. This site provides hints and educational content for puzzle enthusiasts. XWordHint is not affiliated with The New York Times.

Last updated: June 17, 2026 at 08:40 AM

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers June 02, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

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: 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. Capital located on a fjord 4
2A 5. Battling militarily 5
3A 10. State with the highest Mormon population 4
4A 14. Snow clearer 4
5A 15. Selected 5
6A 16. ___ minimum 4
7A 17. "You missed your chance!" 10
8A 19. Silver weapon brandished by one hoping for gold 4
9A 20. Huge 7
10A 21. "It's legit!" 7
11A 23. ___ Rica 5
12A 24. One with special access, in brief 3
13A 25. Gets a pooch to attack 12
14A 33. One who might call you out if you get home late? 3
15A 36. Hindi term meaning "master"... or "mister" 5
16A 37. "My apologies!" 5
17A 38. Part of a house or a mouth 4
18A 40. Obstetrician's specialty 5
19A 42. Part of a shoe or many a bra 4
20A 43. Setting for Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" 5
21A 45. Dance for flexible people 5
22A 47. It might say "Home Sweet Home" 3
23A 48. Picked at one's food, in an avian metaphor 12
24A 51. Baton Rouge sch. 3
25A 52. Wash with a glycol spray, as an airplane wing 5
26A 56. With 63-Across, question hinted at by the beginnings of 17-, 21-, 25- and 48-Across 7
27A 60. Marsupial whose name sometimes omits its first letter 7
28A 62. Tony ___, former Cowboys QB 4
29A 63. See 56-Across 10
30A 65. All over again 4
31A 66. "No bid from me" 5
32A 67. Bad forecast for a parade 4
33A 68. Ivy in Philadelphia, familiarly 4
34A 69. Letter-shaped groove for a fastener 5
35A 70. Barely made, with "out" 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Capital located on a fjord"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the capital and largest city of norway; the country's main port; located at the head of a fjord on norway's southern coast
  • Similar words include: Christiania, capital of Norway
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OSLO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Battling militarily"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATWAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. State with the highest Mormon population"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state in the western united states; settled in 1847 by mormons led by brigham young
  • Similar words include: UT, Beehive State, Mormon State
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UTAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Snow clearer"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a farm tool having one or more heavy blades to break the soil and cut a furrow prior to sowing
  • Similar words include: handle, deal, cover
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Selected"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
  • Similar words include: pick out, take, choose
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHOSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. ___ minimum"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make public
  • Similar words include: stark, strip, stripped
  • Opposite of: sheathed, covered
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. "You missed your chance!""

10 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOOLATENOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Silver weapon brandished by one hoping for gold"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fencing sword similar to a foil but with a heavier blade
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Huge"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; - w.r.inge
  • Similar words include: Brobdingnagian, vast, huge
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMMENSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. "It's legit!""

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FORREAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. ___ Rica"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a riblike part of a plant or animal (such as a middle rib of a leaf or a thickened vein of an insect wing)
  • Similar words include: rib
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COSTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. One with special access, in brief"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an important or influential (and often overbearing) person
  • Similar words include: high muckamuck, dignitary, high-up
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Gets a pooch to attack"

12 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SICSTHEDOGON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "33. One who might call you out if you get home late?"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an official at a baseball game
  • Similar words include: umpire
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UMP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "36. Hindi term meaning "master"... or "mister""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that formerly a term of respect for important white europeans in colonial india; used after the name
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAHIB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "37. "My apologies!""

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
  • Similar words include: grim, no-account, disconsolate
  • Opposite of: unregretful
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SORRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "38. Part of a house or a mouth"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
  • Similar words include: ceiling, cap
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROOF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "40. Obstetrician's specialty"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
  • Similar words include: undertaking, drudge, dig
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LABOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "42. Part of a shoe or many a bra"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment)
  • Similar words include: entwine, enlace, spike
  • Opposite of: untwine
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LACE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "43. Setting for Arthur Miller's "The Crucible""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that capital of the state of oregon in the northwestern part of the state on the willamette river
  • Similar words include: capital of Oregon
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "45. Dance for flexible people"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the state of being disregarded or forgotten
  • Similar words include: oblivion
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIMBO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "47. It might say "Home Sweet Home""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
  • Similar words include: matt, lustrelessness, felt up
  • Opposite of: disentangle, unsnarl
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "48. Picked at one's food, in an avian metaphor"

12 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATELIKEABIRD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "51. Baton Rouge sch."

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LSU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "52. Wash with a glycol spray, as an airplane wing"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make or become free of frost or ice
  • Similar words include: de-ice, defrost
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEICE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "56. With 63-Across, question hinted at by the beginnings of 17-, 21-, 25- and 48-Across"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHODOWE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "60. Marsupial whose name sometimes omits its first letter"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that small furry australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails
  • Similar words include: possum, phalanger
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPOSSUM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "62. Tony ___, former Cowboys QB"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "63. See 56-Across"

10 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that recognize with gratitude; be grateful for
  • Similar words include: treasure, take account, prize
  • Opposite of: depreciate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APPRECIATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "65. All over again"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that again but in a new or different way
  • Similar words include: afresh
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANEW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "66. "No bid from me""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IPASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "67. Bad forecast for a parade"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
  • Similar words include: rain down, pelting, rainfall
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "68. Ivy in Philadelphia, familiarly"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that englishman and quaker who founded the colony of pennsylvania (1644-1718)
  • Similar words include: William Penn, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PENN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "69. Letter-shaped groove for a fastener"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TSLOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "70. Barely made, with "out""

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EKED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Kind of nerve that connects to the eye 5
2D 2. Manner in which sports replays are shown, familiarly 5
3D 3. Hangs (over) 5
4D 4. Babies that are supposed to be up all night? 6
5D 5. Five things in each of Shakespeare's plays 4
6D 6. "My country, 'tis of ___ ..." 4
7D 7. Was victorious 3
8D 8. Since 4
9D 9. Fixed, as a tapestry or a tatami 6
10D 10. Original name of a popular shared-ride service 8
11D 11. Word after video or Scotch 4
12D 12. About 8,100 square feet, for a baseball infield 4
13D 13. What helps you get a leg up? 4
14D 18. Eroticist Nin 5
15D 22. Purges, with "of" 4
16D 26. Baseball Hall-of-Famer ___ Ripken 3
17D 27. Rock that's fracked to release oil 5
18D 28. Bone in the lower leg 5
19D 29. Fusion weapon, familiarly 5
20D 30. Weight unit at British markets 4
21D 31. Sea sight in black and white 4
22D 32. The decline of Russia? 4
23D 33. Lead-in to Major or Minor in the night sky 4
24D 34. What a drawbridge might cross 4
25D 35. Word with vault or position 4
26D 39. Collapsed 8
27D 41. One of four generated by a grand slam, for short 3
28D 44. Kind of soup often served with sushi 4
29D 46. Surgeon, informally 5
30D 49. Emirate that was the site of Operation Desert Storm 6
31D 50. Longing 6
32D 53. Chris with the 1991 hit "Wicked Game" 5
33D 54. One who's "adorbs" 5
34D 55. Revise, as text 5
35D 56. Prepare for gifting 4
36D 57. Sharpen 4
37D 58. Finding a penny with the tails side up is said to be a bad one 4
38D 59. Actor/rapper Omar 4
39D 60. "In that neighborhood" 4
40D 61. Gnat or nit 4
41D 64. Bud 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Kind of nerve that connects to the eye"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the organ of sight
  • Similar words include: visual, opthalmic, optical
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPTIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Manner in which sports replays are shown, familiarly"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLOMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Hangs (over)"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile
  • Similar words include: loom, brood, hover
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOOMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Babies that are supposed to be up all night?"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Similar words include: owlet
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWLETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Five things in each of Shakespeare's plays"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

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: number, routine, represent
  • Opposite of: refrain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. "My country, 'tis of ___ ...""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Was victorious"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the basic unit of money in south korea
  • Similar words include: come through, North Korean won, gain ground
  • Opposite of: lose, fall back
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Since"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASOF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Fixed, as a tapestry or a tatami"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REWOVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Original name of a popular shared-ride service"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UBERPOOL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Word after video or Scotch"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
  • Similar words include: tape recording, magnetic tape, tapeline
  • Opposite of: erase
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. About 8,100 square feet, for a baseball infield"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
  • Similar words include: orbit, country, region
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AREA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. What helps you get a leg up?"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

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: list, cad, dog
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Eroticist Nin"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANAIS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. Purges, with "of""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that relieve from
  • Similar words include: rid, disembarrass, free
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "26. Baseball Hall-of-Famer ___ Ripken"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "27. Rock that's fracked to release oil"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sedimentary rock formed by the deposition of successive layers of clay
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHALE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "28. Bone in the lower leg"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the inner and thicker of the two bones of the human leg between the knee and ankle
  • Similar words include: shin, shinbone, shin bone
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIBIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "29. Fusion weapon, familiarly"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HBOMB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "30. Weight unit at British markets"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram
  • Similar words include: g, gm, Hans C. J. Gram
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Sea sight in black and white"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
  • Similar words include: killer whale, killer, Orcinus orca
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORCA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. The decline of Russia?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NYET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "33. Lead-in to Major or Minor in the night sky"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: URSA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "34. What a drawbridge might cross"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water
  • Similar words include: fosse
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "35. Word with vault or position"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
  • Similar words include: perch, magnetic pole, terminal
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. Collapsed"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FELLDOWN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "41. One of four generated by a grand slam, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a run that is the result of the batter's performance
  • Similar words include: run batted in
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RBI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "44. Kind of soup often served with sushi"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thick paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt; used in japanese cooking to make soups or sauces
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MISO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "46. Surgeon, informally"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORDOC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "49. Emirate that was the site of Operation Desert Storm"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a seaport on the persian gulf and capital of kuwait
  • Similar words include: Koweit, Kuwait City, State of Kuwait
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KUWAIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "50. Longing"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
  • Similar words include: trust, want, hope
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DESIRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "53. Chris with the 1991 hit "Wicked Game""

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISAAK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "54. One who's "adorbs""

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CUTIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "55. Revise, as text"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make improvements or corrections to
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMEND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "56. Prepare for gifting"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cloak that is folded or wrapped around a person
  • Similar words include: enwrap, enfold, wrapping
  • Opposite of: unwrap, unwind
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WRAP

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36D: "57. Sharpen"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a whetstone made of fine gritstone; used for sharpening razors
  • Similar words include: perfect
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HONE

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37D: "58. Finding a penny with the tails side up is said to be a bad one"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sign of something about to happen
  • Similar words include: presage, Muscat and Oman, foretell
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OMEN

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38D: "59. Actor/rapper Omar"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPPS

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39D: "60. "In that neighborhood""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORSO

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40D: "61. Gnat or nit"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
  • Similar words include: cuss, blighter, pesterer
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEST

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41D: "64. Bud"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
  • Similar words include: chum, brother, sidekick
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAL

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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
41 Down Clues
76 Total Clues

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Last updated: June 02, 2026 at 08:12 AM