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 (14 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (44 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. & 6 #1 hit | 11 |
| 2A | 12. & 14 Ultimately fruitless | 14 |
| 3A | 15. & 16 Beverage sold in pastel-colored cans | 14 |
| 4A | 17. & 18 Measures of search engine optimization | 9 |
| 5A | 20. & 22 Pocket ID holder | 8 |
| 6A | 26. & 28 Temple services? | 12 |
| 7A | 32. & 34 Sequestration of a greenhouse gas | 13 |
| 8A | 35. & 36 Sparsely populated African land | 13 |
| 9A | 37. & 39 Web Crawlers, e.g. | 12 |
| 10A | 40. & 41 Loses all one's dough | 8 |
| 11A | 43. & 46 Starbuck vis-à-vis Captain Ahab | 9 |
| 12A | 50. & 54 Math that underpins computer logic | 14 |
| 13A | 57. & 58 Member of the last undefeated N.C.A.A. Division I men's basketball team (1976) | 14 |
| 14A | 59. & 60 Tallies attendees | 11 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. & 6 #1 hit"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHARTTOPPER
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2A: "12. & 14 Ultimately fruitless"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEADINGNOWHERE
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3A: "15. & 16 Beverage sold in pastel-colored cans"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARIZONAICEDTEA
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4A: "17. & 18 Measures of search engine optimization"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAGERANKS
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5A: "20. & 22 Pocket ID holder"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small case for carrying business cards
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARDCASE
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6A: "26. & 28 Temple services?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEADMASSAGES
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7A: "32. & 34 Sequestration of a greenhouse gas"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARBONSTORAGE
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8A: "35. & 36 Sparsely populated African land"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WESTERNSAHARA
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9A: "37. & 39 Web Crawlers, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INTERNETBOTS
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10A: "40. & 41 Loses all one's dough"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOESBUST
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11A: "43. & 46 Starbuck vis-à-vis Captain Ahab"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIRSTMATE
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12A: "50. & 54 Math that underpins computer logic"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOOLEANALGEBRA
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13A: "57. & 58 Member of the last undefeated N.C.A.A. Division I men's basketball team (1976)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INDIANAHOOSIER
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14A: "59. & 60 Tallies attendees"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COUNTSNOSES
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Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Michael of "Barbie" | 4 |
| 2D | 2. Alexander who served under Reagan, Nixon and Ford | 4 |
| 3D | 3. Axlike tool depicted in hieroglyphs | 4 |
| 4D | 4. City on Guanabara Bay, familiarly | 3 |
| 5D | 5. Paramount ancestor, in brief | 3 |
| 6D | 6. Apt rhyme of "clock" | 4 |
| 7D | 7. Isn't settled up | 4 |
| 8D | 8. High degree | 3 |
| 9D | 9. Word with project or peeve | 3 |
| 10D | 10. Before, in a hymnbook | 3 |
| 11D | 11. Stephen of "V for Vendetta" | 3 |
| 12D | 12. One of 25 in a track 10K | 3 |
| 13D | 13. Actress Teri | 4 |
| 14D | 14. Writer Anaïs whose name is hidden in this clue | 3 |
| 15D | 19. Capt.'s superior | 3 |
| 16D | 20. Pole tossed in a Scottish game | 5 |
| 17D | 21. Beautify | 5 |
| 18D | 22. Stone figure? | 5 |
| 19D | 23. Petri dish gels | 5 |
| 20D | 24. Company that debuted Sonic the Hedgehog | 4 |
| 21D | 25. Legal termination? | 3 |
| 22D | 26. Proverbial waste maker | 5 |
| 23D | 27. Some Deco works | 5 |
| 24D | 29. "Well, I have to save my ___" (Shrek line) | 3 |
| 25D | 30. Total guesses | 5 |
| 26D | 31. 🔥 "Ooh-la-la!" 🔥 | 5 |
| 27D | 32. Our "-zoic" | 4 |
| 28D | 33. Florence-to-Venice dir. | 3 |
| 29D | 35. Part of a George Washington costume (though he rarely wore one) | 3 |
| 30D | 38. Cable channel with many reruns | 3 |
| 31D | 42. Site of the 2002 and 2034 Winter Olympics | 4 |
| 32D | 43. Big success | 4 |
| 33D | 44. Actors McKellen and McShane | 4 |
| 34D | 45. Messenger ___ | 3 |
| 35D | 46. Imbroglio | 4 |
| 36D | 47. Rose's lover of 1920s Broadway | 4 |
| 37D | 48. Número de Caballeros in a 1944 film | 4 |
| 38D | 49. Something that may be lent or bent | 3 |
| 39D | 50. Pen letters? | 3 |
| 40D | 51. Musical Yoko | 3 |
| 41D | 52. Sch. in Norfolk, Va. | 3 |
| 42D | 53. "Hamilton" star ___-Manuel Miranda | 3 |
| 43D | 55. Apt name for a groundskeeper? | 3 |
| 44D | 56. Word that becomes its own synonym when "p" is added to the end | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Michael of "Barbie""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CERA
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2D: "2. Alexander who served under Reagan, Nixon and Ford"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAIG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Axlike tool depicted in hieroglyphs"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an edge tool used to cut and shape wood
- Similar words include: adz
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADZE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. City on Guanabara Bay, familiarly"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the former capital and 2nd largest city of brazil; chief brazilian port; famous as a tourist attraction
- Similar words include: Rio de Janeiro
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIO
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5D: "5. Paramount ancestor, in brief"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TNN
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6D: "6. Apt rhyme of "clock""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOCK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Isn't settled up"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that be obliged to pay or repay
- Similar words include: owe
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWES
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8D: "8. High degree"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a doctorate usually based on at least 3 years graduate study and a dissertation; the highest degree awarded graduate study
- Similar words include: Ph.D.
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PHD
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9D: "9. Word with project or peeve"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
- Similar words include: darling, favored, deary
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PET
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10D: "10. Before, in a hymnbook"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERE
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11D: "11. Stephen of "V for Vendetta""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REA
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12D: "12. One of 25 in a track 10K"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the upper side of the thighs of a seated person
- Similar words include: wash, circle, swoosh
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "13. Actress Teri"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GARR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "14. Writer Anaïs whose name is hidden in this clue"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIN
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15D: "19. Capt.'s superior"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADM
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16D: "20. Pole tossed in a Scottish game"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a heavy wooden pole (such as the trunk of a young fir) that is tossed as a test of strength (in the highlands of northern scotland)
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CABER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "21. Beautify"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
- Similar words include: embellish, grace, decorate
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADORN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "22. Stone figure?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a unit of weight for precious stones = 200 mg
- Similar words include: karat, kt
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "23. Petri dish gels"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent
- Similar words include: agar, agar-agar, nutrient agar
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGARS
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20D: "24. Company that debuted Sonic the Hedgehog"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEGA
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21D: "25. Legal termination?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the compass point midway between east and southeast
- Similar words include: east southeast
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESE
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22D: "26. Proverbial waste maker"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
- Similar words include: hurriedness, hurry, precipitation
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HASTE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "27. Some Deco works"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERTES
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24D: "29. "Well, I have to save my ___" (Shrek line)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
- Similar words include: tail end, tush, fundament
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "30. Total guesses"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sudden sharp feeling
- Similar words include: stab, shot, knife
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STABS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "31. 🔥 "Ooh-la-la!" 🔥"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOHOT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "32. Our "-zoic""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CENO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "33. Florence-to-Venice dir."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the compass point that is midway between north and northeast
- Similar words include: north northeast, nor'-nor'-east
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NNE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "35. Part of a George Washington costume (though he rarely wore one)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that hairpiece covering the head and made of real or synthetic hair
- Similar words include: wigging
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WIG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "38. Cable channel with many reruns"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a metallic element of the rare earth group; used in lasers; occurs in apatite and monazite and xenotime and ytterbite
- Similar words include: tebibyte, Tbit, TiB
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TBS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "42. Site of the 2002 and 2034 Winter Olympics"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a state in the western united states; settled in 1847 by mormons led by brigham young
- Similar words include: UT, Beehive State, Mormon State
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UTAH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "43. Big success"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a notable achievement
- Similar words include: effort, exploit
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FEAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "44. Actors McKellen and McShane"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IANS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "45. Messenger ___"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (biochemistry) a long linear polymer of nucleotides found in the nucleus but mainly in the cytoplasm of a cell where it is associated with microsomes; it transmits genetic information from dna to the cytoplasm and controls certain chemical processes in the cell
- Similar words include: ribonucleic acid
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RNA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "46. Imbroglio"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a state of confusion and disorderliness
- Similar words include: fix, pile, passel
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MESS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
36D: "47. Rose's lover of 1920s Broadway"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABIE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
37D: "48. Número de Caballeros in a 1944 film"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
38D: "49. Something that may be lent or bent"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
- Similar words include: auricle, pinna, spike
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
39D: "50. Pen letters?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BIC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
40D: "51. Musical Yoko"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states musician (born in japan) who married john lennon and collaborated with him on recordings (born in 1933)
- Similar words include: Yoko Ono
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
41D: "52. Sch. in Norfolk, Va."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ODU
Remember this word for future puzzles!
42D: "53. "Hamilton" star ___-Manuel Miranda"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states sculptor and architect whose public works include the memorial to veterans of the vietnam war in washington (born in 1959)
- Similar words include: Maya Lin
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
43D: "55. Apt name for a groundskeeper?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LON
Remember this word for future puzzles!
44D: "56. Word that becomes its own synonym when "p" is added to the end"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any thick, viscous matter
- Similar words include: slime, muck, ooze
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOO
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
14 Across Clues
44 Down Clues
58 Total Clues
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