Search Clues

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

Saturday, May 9, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers May 09, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Tricky

Pro Tip: Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues - they're usually the easiest entry points!

Across Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1A 1. Gold meddlers? 10
2A 11. One making calls on the fly? 4
3A 15. You or me, e.g. 10
4A 16. ___ paratha (potato-filled flatbread) 4
5A 17. Exclamation of surprise from a host 10
6A 18. Place for a post 4
7A 19. Dr. J, for all of his N.B.A. career 5
8A 20. Perspective 4
9A 21. Husky hellos? 4
10A 22. Reached new heights 4
11A 24. Low-level clouds 6
12A 26. Central Plains nation governed by the Nasharo Council 6
13A 30. Storage unit 4
14A 32. Portable retirement option 3
15A 33. Black-and-white debut of 1912 4
16A 34. Like something no money can buy 4
17A 36. Accomplished 5
18A 38. List of qualifications? 15
19A 41. Fragrant compound released during fermentation 5
20A 42. Pomegranate morsel 4
21A 43. Certain razorback 4
22A 44. Letter in Socrates' and Aristotle's names 3
23A 45. Still active after all these years 4
24A 47. Looks all over 6
25A 49. ___ paratha (cheese-filled flatbread) 6
26A 51. Great find in the candy aisle, by the sound of it 4
27A 53. Things to let: Abbr. 4
28A 54. "I could be wrong, but ...," for short 4
29A 56. Tropical ring 5
30A 61. Hoot 4
31A 62. 2000 parody of a 62-Across 10
32A 64. "That's for sure" 4
33A 65. Postponed court date? 10
34A 66. No time like the present 4
35A 67. Skirt with a bunch of leaves, perhaps 10

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Gold meddlers?"

10 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one who was versed in the practice of alchemy and who sought an elixir of life and a panacea and an alkahest and the philosopher's stone
  • Similar words include: alchemist
  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALCHEMISTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "11. One making calls on the fly?"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
  • Similar words include: shuttle, chick, shuttlecock
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BIRD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "15. You or me, e.g."

10 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "16. ___ paratha (potato-filled flatbread)"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "17. Exclamation of surprise from a host"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. Place for a post"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies
  • Similar words include: web log
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLOG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "19. Dr. J, for all of his N.B.A. career"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
  • Similar words include: sestet, sextet, sextuplet
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIXER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. Perspective"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
  • Similar words include: require, take aim, subscribe to
  • Opposite of: disclaim, give
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAKE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. Husky hellos?"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "22. Reached new heights"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
  • Similar words include: uprise, develop, grow
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GREW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. Low-level clouds"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large dark low cloud
  • Similar words include: stratus, stratus cloud
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRATI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "26. Central Plains nation governed by the Nasharo Council"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the pawnee nation formerly living in nebraska and kansas but now largely in oklahoma
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAWNEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "30. Storage unit"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit of information
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BYTE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "32. Portable retirement option"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "33. Black-and-white debut of 1912"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. Like something no money can buy"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that people who are free
  • Similar words include: barren, unloosen, liberal
  • Opposite of: freeze, block
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FREE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "36. Accomplished"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
  • Similar words include: wiz, skilful, wizard
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADEPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "38. List of qualifications?"

15 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "41. Fragrant compound released during fermentation"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that formed by reaction between an acid and an alcohol with elimination of water
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESTER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "42. Pomegranate morsel"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARIL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Certain razorback"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that old world wild swine having a narrow body and prominent tusks from which most domestic swine come; introduced in united states
  • Similar words include: wild boar, Sus scrofa
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "44. Letter in Socrates' and Aristotle's names"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the 17th letter of the greek alphabet
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "45. Still active after all these years"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that moving quickly and lightly
  • Similar words include: agile, nimble, quick
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "47. Looks all over"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that diarrhea in livestock
  • Similar words include: purge, scour, abrade
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCOURS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "49. ___ paratha (cheese-filled flatbread)"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "51. Great find in the candy aisle, by the sound of it"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "53. Things to let: Abbr."

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "54. "I could be wrong, but ...," for short"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "56. Tropical ring"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATOLL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "61. Hoot"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a public act of violence by an unruly mob
  • Similar words include: public violence, thigh-slapper, wow
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "62. 2000 parody of a 62-Across"

10 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "64. "That's for sure""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that proper alignment; the property possessed by something that is in correct or proper alignment
  • Similar words include: avowedly, reliable, dead on target
  • Opposite of: untruthful, false
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRUE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "65. Postponed court date?"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "66. No time like the present"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that time long past
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "67. Skirt with a bunch of leaves, perhaps"

10 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. ___ Kitchen, brand of organic foods since 1987 4
2D 2. Name of a pope and a Roman emperor whose terms of leadership overlapped 4
3D 3. Central point 4
4D 4. "This is for you" 4
5D 5. Spring up 6
6D 6. One of the Three Stooges 3
7D 7. Extra hot 5
8D 8. Parlor treat typically served with the first five letters of its name 15
9D 9. Lecture 4
10D 10. Least straightforward, say 6
11D 11. Weighty subject of some children's books 5
12D 12. Statement that may be followed by a dash 10
13D 13. Where spirits are high? 10
14D 14. Vacationers' hires, perhaps 10
15D 23. Makes some calls 4
16D 25. Kings of Los Angeles, e.g. 4
17D 26. Event at which you hope to get good deals? 10
18D 27. Radio journalist with the 2023 memoir "The Best Strangers in the World: Stories From a Life Spent Listening" 10
19D 28. Traveled to perform 10
20D 29. Central point 4
21D 31. Legendary Himalayan climber 4
22D 35. Sound made by many fans 4
23D 37. Clemson's ___ Swinney (winningest head football coach in A.C.C. history) 4
24D 39. Bath seat? 4
25D 40. Setup for an extra point 4
26D 46. Color separators 6
27D 48. What may slow the pace of some legs in a marathon 6
28D 50. Perfume with an accent on its fourth letter 5
29D 52. Won land 5
30D 55. What some bio majors do prep work for 4
31D 57. Garment that once indicated citizenship 4
32D 58. A zero is one 4
33D 59. Kilo follower 4
34D 60. Certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, in brief 4
35D 63. New ___ University of Knuckleheads (fictional institution where Leslie Nielsen lectured about the Three Stooges) 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. ___ Kitchen, brand of organic foods since 1987"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Name of a pope and a Roman emperor whose terms of leadership overlapped"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Central point"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small conspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere in the milky way near centaurus
  • Similar words include: Crux Australis, crux of the matter, Southern Cross
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRUX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "This is for you""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the present location; this place
  • Similar words include: hither, Hera
  • Opposite of: there
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HERE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Spring up"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that come out into view, as from concealment
  • Similar words include: issue, egress, come forth
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMERGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. One of the Three Stooges"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Extra hot"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that feeling or showing extreme anger
  • Similar words include: ireful
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Parlor treat typically served with the first five letters of its name"

15 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Lecture"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an exchange of ideas via conversation
  • Similar words include: spill, blab out, blab
  • Opposite of: keep quiet
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TALK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Least straightforward, say"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that marked by skill in deception
  • Similar words include: tricksy, foxy, dodgy
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLYEST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Weighty subject of some children's books"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an imaginary elephant that appears in a series of french books for children
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BABAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Statement that may be followed by a dash"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Where spirits are high?"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. Vacationers' hires, perhaps"

10 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "23. Makes some calls"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "25. Kings of Los Angeles, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
  • Similar words include: squad, team up
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "26. Event at which you hope to get good deals?"

10 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. Radio journalist with the 2023 memoir "The Best Strangers in the World: Stories From a Life Spent Listening""

10 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. Traveled to perform"

10 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Central point"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a connecting point at which several lines come together
  • Similar words include: client, lymph gland, guest
  • Opposite of: antinode
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NODE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Legendary Himalayan climber"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large hairy humanoid creature said to live in the himalayas
  • Similar words include: abominable snowman
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YETI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "35. Sound made by many fans"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a deep prolonged loud noise
  • Similar words include: roaring, holloa, boom
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "37. Clemson's ___ Swinney (winningest head football coach in A.C.C. history)"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "39. Bath seat?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
  • Similar words include: prat, posterior, arsehole
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "40. Setup for an extra point"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that in addition
  • Similar words include: as well, too, likewise
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALSO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "46. Color separators"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a polyhedron with two congruent and parallel faces (the bases) and whose lateral faces are parallelograms
  • Similar words include: optical prism, prism
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PRISMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "48. What may slow the pace of some legs in a marathon"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
  • Similar words include: hamper, spasm, muscle spasm
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRAMPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "50. Perfume with an accent on its fourth letter"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "52. Won land"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an asian peninsula (off manchuria) separating the yellow sea and the sea of japan; the korean name is dae-han-min-gook or han-gook
  • Similar words include: Dae-Han-Min-Gook, Korean Peninsula, Han-Gook
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KOREA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "55. What some bio majors do prep work for"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "57. Garment that once indicated citizenship"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a one-piece cloak worn by men in ancient rome
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOGA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "58. A zero is one"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it
  • Similar words include: prolate, egg-shaped, ovoid
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "59. Kilo follower"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that capital and largest city and economic center of peru; located in western peru; was capital of the spanish empire in the new world until the 19th century
  • Similar words include: capital of Peru
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIMA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "60. Certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, in brief"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "63. New ___ University of Knuckleheads (fictional institution where Leslie Nielsen lectured about the Three Stooges)"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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
35 Down Clues
70 Total Clues

More NYT Crossword Help

Looking for more puzzle solutions? Check out our comprehensive archive of NYT crossword hints and answers. We update daily with expert analysis and solving strategies.

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

Last updated: May 09, 2026 at 06:03 AM

Thursday, April 9, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers April 09, 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. Start issuing stock, in Wall Street lingo 5
2A 6. Live the single man's life, slangily 6
3A 12. Part of some box sets 3
4A 15. Pungent 5
5A 16. Stick (to) 6
6A 17. Joey of kid-lit 3
7A 18. One with thick skin, notably 5
8A 19. Customizable Asian-fusion dish 10
9A 21. Charlatan 5
10A 22. Ex-Yankee with appearances on "Shark Tank," familiarly 4
11A 23. "Stay" singer Lisa 4
12A 24. In unison 5
13A 26. To an extreme degree 7
14A 29. [Oh no!] 4
15A 32. Stone that's often carved 4
16A 34. "And you ___ ...?" 3
17A 35. "No, thanks" 7
18A 37. Tiny pieces of technology 8
19A 42. Amundsen who went to the South Pole 15 years before he flew over the North Pole 5
20A 43. Sound of a stone landing in a pool 4
21A 45. Tone used to create an antique vibe 5
22A 46. So darling 8
23A 48. Scare the bejesus out of 7
24A 50. Lead-in to Pen 3
25A 51. Speck in the sea 4
26A 53. Zebras in the field? 4
27A 54. Article of summer wear 7
28A 58. On which to watch the Beeb 5
29A 60. Retail giant with a three-syllable name in four letters 4
30A 61. Bring home 4
31A 63. In base eight 5
32A 67. Oil bigwig? 10
33A 70. Cease-fire 5
34A 71. Bit of ticket info 3
35A 72. Community traversed by the Pacific Coast Highway 6
36A 73. Shadow 5
37A 74. ___-Man 3
38A 75. Lines 9 through 14 of a classic sonnet 6
39A 76. Aerodynamic, maybe 5

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Start issuing stock, in Wall Street lingo"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "6. Live the single man's life, slangily"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "12. Part of some box sets"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a digital recording (as of a movie) on an optical disk that can be played on a computer or a television set
  • Similar words include: videodisk, videodisc
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DVD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. Pungent"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that strong and sharp
  • Similar words include: blistering, caustic, sulphurous
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACRID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. Stick (to)"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be compatible or in accordance with
  • Similar words include: stick by, bind, hold fast
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADHERE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "17. Joey of kid-lit"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "18. One with thick skin, notably"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that massive powerful herbivorous odd-toed ungulate of southeast asia and africa having very thick skin and one or two horns on the snout
  • Similar words include: rhinoceros
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RHINO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Customizable Asian-fusion dish"

10 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. Charlatan"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
  • Similar words include: stumper, toughie, sticker
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POSER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "22. Ex-Yankee with appearances on "Shark Tank," familiarly"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. "Stay" singer Lisa"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states physiologist (born in germany) who did research on parthenogenesis (1859-1924)
  • Similar words include: Jacques Loeb
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOEB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. In unison"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "26. To an extreme degree"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that used as intensifiers
  • Similar words include: abysmally, rottenly, dreadfully
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AWFULLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "29. [Oh no!]"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
  • Similar words include: pant, puff, heave
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GASP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "32. Stone that's often carved"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a semiprecious gemstone that takes a high polish; is usually green but sometimes whitish; consists of jadeite or nephrite
  • Similar words include: wear down, tire, hussy
  • Opposite of: refresh
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JADE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. "And you ___ ...?""

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "35. "No, thanks""

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "37. Tiny pieces of technology"

8 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "42. Amundsen who went to the South Pole 15 years before he flew over the North Pole"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "43. Sound of a stone landing in a pool"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the noise of a rounded object dropping into a liquid without a splash
  • Similar words include: plunk down, plank, plump down
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLOP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "45. Tone used to create an antique vibe"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shade of brown with a tinge of red
  • Similar words include: reddish brown, burnt sienna, mahogany
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEPIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "46. So darling"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that having characteristics that attract love or affection
  • Similar words include: lovable
  • Opposite of: hateful
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOVEABLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "48. Scare the bejesus out of"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cause to become stonelike or stiff or dazed and stunned
  • Similar words include: rigidify, ossify, lapidify
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PETRIFY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "50. Lead-in to Pen"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a self-report personality inventory based on hans eysenck's factor analysis of personality which assumes three basic factors (the two most important being extraversion to introversion and neuroticism)
  • Similar words include: Eysenck Personality Inventory
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "51. Speck in the sea"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small island
  • Similar words include: islet
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "53. Zebras in the field?"

4 letters Category: Common Word

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "54. Article of summer wear"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "58. On which to watch the Beeb"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an electronic device that receives television signals and displays them on a screen
  • Similar words include: television set, tv set, television receiver
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TELLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "60. Retail giant with a three-syllable name in four letters"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "61. Bring home"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
  • Similar words include: bring in, pull in, clear
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EARN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "63. In base eight"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that of or pertaining to a number system having 8 as its base
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCTAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "67. Oil bigwig?"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "70. Cease-fire"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state of peace agreed to between opponents so they can discuss peace terms
  • Similar words include: cease-fire, armistice
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRUCE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "71. Bit of ticket info"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
  • Similar words include: words, dustup, wrangle
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "72. Community traversed by the Pacific Coast Highway"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "73. Shadow"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a region of complete shadow resulting from total obstruction of light
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UMBRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "74. ___-Man"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
  • Similar words include: emmet, pismire
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "75. Lines 9 through 14 of a classic sonnet"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
  • Similar words include: six, half a dozen, 6
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SESTET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "76. Aerodynamic, maybe"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make slick or smooth
  • Similar words include: flowing, satiny, silken
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLEEK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. John Irving's "The World According to ___" 4
2D 2. Número that's half of dieciséis 4
3D 3. Anatomical ring 4
4D 4. Dessert with rings on top, literally 23
5D 5. Features of leftovers, at times 5
6D 6. Dessert in a boat, literally 11
7D 7. Found darling 6
8D 8. Jimmy known for shoes 4
9D 9. "___ Gabler" (Ibsen play) 5
10D 10. Opposite of virtually, to texters 3
11D 11. Ball bearer 3
12D 12. [That looks so delicious!] 5
13D 13. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase 5
14D 14. Big name in surround sound 5
15D 20. Dessert with a streusel-like topping, literally 16
16D 25. Drinks with or without pulp, for short 3
17D 27. Peaked 3
18D 28. Cold-weather coat 5
19D 29. Follower of "Gossip" or "Gone" 4
20D 30. Potatoes, in some Asian cuisines 4
21D 31. Pole, e.g. 4
22D 33. Music producer Brian 3
23D 36. "Intelligence is the ability to ___ to change": Stephen Hawking 5
24D 38. Triangular dessert, literally 13
25D 39. Early Ron Howard TV role 4
26D 40. Small squabble 4
27D 41. Comments 4
28D 44. Aromatic bit of attire 3
29D 47. Some text beneath a headshot, in brief 3
30D 49. Fish that may return to the ocean to spawn 3
31D 52. Flashing light 6
32D 54. Accessory on "Downton Abbey" or "Bridgerton" 5
33D 55. So-called "Rubber City," home of Goodyear 5
34D 56. Cereal box abbr. 5
35D 57. Sounds of laughter 5
36D 59. Pose for which you must plant your body on the mat? 5
37D 62. Working hard 4
38D 64. Lipstick unit 4
39D 65. It's a lot! 4
40D 66. Damage caused by a mole, maybe 4
41D 68. Syllables of hesitation 3
42D 69. "Norma ___" 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. John Irving's "The World According to ___""

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Número that's half of dieciséis"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Anatomical ring"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
  • Similar words include: flag, iris diaphragm, fleur-de-lis
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRIS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Dessert with rings on top, literally"

23 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PINEAPPLEUPSIDEDOWNCAKE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Features of leftovers, at times"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any property detected by the olfactory system
  • Similar words include: odor, olfactory perception, smell
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ODORS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Dessert in a boat, literally"

11 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BANANASPLIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Found darling"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that love intensely
  • Similar words include: worshipped, idolized, idolised
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADORED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Jimmy known for shoes"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. "___ Gabler" (Ibsen play)"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Opposite of virtually, to texters"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Ball bearer"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. [That looks so delicious!]"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that pretentious or silly talk or writing
  • Similar words include: drivel, taradiddle, tarradiddle
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DROOL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. "Wheel of Fortune" purchase"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a speech sound made with the vocal tract open
  • Similar words include: vowel sound
  • Opposite of: consonant
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VOWEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. Big name in surround sound"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states electrical engineer who devised the dolby system used to reduce background noise in tape recording
  • Similar words include: Ray M. Dolby
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOLBY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "20. Dessert with a streusel-like topping, literally"

16 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "25. Drinks with or without pulp, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "27. Peaked"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a computer network that spans a wider area than does a local area network
  • Similar words include: pallid, wide area network, pale
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "28. Cold-weather coat"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
  • Similar words include: ice, Robert Lee Frost, rime
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FROST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "29. Follower of "Gossip" or "Gone""

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a young woman
  • Similar words include: miss, daughter, female child
  • Opposite of: male child, son
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GIRL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "30. Potatoes, in some Asian cuisines"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Pole, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any member of the people of eastern europe or asian russia who speak a slavonic language
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLAV

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "33. Music producer Brian"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "36. "Intelligence is the ability to ___ to change": Stephen Hawking"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make fit for, or change to suit a new purpose
  • Similar words include: conform, adjust, accommodate
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADAPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "38. Triangular dessert, literally"

13 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APPLETURNOVER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "39. Early Ron Howard TV role"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "40. Small squabble"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a quarrel about petty points
  • Similar words include: fuss, bickering, spat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIFF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "41. Comments"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the chance to speak
  • Similar words include: enunciate, allege, say
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAYS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "44. Aromatic bit of attire"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
  • Similar words include: wreath, garland, coronal
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "47. Some text beneath a headshot, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "49. Fish that may return to the ocean to spawn"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in europe and america; large eels are usually smoked or pickled
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "52. Flashing light"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that scientific instrument that provides a flashing light synchronized with the periodic movement of an object; can make moving object appear stationary
  • Similar words include: strobe light, stroboscope
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STROBE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "54. Accessory on "Downton Abbey" or "Bridgerton""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a jeweled headdress worn by women on formal occasions
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIARA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "55. So-called "Rubber City," home of Goodyear"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a city in northeastern ohio; the heart of the united states rubber industry
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AKRON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "56. Cereal box abbr."

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "57. Sounds of laughter"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells)
  • Similar words include: peal, roll, ring
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEALS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "59. Pose for which you must plant your body on the mat?"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that native to eastern asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers
  • Similar words include: genus Lotus, Nymphaea lotus, Egyptian water lily
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOTUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "62. Working hard"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "64. Lipstick unit"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases
  • Similar words include: subway system, thermionic tube, underground
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TUBE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "65. It's a lot!"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in english-speaking countries
  • Similar words include: Akka, Akko, Accho
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "66. Damage caused by a mole, maybe"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape
  • Similar words include: leakage, wetting, passing water
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEAK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "68. Syllables of hesitation"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

42D: "69. "Norma ___""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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

39 Across Clues
42 Down Clues
81 Total Clues

More NYT Crossword Help

Looking for more puzzle solutions? Check out our comprehensive archive of NYT crossword hints and answers. We update daily with expert analysis and solving strategies.

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

Last updated: April 09, 2026 at 05:27 AM