Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.
Quick Navigation - Table of Contents
- Today's Puzzle Difficulty
- Across Clues Table (37 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (35 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
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. Fashionable spots? | 9 |
| 2A | 10. Meeting that's been cut short? | 4 |
| 3A | 14. Device used in making snow cones | 10 |
| 4A | 16. Lead | 4 |
| 5A | 17. What might provide you an opportunity to walk in someone else's shoes? | 10 |
| 6A | 18. Group with the hits "Honey, Honey" and "Money, Money, Money" | 4 |
| 7A | 19. Something won by successful Olympians | 5 |
| 8A | 20. Alternative to caps: Abbr. | 4 |
| 9A | 21. Emmy winner Ann of "The Handmaid's Tale" | 4 |
| 10A | 22. "Awesome!" | 3 |
| 11A | 23. Shared fantasies? | 4 |
| 12A | 25. "The gloves are off!" | 6 |
| 13A | 27. Lab in one's house, maybe | 3 |
| 14A | 28. Like some high-fiber snacks | 4 |
| 15A | 30. Ingredient in Swedish knäckebröd | 3 |
| 16A | 31. "Wrong answer" | 4 |
| 17A | 34. Grind up, in a way | 4 |
| 18A | 36. Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers | 5 |
| 19A | 38. "You and me both" | 15 |
| 20A | 41. Waft fragrant smoke around | 5 |
| 21A | 42. Actress Taylor-Joy | 4 |
| 22A | 43. Tricksters | 4 |
| 23A | 44. Prey for a mountain lion | 3 |
| 24A | 45. It has its time and place: Abbr. | 4 |
| 25A | 47. Things that could happen | 3 |
| 26A | 49. Light | 6 |
| 27A | 51. Let on a court, say | 4 |
| 28A | 53. Co-founder of the A.C.L.U.'s Women's Rights Project, familiarly | 3 |
| 29A | 56. Plains people | 4 |
| 30A | 57. Second person seen in "Hamlet" | 4 |
| 31A | 59. Immodest outburst | 5 |
| 32A | 61. The so-called "hurricane bird," because of its reputation for seeking shelter from storms at the last possible moment | 4 |
| 33A | 62. Knockout alternative | 10 |
| 34A | 64. "Santa Claus in Camp" artist, 1863 | 4 |
| 35A | 65. "This has waited long enough, yes?" | 10 |
| 36A | 66. Like koalas, in Australia | 4 |
| 37A | 67. Some craft outlets | 9 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Fashionable spots?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POLKADOTS
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2A: "10. Meeting that's been cut short?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SESH
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3A: "14. Device used in making snow cones"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ICECRUSHER
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4A: "16. Lead"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a slight indication
- Similar words include: clew, cue, hint
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLUE
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5A: "17. What might provide you an opportunity to walk in someone else's shoes?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GARAGESALE
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6A: "18. Group with the hits "Honey, Honey" and "Money, Money, Money""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABBA
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7A: "19. Something won by successful Olympians"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a state of high honor
- Similar words include: resplendence, halo, gloriole
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLORY
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8A: "20. Alternative to caps: Abbr."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITAL
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9A: "21. Emmy winner Ann of "The Handmaid's Tale""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOWD
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10A: "22. "Awesome!""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a branch of the tai languages
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YAY
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11A: "23. Shared fantasies?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a german art song of the 19th century for voice and piano
- Similar words include: lie, lie in, dwell
- Opposite of: stand, arise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIED
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12A: "25. "The gloves are off!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITSWAR
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13A: "27. Lab in one's house, maybe"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
- Similar words include: positron emission tomography, darling, deary
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PET
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14A: "28. Like some high-fiber snacks"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OATY
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15A: "30. Ingredient in Swedish knäckebröd"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the seed of the cereal grass
- Similar words include: rye whisky, rye whiskey, Secale cereale
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RYE
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16A: "31. "Wrong answer""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOPE
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17A: "34. Grind up, in a way"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a wad of something chewable as tobacco
- Similar words include: chewing, chaw, mastication
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHEW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "36. Rite-of-passage events for high schoolers"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a formal ball held for a school class toward the end of the academic year
- Similar words include: promenade, prom
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PROMS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19A: "38. "You and me both""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMINTHESAMEBOAT
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20A: "41. Waft fragrant smoke around"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that perfume especially with a censer
- Similar words include: thurify, incense
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CENSE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "42. Actress Taylor-Joy"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANYA
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22A: "43. Tricksters"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous
- Similar words include: gremlin, imp, elf
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMPS
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23A: "44. Prey for a mountain lion"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called `elk' in europe and `moose' in north america
- Similar words include: Cervus elaphus canadensis, moose, wapiti
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "45. It has its time and place: Abbr."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APPT
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25A: "47. Things that could happen"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IFS
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26A: "49. Light"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
- Similar words include: soft, blue, aristocratical
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GENTLE
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27A: "51. Let on a court, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a telephone connection
- Similar words include: phone, shout out, squall
- Opposite of: put option
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CALL
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28A: "53. Co-founder of the A.C.L.U.'s Women's Rights Project, familiarly"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RBG
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29A: "56. Plains people"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a member of the siouan people inhabiting the valleys of the platte and missouri rivers in nebraska
- Similar words include: Oto
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OTOE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "57. Second person seen in "Hamlet""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
- Similar words include: G, thousand, chiliad
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THOU
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31A: "59. Immodest outburst"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRULE
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32A: "61. The so-called "hurricane bird," because of its reputation for seeking shelter from storms at the last possible moment"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that wading birds of warm regions having long slender down-curved bills
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IBIS
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33A: "62. Knockout alternative"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROUNDROBIN
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34A: "64. "Santa Claus in Camp" artist, 1863"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states political cartoonist (1840-1902)
- Similar words include: Thomas Nast
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35A: "65. "This has waited long enough, yes?""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISNTITTIME
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36A: "66. Like koalas, in Australia"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states writer of western adventure novels (1875-1939)
- Similar words include: Second Earl Grey, Charles Grey, hoary
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GREY
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37A: "67. Some craft outlets"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETSYSHOPS
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Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. One of a nursery rhyme quintet | 5 |
| 2D | 2. Seat of Marion County, Fla. | 5 |
| 3D | 3. Jim Croce's ___ Brown, who is "meaner than a junkyard dog" | 5 |
| 4D | 4. 1980s Chrysler innovation | 4 |
| 5D | 5. It's made of diamonds | 6 |
| 6D | 6. Directly | 3 |
| 7D | 7. Actor/playwright Davis who wrote "Purlie Victorious" | 5 |
| 8D | 8. "It was only a practice round!" | 15 |
| 9D | 9. Ward of "Sisters" | 4 |
| 10D | 10. A great deal | 5 |
| 11D | 11. Coach's lack, often | 9 |
| 12D | 12. Underground scheme? | 9 |
| 13D | 13. Providers of support for travelers | 9 |
| 14D | 15. Fired up again | 5 |
| 15D | 24. Shingles problem that a set of nails might address | 4 |
| 16D | 26. Word with set, cast or writer | 4 |
| 17D | 27. Predigital recording devices | 4 |
| 18D | 29. Where an annoying person might be told to go? | 4 |
| 19D | 31. "Good job!" | 9 |
| 20D | 32. A.M. station | 9 |
| 21D | 33. Ambient sound said to be more soothing than its "white" counterpart | 9 |
| 22D | 35. Whole lot (of) | 4 |
| 23D | 37. Tally of those driven home, for short | 4 |
| 24D | 39. Color of an ovarian cancer awareness ribbon | 4 |
| 25D | 40. One might check a box for it | 4 |
| 26D | 46. Kind of dish | 5 |
| 27D | 48. Dallies | 6 |
| 28D | 50. Easily set off | 5 |
| 29D | 52. What some sisters become | 5 |
| 30D | 53. Secretary of state beginning in 2025 | 5 |
| 31D | 54. Game day sight | 5 |
| 32D | 55. Pool set? | 5 |
| 33D | 58. They might be thrown out if they run | 4 |
| 34D | 60. Philip with two National Book Awards | 4 |
| 35D | 63. Unprofessional letters? | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. One of a nursery rhyme quintet"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a young pig
- Similar words include: swinish, shote, piglet
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIGGY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Seat of Marion County, Fla."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCALA
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3D: "3. Jim Croce's ___ Brown, who is "meaner than a junkyard dog""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEROY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. 1980s Chrysler innovation"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KCAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. It's made of diamonds"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a covered gravy holder of silver or other metal containing a detachable central vessel for hot water to keep the gravy warm
- Similar words include: argyll
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARGYLE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Directly"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that that which is deserved or owed
- Similar words include: imputable, ascribable, referable
- Opposite of: undue
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DUE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Actor/playwright Davis who wrote "Purlie Victorious""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OSSIE
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8D: "8. "It was only a practice round!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THATDOESNTCOUNT
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9D: "9. Ward of "Sisters""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SELA
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10D: "10. A great deal"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a large number or amount
- Similar words include: rafts, heaps, loads
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCADS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. Coach's lack, often"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELBOWROOM
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12D: "12. Underground scheme?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SUBWAYMAP
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13D: "13. Providers of support for travelers"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a cushion attached to the top of the back of an automobile's seat to prevent whiplash
- Similar words include: head restraint, headrest
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEADRESTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "15. Fired up again"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RELIT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "24. Shingles problem that a set of nails might address"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a contagious skin infection caused by the itch mite; characterized by persistent itching and skin irritation
- Similar words include: rub, urge, scratch
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITCH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "26. Word with set, cast or writer"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
- Similar words include: eccentric, case, typecast
- Opposite of: antitype
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TYPE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "27. Predigital recording devices"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
- Similar words include: playpen, compose, write
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PENS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "29. Where an annoying person might be told to go?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that not present; having left
- Similar words include: off, aside, forth
- Opposite of: home
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AWAY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "31. "Good job!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NICEGOING
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "32. A.M. station"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OMELETBAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "33. Ambient sound said to be more soothing than its "white" counterpart"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PINKNOISE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "35. Whole lot (of)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a collection of objects laid on top of each other
- Similar words include: great deal, pot, muckle
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEAP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "37. Tally of those driven home, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a run that is the result of the batter's performance
- Similar words include: rbi, run batted in
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RBIS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "39. Color of an ovarian cancer awareness ribbon"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a blue-green color or pigment
- Similar words include: bluish green, cyan, blue-green
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEAL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "40. One might check a box for it"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
- Similar words include: post, chain armour, ring armour
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAIL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "46. Kind of dish"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PETRI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "48. Dallies"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men
- Similar words include: minx, flirtation, toy
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLIRTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "50. Easily set off"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that easily irritated or annoyed
- Similar words include: peevish, techy, peckish
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TESTY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "52. What some sisters become"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
- Similar words include: aunt, aunty, auntie
- Opposite of: uncle
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AUNTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "53. Secretary of state beginning in 2025"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUBIO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "54. Game day sight"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any elderly pompous reactionary ultranationalistic person (after the cartoon character created by sir david low)
- Similar words include: sausage balloon, sausage, Colonel Blimp
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLIMP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "55. Pool set?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (genetics) a segment of dna that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding dna as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity
- Similar words include: gene, factor, cistron
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GENES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "58. They might be thrown out if they run"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that socks and stockings and tights collectively (the british include underwear)
- Similar words include: hosiery, hose down, hosepipe
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOSE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "60. Philip with two National Book Awards"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states writer whose novels portray middle-class jewish life (born in 1933)
- Similar words include: Philip Milton Roth, Philip Roth
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROTH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "63. Unprofessional letters?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIY
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
35 Down Clues
72 Total Clues
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