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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

Thursday, February 19, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers February 19, 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. Punk rocker Joan 4
2A 5. Choctaw or Chickasaw 5
3A 10. Design detail 4
4A 14. "Up and ___!" (catchphrase for a physicist) 4
5A 15. In possession of 6
6A 17. Tibetan title 4
7A 18. Courting disaster, slangily 18
8A 21. Fraternity party order 3
9A 22. Symbol of protection 3
10A 23. Part of a window above the apron 4
11A 24. One-half of a golf partnership, perhaps 3
12A 25. Sound of disapproval 4
13A 27. Concludes 6
14A 29. Uses a shampoo bottle as a microphone, perhaps 16
15A 34. Swindled 5
16A 35. Boxing champ Laila 3
17A 36. Subject of the Edward Snowden leaks, in brief 3
18A 37. Jot down 4
19A 38. Makes a noise like an electric fan 6
20A 40. Australian actor Eric 4
21A 44. "___ Father ..." 3
22A 46. Concert souvenir 3
23A 47. River to the Rio Grande 5
24A 48. They may have knowledge of corporate secrets 16
25A 51. Be defeated by 6
26A 52. "___ of the D'Urbervilles" 4
27A 53. Big name in London 3
28A 54. Big beginning? 4
29A 56. Servant of Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings" 3
30A 57. Short flight 3
31A 60. Better choice, given the options ... or the circled squares vis-à-vis the shaded ones? 16
32A 64. Volunteer's words 4
33A 65. Completely immersed, perhaps 6
34A 66. Some colorful plastic items in the seasonal aisle in the spring 4
35A 67. Noted Punxsutawney resident 4
36A 68. Source of some aerial shots 5
37A 69. "Take ___!" 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Punk rocker Joan"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Choctaw or Chickasaw"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a social division of (usually preliterate) people
  • Similar words include: kindred, kin group, kinship group
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRIBE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. Design detail"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work
  • Similar words include: specification
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPEC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. "Up and ___!" (catchphrase for a physicist)"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
  • Similar words include: speck, corpuscle, molecule
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATOM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. In possession of"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
  • Similar words include: hold, have got, feature
  • Opposite of: abstain, lack
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAVING

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "17. Tibetan title"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tibetan or mongolian priest of lamaism
  • Similar words include: genus Lama
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAMA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "18. Courting disaster, slangily"

18 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRUISINFORABRUISIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "21. Fraternity party order"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the quantity contained in a keg
  • Similar words include: kegful
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KEG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Symbol of protection"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (judaism) sacred chest where the ancient hebrews kept the two tablets containing the ten commandments
  • Similar words include: Ark of the Covenant
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. Part of a window above the apron"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that structural member consisting of a continuous horizontal timber forming the lowest member of a framework or supporting structure
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SILL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. One-half of a golf partnership, perhaps"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an athlete who plays for pay
  • Similar words include: professional
  • Opposite of: amateur, anti
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PRO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "25. Sound of disapproval"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)
  • Similar words include: fizzle, hoot, boo
  • Opposite of: applaud
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HISS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "27. Concludes"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the temporal end; the concluding time
  • Similar words include: come together, conclude, shut down
  • Opposite of: open
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLOSES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "29. Uses a shampoo bottle as a microphone, perhaps"

16 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "34. Swindled"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort
  • Similar words include: burn, stick, steamed
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STUNG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "35. Boxing champ Laila"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942)
  • Similar words include: Cassius Marcellus Clay, Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "36. Subject of the Edward Snowden leaks, in brief"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the united states cryptologic organization that coordinates and directs highly specialized activities to protect united states information systems and to produce foreign intelligence information
  • Similar words include: National Security Agency
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NSA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "37. Jot down"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a brief written record
  • Similar words include: promissory note, observe, bank bill
  • Opposite of: ignore
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOTE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "38. Makes a noise like an electric fan"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sound of something in rapid motion
  • Similar words include: purr, birr, whizz
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHIRRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "40. Australian actor Eric"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "44. "___ Father ...""

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "46. Concert souvenir"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the starting place for each hole on a golf course
  • Similar words include: teeing ground, tee up, football tee
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "47. River to the Rio Grande"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tributary of the rio grande that flows southeastward from new mexico through western texas
  • Similar words include: Pecos River
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PECOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "48. They may have knowledge of corporate secrets"

16 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "51. Be defeated by"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "52. "___ of the D'Urbervilles""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "53. Big name in London"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mountain or tall hill
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "54. Big beginning?"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "56. Servant of Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "57. Short flight"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the act of hopping; jumping upward or forward (especially on one foot)
  • Similar words include: record hop, skip, hops
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "60. Better choice, given the options ... or the circled squares vis-à-vis the shaded ones?"

16 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "64. Volunteer's words"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "65. Completely immersed, perhaps"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that submerge in a liquid
  • Similar words include: sop, intoxicate, loaded
  • Opposite of: undercharge
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOAKED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "66. Some colorful plastic items in the seasonal aisle in the spring"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
  • Similar words include: bollock, orchis, testicle
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EGGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "67. Noted Punxsutawney resident"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "68. Source of some aerial shots"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
  • Similar words include: radio-controlled aircraft, lagger, pilotless aircraft
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "69. "Take ___!""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Part of a royal flush 4
2D 2. Raison d'___ 4
3D 3. Metaphor for a challenging puzzle 8
4D 4. "Eww ... just eww" 3
5D 5. Want very much, with "for" 6
6D 6. Major, e.g. 4
7D 7. Reproductive option, for short 3
8D 8. Some paragraphs in playbills 4
9D 9. Improve 6
10D 10. High-end camera, for short 3
11D 11. Penniless one 6
12D 12. Mideast leaders 5
13D 13. Spot to play baccarat 6
14D 16. Gas units 7
15D 19. Talking back to 7
16D 20. Is really bad, in slang 5
17D 26. Formed from molten lava 7
18D 28. Sunken treasure sites 7
19D 29. You can request a new one on religious grounds if it contains "666": Abbr. 3
20D 30. "What was ___ think?" 3
21D 31. "Yeah, right!" 3
22D 32. Ruling class 5
23D 33. Fathers 5
24D 38. Dickens and Dickinson 7
25D 39. Varnish ingredient 5
26D 41. Card game clarification 8
27D 42. Neither's partner 3
28D 43. Buffoon 3
29D 45. "I'm at your disposal" 5
30D 47. Bishop, e.g. 5
31D 48. Japanese word that's sometimes translated as "planted in a pot" 6
32D 49. Commentator's call after a missed field goal 6
33D 50. Took steps 6
34D 51. Medieval cure-all 5
35D 53. Radar operator's concern 4
36D 55. Over yonder 4
37D 56. Wilson of the Frat Pack 4
38D 58. Actress Kurylenko 4
39D 59. "Over here!" 4
40D 61. Sketch show with Colin Jost, in brief 3
41D 62. Fight-ending letters 3
42D 63. Screen, as a candidate 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Part of a royal flush"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small worthless amount
  • Similar words include: mariner, diddly, old salt
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JACK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Raison d'___"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Metaphor for a challenging puzzle"

8 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "Eww ... just eww""

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Want very much, with "for""

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a physiological need to drink
  • Similar words include: lust, hungriness, crave
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THIRST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Major, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
  • Similar words include: social status, social rank, absolute
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RANK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Reproductive option, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Some paragraphs in playbills"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Improve"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make better or improve in quality
  • Opposite of: impoverish, deprive
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENRICH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. High-end camera, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Penniless one"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who is very poor
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAUPER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Mideast leaders"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an independent ruler or chieftain (especially in africa or arabia)
  • Similar words include: ameer, emeer, emir
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMIRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Spot to play baccarat"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a public building for gambling and entertainment
  • Similar words include: gambling casino, cassino
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CASINO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "16. Gas units"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters
  • Similar words include: gallon, gal, congius
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GALLONS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "19. Talking back to"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an impudent or insolent rejoinder
  • Similar words include: back talk, mouth, sass
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SASSING

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "20. Is really bad, in slang"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
  • Similar words include: setback, bobble, fuck up
  • Opposite of: conserve
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLOWS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "26. Formed from molten lava"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that produced under conditions involving intense heat
  • Similar words include: pyrogenic, eruptive, pyrogenous
  • Opposite of: aqueous
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IGNEOUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "28. Sunken treasure sites"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the bottom of a sea or ocean
  • Similar words include: sea floor, seabed, sea bottom
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEABEDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "29. You can request a new one on religious grounds if it contains "666": Abbr."

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "30. "What was ___ think?""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. "Yeah, right!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. Ruling class"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status
  • Similar words include: elite group, elect
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELITE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "33. Fathers"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a title of address formerly used for a man of rank and authority
  • Similar words include: get, sire, generate
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIRES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "38. Dickens and Dickinson"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
  • Similar words include: author, writer
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WRITERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "39. Varnish ingredient"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of a class of solid or semisolid viscous substances obtained either as exudations from certain plants or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules
  • Similar words include: rosin
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RESIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "41. Card game clarification"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "42. Neither's partner"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "43. Buffoon"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
  • Similar words include: tush, nookie, AS
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "45. "I'm at your disposal""

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "47. Bishop, e.g."

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a separate part of a whole
  • Similar words include: set up, composition, tack together
  • Opposite of: disassemble
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIECE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "48. Japanese word that's sometimes translated as "planted in a pot""

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a dwarfed ornamental tree or shrub grown in a tray or shallow pot
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BONSAI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "49. Commentator's call after a missed field goal"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "50. Took steps"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that walk with long steps
  • Similar words include: stride
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRODE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "51. Medieval cure-all"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that carnivorous or bloodsucking aquatic or terrestrial worms typically having a sucker at each end
  • Similar words include: phlebotomize, bloodsucker, phlebotomise
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEECH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "53. Radar operator's concern"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sudden minor shock or meaningless interruption
  • Similar words include: radar target, pip
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "55. Over yonder"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "56. Wilson of the Frat Pack"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
  • Similar words include: Robert Owen, Sir Richard Owen
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "58. Actress Kurylenko"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "59. "Over here!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "61. Sketch show with Colin Jost, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "62. Fight-ending letters"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a knockout declared by the referee who judges one boxer unable to continue
  • Similar words include: technical knockout
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TKO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

42D: "63. Screen, as a candidate"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a doctor who practices veterinary medicine
  • Similar words include: veterinarian, veterinary, ex-serviceman
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VET

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

37 Across Clues
42 Down Clues
79 Total Clues

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Last updated: February 19, 2026 at 05:08 AM