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 (33 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (37 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
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. Artist whose first two initials stand for "Maurits Cornelis" | 6 |
| 2A | 7. Get to know a little better, say | 8 |
| 3A | 15. Kind | 6 |
| 4A | 16. "Not today, Satan!" | 8 |
| 5A | 17. Like Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear | 6 |
| 6A | 18. Place where it's a hoot to raise a family? | 8 |
| 7A | 19. Part of a swearing-in ceremony | 4 |
| 8A | 20. Peak overlooking the Grindelwald Valley | 5 |
| 9A | 22. Do a bad job of helping? | 4 |
| 10A | 23. Frito ___ (Tex-Mex dish) | 3 |
| 11A | 24. "Float like a butterfly" and "sting like a bee" | 7 |
| 12A | 26. Office building abbr. | 3 |
| 13A | 27. It's a lot for one person to take | 11 |
| 14A | 30. Was hot (for) | 8 |
| 15A | 31. Likely gonna | 5 |
| 16A | 35. Natives call it Muncibeddu, meaning "mountain of mountains" | 4 |
| 17A | 36. Seattle's W.N.B.A. team | 5 |
| 18A | 39. Be boastful | 4 |
| 19A | 40. Member of the winning 2025 Super Bowl team | 5 |
| 20A | 42. Some 1980s Jane Fonda performances | 8 |
| 21A | 44. Round and round and round? | 11 |
| 22A | 47. Este dÃa | 3 |
| 23A | 50. Determine the going price? | 7 |
| 24A | 51. London's ___ Gardens | 3 |
| 25A | 53. "That makes sense now" | 4 |
| 26A | 55. Patches up, in a way | 5 |
| 27A | 56. ___ Dee, lead role on HBO's "Insecure" | 4 |
| 28A | 57. Played by oneself | 8 |
| 29A | 59. Animated character with a signature quiff hairstyle | 6 |
| 30A | 61. Croupier's query | 8 |
| 31A | 62. Hide, in a way, as a communication | 6 |
| 32A | 63. State revenue source | 8 |
| 33A | 64. Became the beneficiary of | 6 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Artist whose first two initials stand for "Maurits Cornelis""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESCHER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "7. Get to know a little better, say"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BONEUPON
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3A: "15. Kind"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an adornment consisting of a strip of a contrasting color or material
- Similar words include: bar, banding, band
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRIPE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4A: "16. "Not today, Satan!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OHHELLNO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5A: "17. Like Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction
- Similar words include: tragical
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRAGIC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6A: "18. Place where it's a hoot to raise a family?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWLSNEST
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7A: "19. Part of a swearing-in ceremony"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
- Similar words include: curse word, swearing, swearword
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OATH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8A: "20. Peak overlooking the Grindelwald Valley"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EIGER
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9A: "22. Do a bad job of helping?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that assist or encourage, usually in some wrongdoing
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10A: "23. Frito ___ (Tex-Mex dish)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top
- Similar words include: Proto-Indo European
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11A: "24. "Float like a butterfly" and "sting like a bee""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with `like' or `as')
- Similar words include: simile
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIMILES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12A: "26. Office building abbr."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STE
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13A: "27. It's a lot for one person to take"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GROUPSELFIE
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14A: "30. Was hot (for)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that feel the need to drink
- Similar words include: thirst, starve, hunger
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THIRSTED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "31. Likely gonna"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APTTO
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16A: "35. Natives call it Muncibeddu, meaning "mountain of mountains""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an inactive volcano in sicily; last erupted in 1961; the highest volcano in europe (10,500 feet)
- Similar words include: Mount Etna, bunsen burner, Mt Etna
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETNA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "36. Seattle's W.N.B.A. team"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning
- Similar words include: tempest, rage, force
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STORM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "39. Be boastful"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that black birds having a raucous call
- Similar words include: gloat, brag, Corvus
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CROW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19A: "40. Member of the winning 2025 Super Bowl team"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight
- Similar words include: bird of Jove, double birdie
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EAGLE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20A: "42. Some 1980s Jane Fonda performances"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
- Similar words include: exercise, exercising, physical exercise
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WORKOUTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "44. Round and round and round?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOXINGMATCH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "47. Este dÃa"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)
- Similar words include: lighter, flatboat, barge
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "50. Determine the going price?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SETBAIL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "51. London's ___ Gardens"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KEW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "53. "That makes sense now""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AHOK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26A: "55. Patches up, in a way"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that something of little value
- Similar words include: darn, red cent, shucks
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DARNS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "56. ___ Dee, lead role on HBO's "Insecure""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISSA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "57. Played by oneself"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HADASOLO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "59. Animated character with a signature quiff hairstyle"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TINTIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "61. Croupier's query"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AREYOUIN
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31A: "62. Hide, in a way, as a communication"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that convert information into code
- Opposite of: decode
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENCODE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "63. State revenue source"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALESTAX
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "64. Became the beneficiary of"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that gather, as of natural products
- Similar words include: harvest, draw, reap
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REAPED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Legally prohibit | 5 |
| 2D | 2. Kind of student | 9 |
| 3D | 3. In free fall | 9 |
| 4D | 4. Word with grade or school | 4 |
| 5D | 5. Prefix with dermis | 3 |
| 6D | 6. Gate | 8 |
| 7D | 7. Hip-hop's birthplace, colloquially | 15 |
| 8D | 8. "What a pity" | 6 |
| 9D | 9. Sports figure who traditionally wears an orange armband, in brief | 6 |
| 10D | 10. Some Caltech grads: Abbr. | 3 |
| 11D | 11. It's seen near a wrist | 4 |
| 12D | 12. Commoners | 5 |
| 13D | 13. Start | 5 |
| 14D | 14. "Buona ___" (bedtime words in Roma) | 5 |
| 15D | 21. "No more for me, thanks" | 5 |
| 16D | 24. Like a sketchy person | 3 |
| 17D | 25. One-named singer with the 2016 #1 hit "Cheap Thrills" | 3 |
| 18D | 28. Flossing brand | 5 |
| 19D | 29. Walt Disney initially designed it as a utopian city | 5 |
| 20D | 30. Bit of concert merch | 3 |
| 21D | 32. Refueling spot | 9 |
| 22D | 33. Where a wallflower often stands | 9 |
| 23D | 34. Sounds of pain | 3 |
| 24D | 37. Podcaster Joe | 5 |
| 25D | 38. 1980s chart-topping band with a semi-duplicative name | 8 |
| 26D | 41. Camera brand named after a goddess | 3 |
| 27D | 43. Actor Penn | 3 |
| 28D | 45. Struck | 6 |
| 29D | 46. Neighbor of Francia | 6 |
| 30D | 47. Contents of a laugh track | 5 |
| 31D | 48. John who wrote "BUtterfield 8" | 5 |
| 32D | 49. Certain snack cake | 5 |
| 33D | 52. Abated | 5 |
| 34D | 54. Danny who was UNICEF's's first goodwill ambassador | 4 |
| 35D | 56. Peruvian ___ Orchid (dog breed) | 4 |
| 36D | 58. Title of a #1 Rihanna song and #1 SZA album | 3 |
| 37D | 60. Suffix with morph- | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Legally prohibit"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESTOP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Kind of student"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRAIGHTA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. In free fall"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRATERING
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Word with grade or school"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a lofty level or position or degree
- Similar words include: high-pitched, richly, mellow
- Opposite of: low spirits, low
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HIGH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Prefix with dermis"
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!
6D: "6. Gate"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the entire amount of income before any deductions are made
- Similar words include: acknowledge, receipt, reception
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RECEIPTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Hip-hop's birthplace, colloquially"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOOGIEDOWNBRONX
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. "What a pity""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OHWELL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Sports figure who traditionally wears an orange armband, in brief"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NHLREF
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Some Caltech grads: Abbr."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication
- Similar words include: EE, electrical engineering
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. It's seen near a wrist"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the inner and longer of the two bones of the human forearm
- Similar words include: elbow bone
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ULNA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Commoners"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that one of the common people
- Similar words include: plebeian, pleb
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLEBS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "13. Start"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the beginning or early stages
- Similar words include: attack, onslaught, onrush
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONSET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "14. "Buona ___" (bedtime words in Roma)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOTTE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "21. "No more for me, thanks""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMSET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "24. Like a sketchy person"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that type genus of the suidae
- Similar words include: genus Sus
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SUS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "25. One-named singer with the 2016 #1 hit "Cheap Thrills""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "28. Flossing brand"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORALB
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "29. Walt Disney initially designed it as a utopian city"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPCOT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "30. Bit of concert merch"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the starting place for each hole on a golf course
- Similar words include: tee up, golf tee, teeing ground
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "32. Refueling spot"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRUCKSTOP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "33. Where a wallflower often stands"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOTHESIDE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "34. Sounds of pain"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "37. Podcaster Joe"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROGAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "38. 1980s chart-topping band with a semi-duplicative name"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MRMISTER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "41. Camera brand named after a goddess"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (greek mythology) the winged goddess of the dawn in ancient mythology; daughter of hyperion; identified with roman aurora
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "43. Actor Penn"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KAL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "45. Struck"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: XEDOUT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "46. Neighbor of Francia"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a republic in southern europe on the italian peninsula; was the core of the roman republic and the roman empire between the 4th century bc and the 5th century ad
- Similar words include: Italy, Italian Republic
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITALIA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "47. Contents of a laugh track"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAHAS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "48. John who wrote "BUtterfield 8""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OHARA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "49. Certain snack cake"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a songlike cry in which the voice fluctuates rapidly between the normal voice and falsetto
- Similar words include: warble, descant
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YODEL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "52. Abated"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that grow smaller
- Similar words include: wan, wane, go down
- Opposite of: wax
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WANED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "54. Danny who was UNICEF's's first goodwill ambassador"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KAYE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "56. Peruvian ___ Orchid (dog breed)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a ruler of the incas (or a member of his family)
- Similar words include: Inka, Incan
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INCA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
36D: "58. Title of a #1 Rihanna song and #1 SZA album"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an internationally recognized distress signal in radio code
- Similar words include: soh, so, sol
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
37D: "60. Suffix with morph-"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INE
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
33 Across Clues
37 Down Clues
70 Total Clues
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