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

Monday, April 27, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers April 27, 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. Paths for lobbed tennis balls 4
2A 5. Tribe of Arizona 4
3A 9. Flinch, say 5
4A 14. Short blast from a horn 4
5A 15. Actor McGregor of "Trainspotting" 4
6A 16. Han Solo's response to Leia's "I love you" 5
7A 17. Singer's recovery period 9
8A 19. "Catch my drift?" 5
9A 20. Shop 5
10A 21. Spot for a soak 3
11A 23. Dear ___ (letter start) 3
12A 24. Pumice or basalt 12
13A 29. Chemical that speeds up a fruit's aging process 7
14A 32. Film director Coen 5
15A 33. "Our Lips ___ Sealed" (hit by the Go-Go's) 3
16A 34. Youngest woman ever elected to Congress, familiarly 3
17A 36. Betraying surprise, in a way 5
18A 39. Spinoff of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" 15
19A 44. Big name in microprocessors 5
20A 45. "Who's Who in the Cast" blurb 3
21A 46. Tie-breaking periods, for short 3
22A 47. How a picture book may be read at bedtime 5
23A 50. ___ of hand (magician's skill) 7
24A 53. Congressional history 12
25A 56. Palindrome akin to "Aha!" 3
26A 57. Work well together 3
27A 58. Florida's ___-Dade County 5
28A 62. Jousting weapon 5
29A 65. Device worn by a video gamer ... or a hint to 17-, 24-, 39- and 53-Across 9
30A 68. Basic piano chord 5
31A 69. Notes of indebtedness 4
32A 70. Gets eyes on 4
33A 71. Sends frisky messages 5
34A 72. Strong soapmaking solutions 4
35A 73. Like bourbon 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Paths for lobbed tennis balls"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
  • Similar words include: arc, bow, spark
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARCS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Tribe of Arizona"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the shoshonean people of northeastern arizona
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOPI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Flinch, say"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that show a response or a reaction to something
  • Similar words include: respond, oppose
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REACT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Short blast from a horn"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a blast of a horn
  • Similar words include: carousal, beep, booze-up
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Actor McGregor of "Trainspotting""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Han Solo's response to Leia's "I love you""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Singer's recovery period"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VOCALREST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. "Catch my drift?""

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Shop"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
  • Similar words include: computer storage, memory board, put in
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Spot for a soak"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body
  • Similar words include: tubful, bath, bathing tub
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TUB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. Dear ___ (letter start)"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that term of address for a man
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. Pumice or basalt"

12 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "29. Chemical that speeds up a fruit's aging process"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "32. Film director Coen"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "33. "Our Lips ___ Sealed" (hit by the Go-Go's)"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters
  • Similar words include: equal, ar, be
  • Opposite of: differ
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. Youngest woman ever elected to Congress, familiarly"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "36. Betraying surprise, in a way"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "39. Spinoff of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills""

15 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VANDERPUMPRULES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "44. Big name in microprocessors"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "45. "Who's Who in the Cast" blurb"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "46. Tie-breaking periods, for short"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "47. How a picture book may be read at bedtime"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that using the voice; not silently
  • Similar words include: loud, loudly, out loud
  • Opposite of: softly
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALOUD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "50. ___ of hand (magician's skill)"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that adroitness in using the hands
  • Similar words include: manual dexterity, dexterity
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLEIGHT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "53. Congressional history"

12 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "56. Palindrome akin to "Aha!""

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "57. Work well together"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a colloid in a more solid form than a sol
  • Similar words include: gelatin, colloidal gel, mousse
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "58. Florida's ___-Dade County"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the extinct algonquian people formerly living in northern indiana and southern michigan
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MIAMI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "62. Jousting weapon"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
  • Similar words include: spear, shaft, fizgig
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LANCE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "65. Device worn by a video gamer ... or a hint to 17-, 24-, 39- and 53-Across"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VRHEADSET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "68. Basic piano chord"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
  • Similar words include: trine, trey, triple
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRIAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "69. Notes of indebtedness"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an informal debt instrument; representing `i owe you'
  • Similar words include: IOU
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IOUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "70. Gets eyes on"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
  • Similar words include: fancy, take in, understand
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "71. Sends frisky messages"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fourth of the seven canonical hours; about noon
  • Similar words include: sext
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEXTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "72. Strong soapmaking solutions"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a strong solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide
  • Similar words include: lye
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LYES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "73. Like bourbon"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Four-wheelers, in brief 4
2D 2. Word before beer or after square 4
3D 3. Pixar film with the Oscar-winning song "Remember Me" 4
4D 4. "Feed a cold, ___ a fever" (dubious medical advice) 6
5D 5. That girl 3
6D 6. Have debts 3
7D 7. Many an Olive Garden entree 5
8D 8. Sounding good, as a musical instrument 6
9D 9. 18-wheeler 3
10D 10. Barely get (by) 3
11D 11. Snack with celery, peanut butter and raisins 10
12D 12. "Peanuts" or "Pickles" 5
13D 13. Do some booty-shaking 5
14D 18. Spinks who defeated Muhammad Ali 4
15D 22. One-eighth of a byte 3
16D 25. Titular Shakespearean king 4
17D 26. Remove outer parts from, as a photo 4
18D 27. Burn until black 4
19D 28. Prego alternative 4
20D 29. Sitar virtuoso Shankar 4
21D 30. Tehran's land 4
22D 31. Grammy-winning a cappella group famous for their Christmas albums 10
23D 35. Chicago slugger 3
24D 37. "Late Night" host Meyers 4
25D 38. "Hey! Over here!" 4
26D 40. Place to purchase pastrami 4
27D 41. North Carolina university 4
28D 42. Catchall category: Abbr. 4
29D 43. Sport on a horse 4
30D 48. Sheepskin boot brand 3
31D 49. Role for Mike Myers in the Austin Powers movies 6
32D 51. Columnist Bombeck 4
33D 52. Doubling-down assertion 6
34D 53. Battery measure 5
35D 54. Chicago airport 5
36D 55. "The Jetsons" boy 5
37D 59. On the waves 4
38D 60. Gentle and submissive 4
39D 61. ___-bitsy 4
40D 63. Garfield in the funny pages, e.g. 3
41D 64. Magazine bigwigs, in brief 3
42D 66. Gradation of color 3
43D 67. Letter before tee 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Four-wheelers, in brief"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Word before beer or after square"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
  • Similar words include: rootage, theme, ancestor
  • Opposite of: descendant
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Pixar film with the Oscar-winning song "Remember Me""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that tall palm tree bearing coconuts as fruits; widely planted throughout the tropics
  • Similar words include: coco palm, cocoa palm, coconut tree
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COCO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "Feed a cold, ___ a fever" (dubious medical advice)"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be hungry; go without food
  • Similar words include: hunger, famish, lust
  • Opposite of: feed, be full
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STARVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. That girl"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Have debts"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be obliged to pay or repay
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Many an Olive Garden entree"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a dish that contains pasta as its main ingredient
  • Similar words include: alimentary paste
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PASTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Sounding good, as a musical instrument"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. 18-wheeler"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that gear (including necessary machinery) for a particular enterprise
  • Similar words include: fishing rig, semi, set
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Barely get (by)"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Snack with celery, peanut butter and raisins"

10 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. "Peanuts" or "Pickles""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a professional performer who tells jokes and performs comical acts
  • Similar words include: risible, funny, amusing
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COMIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Do some booty-shaking"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Spinks who defeated Muhammad Ali"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a historical area and former kingdom in northwestern spain
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. One-eighth of a byte"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small piece or quantity of something
  • Similar words include: seize with teeth, scrap, morsel
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "25. Titular Shakespearean king"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that british artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888)
  • Similar words include: Edward Lear, King Lear
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "26. Remove outer parts from, as a photo"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the yield from plants in a single growing season
  • Similar words include: dress, craw, cut back
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CROP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. Burn until black"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a charred substance
  • Similar words include: cleaning lady, woman, sear
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. Prego alternative"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Sitar virtuoso Shankar"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. Tehran's land"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a theocratic islamic republic in the middle east in western asia; iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as persia until 1935; rich in oil
  • Similar words include: Persia, Islamic Republic of Iran
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "31. Grammy-winning a cappella group famous for their Christmas albums"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "35. Chicago slugger"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an awkward and inexperienced youth
  • Similar words include: greenhorn, sonny, lad
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CUB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "37. "Late Night" host Meyers"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old testament) third son of adam and eve; given by god in place of the murdered abel
  • Similar words include: Set
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SETH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. "Hey! Over here!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "40. Place to purchase pastrami"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shop selling ready-to-eat food products
  • Similar words include: delicatessen, food shop
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DELI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "41. North Carolina university"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "42. Catchall category: Abbr."

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "43. Sport on a horse"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that venetian traveler who explored asia in the 13th century and served kublai khan (1254-1324)
  • Similar words include: Marco Polo
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POLO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "48. Sheepskin boot brand"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "49. Role for Mike Myers in the Austin Powers movies"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "51. Columnist Bombeck"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "52. Doubling-down assertion"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "53. Battery measure"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt; equivalent to the potential difference across a resistance of 1 ohm when 1 ampere of current flows through it
  • Similar words include: volt, V
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VOLTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "54. Chicago airport"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "55. "The Jetsons" boy"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "59. On the waves"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that in the direction of the sea
  • Similar words include: seaward, seawards
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASEA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "60. Gentle and submissive"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness
  • Similar words include: modest, spiritless, mild
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MEEK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "61. ___-bitsy"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "63. Garfield in the funny pages, e.g."

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
  • Similar words include: computerized tomography, computed axial tomography, barf
  • Opposite of: keep down
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "64. Magazine bigwigs, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a rapid automatic system to detect plastic explosives in passengers' luggage using x-ray technology and computers; designed for use in airports
  • Similar words include: male erecticle dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, ED
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

42D: "66. Gradation of color"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength
  • Similar words include: imbue, chromaticity
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HUE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

43D: "67. Letter before tee"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons
  • Similar words include: einsteinium, Es, atomic number 99
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESS

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
43 Down Clues
78 Total Clues

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Last updated: April 27, 2026 at 06:14 AM

NYT Mini Puzzle Trivia Week 4 April 27, 2026 - Solved

Trivia Week 4 April 27, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints

Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!

Popular Puzzles: NYT Down Crossword December 16 2025 | Todays Down Crossword NYT December 02 | July 29 2020 NYT Clues Solutions |

About Today's Puzzle

NYT Mini Crossword solutions for April 27, 2026
NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Monday, April 27, 2026
Puzzle Statistics
Detail Information
Date April 27, 2026
Grid Size 5 x 5 squares
Total Clues 20 clues
Across Clues 10 clues
Down Clues 10 clues
Average Solve Time Under 1 minute

Today's Trivia Week {week_num} NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout

This puzzle uses a 5 by 5 grid. That means 5 boxes across and 5 boxes down.

5x5 Crossword Grid Pattern
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5
Row 1          
Row 2          
Row 3          
Row 4          
Row 5          

How to Solve This Puzzle Fast

  1. Read all the clues first - your brain will start working on them
  2. Fill in the short words first (3 letters or less)
  3. Use the crossing letters to help with harder words
  4. If a clue has a question mark (?), it's probably a joke or play on words
  5. Common short words: THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT

Quick Facts About This Puzzle

  • Total squares in grid: 25 (5 times 5)
  • Average time to solve: Less than 1 minute
  • Best time to play: During a coffee break
  • Difficulty level: Made for everyone to enjoy

Across Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from left to right in the puzzle.

Across Clues List
Number Clue
1 Across 19. "Catch my drift?"
2 Across 5. Tribe of Arizona
3 Across 29. Chemical that speeds up a fruit's aging process
4 Across 20. Shop
5 Across 33. "Our Lips ___ Sealed" (hit by the Go-Go's)
6 Across 62. Jousting weapon
7 Across 9. Flinch, say
8 Across 15. Actor McGregor of "Trainspotting"
9 Across 71. Sends frisky messages
10 Across 36. Betraying surprise, in a way

Hints and Answers for Across Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:


1 Across: "19. "Catch my drift?""

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'G' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: G___E

Answer:

Click to reveal GETME


2 Across: "5. Tribe of Arizona"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'H' and ends with 'I'
  • Word pattern: H__I

Answer:

Click to reveal HOPI


3 Across: "29. Chemical that speeds up a fruit's aging process"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 7 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: R_____R

Answer:

Click to reveal RIPENER


4 Across: "20. Shop"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: S___E

Answer:

Click to reveal STORE


5 Across: "33. "Our Lips ___ Sealed" (hit by the Go-Go's)"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
  • Another word like this: make up

Answer:

Click to reveal ARE


6 Across: "62. Jousting weapon"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'L' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: L___E

Answer:

Click to reveal LANCE


7 Across: "9. Flinch, say"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'T'
  • Word pattern: R___T

Answer:

Click to reveal REACT


8 Across: "15. Actor McGregor of "Trainspotting""

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: E__N

Answer:

Click to reveal EWAN


9 Across: "71. Sends frisky messages"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: S___S

Answer:

Click to reveal SEXTS


10 Across: "36. Betraying surprise, in a way"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'P'
  • Word pattern: A___P

Answer:

Click to reveal AGASP

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number Clue
1 Down 61. ___-bitsy
2 Down 43. Sport on a horse
3 Down 67. Letter before tee
4 Down 26. Remove outer parts from, as a photo
5 Down 63. Garfield in the funny pages, e.g.
6 Down 10. Barely get (by)
7 Down 18. Spinks who defeated Muhammad Ali
8 Down 64. Magazine bigwigs, in brief
9 Down 9. 18-wheeler
10 Down 40. Place to purchase pastrami

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:


1 Down: "61. ___-bitsy"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'I' and ends with 'Y'
  • Word pattern: I__Y

Answer:

Click to reveal ITSY


2 Down: "43. Sport on a horse"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'P' and ends with 'O'
  • Word pattern: P__O

Answer:

Click to reveal POLO


3 Down: "67. Letter before tee"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
  • Another word like this: Es

Answer:

Click to reveal ESS


4 Down: "26. Remove outer parts from, as a photo"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'C' and ends with 'P'
  • Word pattern: C__P

Answer:

Click to reveal CROP


5 Down: "63. Garfield in the funny pages, e.g."

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
  • Another word like this: cast

Answer:

Click to reveal CAT


6 Down: "10. Barely get (by)"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
  • This is a short form or acronym

Answer:

Click to reveal EKE


7 Down: "18. Spinks who defeated Muhammad Ali"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'L' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: L__N

Answer:

Click to reveal LEON


8 Down: "64. Magazine bigwigs, in brief"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'S'
  • Another word like this: ED

Answer:

Click to reveal EDS


9 Down: "9. 18-wheeler"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'G'
  • Another word like this: getup

Answer:

Click to reveal RIG


10 Down: "40. Place to purchase pastrami"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'D' and ends with 'I'
  • Word pattern: D__I

Answer:

Click to reveal DELI

How to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster

Here are the best tips from expert solvers:

Step-by-Step Strategy

  1. Quick Scan: Read all clues once. Your brain starts working on them right away.
  2. Easy First: Fill in the shortest words (2-3 letters). These are usually simple words like "IT" or "ON".
  3. Use Crossings: When letters cross, they help you figure out harder words.
  4. Watch for Wordplay: Clues with question marks (?) are jokes or puns.
  5. Common Words: Remember these appear often: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE.

Letter Tips That Really Help

  • The letter E is the most common in English
  • Words ending in S are often plurals
  • If you see "___" in a clue, the answer fits those blanks exactly
  • Abbreviations in clues mean the answer is also abbreviated

Time Goals to Aim For

Your Time Skill Level What It Means
Under 30 seconds Expert You know the puzzle patterns very well!
30-60 seconds Advanced Great job! You solve quickly.
1-2 minutes Good You're doing well. Keep practicing!
Over 2 minutes Learning You'll get faster with practice.

Puzzle Numbers and Facts

Today's Puzzle by the Numbers
Total Clues: 20 clues to solve
Grid Size: 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down
Total Squares: 25 squares to fill
Average Time: Most people solve in 45 seconds
Difficulty: Medium

Common Questions About Trivia Week 4

When can I play the Trivia Week 4 Mini?

The Trivia Week 4 puzzle is available at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before.

How fast should I be able to solve Trivia Week 4?

Most people solve the Trivia Week 4 Mini in 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Don't worry if you take longer - speed comes with practice!

Do I need to pay to play Trivia Week 4?

No! The Trivia Week 4 NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.

What makes a good Trivia Week 4 solver?

Good Trivia Week 4 solvers know common short words, can spot wordplay quickly, and use crossing letters well. Practice helps a lot!

Are the puzzles harder during Trivia Week 4?

Trivia Week 4 puzzles can vary in difficulty. Saturdays are often the hardest, while Mondays are the easiest.


About This Page: We provide hints and answers for the NYT Mini Crossword to help you learn and improve. This site is not connected to The New York Times.

Last Updated: April 27, 2026 at 06:13 AM

Search terms: NYT Mini Trivia Week, Trivia Week {week_num}, Mini crossword Trivia Week, Trivia Week answers, NYT Trivia Week, April 27 2026 mini crossword

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers February 11, 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: Challenging

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. Lewis Carroll's "The ___ and the Carpenter" 6
2A 7. Something you might leave at the front door when entering a house 4
3A 11. "Yeah, right!" 4
4A 15. Quantity 6
5A 16. Words from someone who failed to understand 9
6A 18. "Oh, for heaven's sake!" 16
7A 20. Show contempt for, in a way 7
8A 21. Rain delay coverings 5
9A 22. Poet's dusk 3
10A 23. Mystical stuff 6
11A 26. "We don't discriminate in this workplace," in job ads 3
12A 29. Newfoundland or Labrador retriever 8
13A 31. Transcript fig. 3
14A 34. Openly resists 6
15A 36. "Then, window, let day in, and let ___ out": Juliet 4
16A 37. Smile broadly 4
17A 38. Arduous routine 5
18A 39. Get smart? 4
19A 40. "Priscilla" director Coppola 5
20A 41. How a German count might get started 4
21A 42. Swampy land 4
22A 43. Does the dishes? 6
23A 44. Complete collection 3
24A 45. Hoped-for prognosis for an election incumbent 8
25A 47. Twisty curve 3
26A 48. Spews out 6
27A 50. Big name in nail polish 3
28A 51. One-named singer with the 2017 platinum album "Melodrama" 5
29A 53. Trap 7
30A 57. 1957 rock 'n' roll classic suggested by this puzzle's circled letters 16
31A 62. Crème de la crème 9
32A 63. Prom, e.g. 6
33A 64. Iconic bit of NPR merch 4
34A 65. Confront 4
35A 66. Puts icing on 6

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Lewis Carroll's "The ___ and the Carpenter""

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber
  • Similar words include: seahorse, sea horse
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WALRUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "7. Something you might leave at the front door when entering a house"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material
  • Similar words include: skid, horseshoe, brake shoe
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. "Yeah, right!""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. Quantity"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a quantity of money
  • Similar words include: add up, amount of money, number
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMOUNT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. Words from someone who failed to understand"

9 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YOULOSTME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. "Oh, for heaven's sake!""

16 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOODNESSGRACIOUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "20. Show contempt for, in a way"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "21. Rain delay coverings"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that waterproofed canvas
  • Similar words include: tarp, tarpaulin
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TARPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Poet's dusk"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. Mystical stuff"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that information known only to a special group
  • Similar words include: arcanum, secret
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARCANA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "26. "We don't discriminate in this workplace," in job ads"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "29. Newfoundland or Labrador retriever"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "31. Transcript fig."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted
  • Similar words include: grade point average
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GPA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "34. Openly resists"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that resist or confront with resistance
  • Similar words include: dare, refuse, defy
  • Opposite of: lend oneself
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEFIES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "36. "Then, window, let day in, and let ___ out": Juliet"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a characteristic state or mode of living
  • Similar words include: spirit, animation, life story
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIFE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "37. Smile broadly"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
  • Similar words include: broadcast, transmit, irradiation
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "38. Arduous routine"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious
  • Similar words include: crunch, moil, dig
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRIND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "39. Get smart?"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an impudent or insolent rejoinder
  • Similar words include: back talk, lip, backtalk
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "40. "Priscilla" director Coppola"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that capital and largest city of bulgaria located in western bulgaria
  • Similar words include: Serdica, Bulgarian capital
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOFIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "41. How a German count might get started"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "42. Swampy land"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
  • Similar words include: bog down, grind to a halt, quagmire
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MIRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "43. Does the dishes?"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
  • Similar words include: ply, supply, cater
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CATERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "44. Complete collection"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
  • Similar words include: Seth, lay out, typeset
  • Opposite of: rise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "45. Hoped-for prognosis for an election incumbent"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. Twisty curve"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons
  • Similar words include: Es, atomic number 99, einsteinium
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "48. Spews out"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that put out or expel from a place
  • Similar words include: turf out, expel, eject
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EJECTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "50. Big name in nail polish"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "51. One-named singer with the 2017 platinum album "Melodrama""

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "53. Trap"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that take or catch as if in a snare or trap
  • Similar words include: trammel, entrap, frame
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENSNARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "57. 1957 rock 'n' roll classic suggested by this puzzle's circled letters"

16 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GREATBALLSOFFIRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "62. Crème de la crème"

9 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BESTOFALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "63. Prom, e.g."

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a lavish dance requiring formal attire
  • Similar words include: courtly, schematic, dinner gown
  • Opposite of: informal
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FORMAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "64. Iconic bit of NPR merch"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a capacious bag or basket
  • Similar words include: lug, tote bag, tug
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOTE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "65. Confront"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
  • Similar words include: grimace, human face, confront
  • Opposite of: avoid, back
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FACE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "66. Puts icing on"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
  • Similar words include: icing, ice, freeze
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FROSTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Tail or finger motion 3
2D 2. Andy's partner in an old radio sitcom 4
3D 3. State bird of Minnesota 4
4D 4. Ill-mannered 4
5D 5. Superfluous 8
6D 6. Purchases for some audiophiles 7
7D 7. Part of GPS: Abbr. 4
8D 8. Not share, as the covers 3
9D 9. Taylor Swift's "___ Song" 3
10D 10. She, in São Paulo 3
11D 11. ___ pear (applelike fruit) 5
12D 12. Cost required to stow furniture, say 10
13D 13. "My turn to play!" 4
14D 14. Come clean, with "up" 4
15D 17. Eightsome 5
16D 19. Belted out 4
17D 23. Comes into play 6
18D 24. Play callers? 4
19D 25. It's for "cookie," to Cookie Monster 3
20D 26. Sides 5
21D 27. Inducing goose bumps 5
22D 28. Worth exploring 10
23D 30. Plays at full blast 6
24D 32. What pants come in that shirts don't 5
25D 33. Accumulate 5
26D 35. Useful contacts 3
27D 37. Online automaton 3
28D 39. Search (through) 4
29D 40. Replaced as a substitute 8
30D 42. ___ and cheese 3
31D 43. Finishes with flair 7
32D 45. Take care of, as a task 5
33D 46. Seeming eternities 4
34D 49. Matchmaking site with a "synagogue attendance" filter 5
35D 51. Pride Month letters 4
36D 52. Black-and-white mouthful 4
37D 53. Actress Fanning 4
38D 54. Lead-in to Cuban or Caribbean 4
39D 55. Glasses sans glass 4
40D 56. Q.E.D. part 4
41D 58. Fave pal 3
42D 59. Small battery 3
43D 60. Cousin of Inc. 3
44D 61. Enrollment center? 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Tail or finger motion"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a witty amusing person who makes jokes
  • Similar words include: waggle, wit, shake
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Andy's partner in an old radio sitcom"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hebrew shepherd and minor prophet
  • Similar words include: Book of Amos
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. State bird of Minnesota"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a worthless lazy fellow
  • Similar words include: addlehead, birdbrain, addle-head
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Ill-mannered"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that socially incorrect in behavior
  • Similar words include: raw, natural, unmannered
  • Opposite of: civil
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUDE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Superfluous"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that not necessary
  • Similar words include: unnecessary
  • Opposite of: necessary
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNNEEDED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Purchases for some audiophiles"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that reproducer in which two microphones feed two or more loudspeakers to give a three-dimensional effect to the sound
  • Similar words include: stereoscopic photograph, stereophony, stereoscopic picture
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEREOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Part of GPS: Abbr."

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Not share, as the covers"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person regarded as greedy and pig-like
  • Similar words include: hogget, Sus scrofa, hogg
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Taylor Swift's "___ Song""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. She, in São Paulo"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an extreme leftist terrorist group formed in greece in 1971 to oppose the military junta that ruled greece from 1967 to 1974; a revolutionary group opposed to capitalism and imperialism and the united states
  • Similar words include: Revolutionary People's Struggle
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELA

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11D: "11. ___ pear (applelike fruit)"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a native or inhabitant of asia
  • Similar words include: Asiatic
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASIAN

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12D: "12. Cost required to stow furniture, say"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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13D: "13. "My turn to play!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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14D: "14. Come clean, with "up""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (heraldry) an ordinary consisting of a broad horizontal band across a shield
  • Similar words include: Fes, Fez, fesse
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FESS

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15D: "17. Eightsome"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one
  • Similar words include: ogdoad, eighter, VIII
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCTAD

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16D: "19. Belted out"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that north american woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the chinese ginseng
  • Similar words include: blab, Panax quinquefolius, peach
  • Opposite of: keep quiet
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SANG

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17D: "23. Comes into play"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that come into existence; take on form or shape
  • Similar words include: turn out, go up, bob up
  • Opposite of: turn in, go to bed
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARISES

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18D: "24. Play callers?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (sports) the chief official (as in boxing or american football) who is expected to ensure fair play
  • Similar words include: referee, ref
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REFS

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19D: "25. It's for "cookie," to Cookie Monster"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

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20D: "26. Sides"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the boundary of a surface
  • Similar words include: inch, butt on, sharpness
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EDGES

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21D: "27. Inducing goose bumps"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious
  • Similar words include: eery
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EERIE

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22D: "28. Worth exploring"

10 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

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23D: "30. Plays at full blast"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a loud harsh or strident noise
  • Similar words include: blare, din, clamor
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLARES

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24D: "32. What pants come in that shirts don't"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a set of two similar things considered as a unit
  • Similar words include: couplet, brace, pair off
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAIRS

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25D: "33. Accumulate"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that collect or gather
  • Similar words include: pile up, compile, collect
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMASS

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26D: "35. Useful contacts"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an agency in the department of justice that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to the united states
  • Similar words include: inch, indium, IN
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INS

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27D: "37. Online automaton"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that botfly larva; typically develops inside the body of a horse or sheep or human
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOT

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28D: "39. Search (through)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that move as if through a sieve
  • Similar words include: sieve, strain
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIFT

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29D: "40. Replaced as a substitute"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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30D: "42. ___ and cheese"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric
  • Similar words include: mack, mackintosh, macintosh
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAC

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31D: "43. Finishes with flair"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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32D: "45. Take care of, as a task"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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33D: "46. Seeming eternities"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the longest division of geological time
  • Similar words include: aeon, eon
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EONS

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34D: "49. Matchmaking site with a "synagogue attendance" filter"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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35D: "51. Pride Month letters"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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36D: "52. Black-and-white mouthful"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that chocolate cookie with white cream filling
  • Similar words include: oreo cookie
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OREO

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37D: "53. Actress Fanning"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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38D: "54. Lead-in to Cuban or Caribbean"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a rounded thickly curled hairdo
  • Similar words include: Afro hairdo
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFRO

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39D: "55. Glasses sans glass"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object
  • Similar words include: brim, rim, flange
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIMS

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40D: "56. Q.E.D. part"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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41D: "58. Fave pal"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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42D: "59. Small battery"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta associated with old age and hypertension
  • Similar words include: abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AAA

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43D: "60. Cousin of Inc."

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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44D: "61. Enrollment center?"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)
  • Similar words include: altitude, EL, elevated railway
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELS

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
44 Down Clues
79 Total Clues

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Last updated: February 11, 2026 at 05:15 AM