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Friday, October 16, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers October 16, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

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

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Medium

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

Across Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1A 1. Word with strip or skirt 5
2A 6. Conniption 3
3A 9. Cuban poet/philosopher JosΓ© 5
4A 14. 2000 hit song with the lyric "But to lose all my senses / That is just so typically me" 15
5A 17. Mail-centric fiction? 15
6A 18. Virginia is in it, in brief 3
7A 19. "Hah!" 7
8A 20. "___ had it!" 3
9A 21. Former home of Mr. and Mrs. Met 4
10A 23. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff 5
11A 24. Riot 4
12A 25. Spiller of tea 5
13A 27. Smelling things? 5
14A 28. Date night viewing, often 13
15A 34. High concept? 9
16A 35. They explain what's in the cards 13
17A 39. Comic strip sound of impact 5
18A 40. Infant discomfort 5
19A 42. Battery-powered string instrument player 4
20A 43. Predicated 5
21A 48. It has its highs and lows 4
22A 49. Rocky openings? 3
23A 50. Burrowing animal whose name is made up of two other animals 7
24A 52. It may begin with a +1: Abbr. 3
25A 53. Idolizes 15
26A 56. Indiana Jones or Rocky Balboa, e.g. 15
27A 57. Losing causes? 5
28A 58. Yoga ___ 3
29A 59. The 22nd Amendment limits them 5

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Word with strip or skirt"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a slice of meat cut from the fleshy part of an animal or large fish
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEAK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "6. Conniption"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a display of bad temper
  • Similar words include: meet, gibe, jibe
  • Opposite of: unfit, disagree
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Cuban poet/philosopher JosΓ©"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cuban poet and revolutionary who fought for cuban independence from spain (1853-1895)
  • Similar words include: Jose Julian Marti
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MARTI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. 2000 hit song with the lyric "But to lose all my senses / That is just so typically me""

15 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "17. Mail-centric fiction?"

15 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. Virginia is in it, in brief"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a command that is the primary provider of air combat weapon systems to the united states air force; operates fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, battle-management, and rescue aircraft
  • Similar words include: Air Combat Command
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "19. "Hah!""

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. "___ had it!""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. Former home of Mr. and Mrs. Met"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. Riot"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a loud raucous cry (as of an owl)
  • Similar words include: boo, darn, razz
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "25. Spiller of tea"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (yiddish) a vulgar shrew; a shallow coarse termagant
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YENTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "27. Smelling things?"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
  • Similar words include: common salt, salt, table salt
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. Date night viewing, often"

13 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "34. High concept?"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLOUDNINE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "35. They explain what's in the cards"

13 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "39. Comic strip sound of impact"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "40. Infant discomfort"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that acute abdominal pain (especially in infants)
  • Similar words include: intestinal colic, gripes, griping
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COLIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "42. Battery-powered string instrument player"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "43. Predicated"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that use as a basis for; found on
  • Similar words include: free-base, found, establish
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "48. It has its highs and lows"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
  • Similar words include: lunar time period, surge
  • Opposite of: ebb
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIDE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "49. Rocky openings?"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "50. Burrowing animal whose name is made up of two other animals"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "52. It may begin with a +1: Abbr."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "53. Idolizes"

15 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "56. Indiana Jones or Rocky Balboa, e.g."

15 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "57. Losing causes?"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a prescribed selection of foods
  • Similar words include: dieting, diet
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "58. Yoga ___"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
  • Similar words include: snarl, lustrelessness, matting
  • Opposite of: unsnarl, disentangle
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "59. The 22nd Amendment limits them"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that status with respect to the relations between people or groups
  • Similar words include: full term, price, damage
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TERMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. "Piece of cake!" 6
2D 2. Reality show whose contestants report to the Judge's Table 7
3D 3. Not gendered 7
4D 4. Dope 3
5D 5. Some emergency resources 4
6D 6. Serious dirt 5
7D 7. State whose official fruit is the huckleberry 5
8D 8. Done to death 5
9D 9. Flow down the neck 4
10D 10. Past word 3
11D 11. Hot pockets? 7
12D 12. 20-20, e.g. 7
13D 13. Small sounds 6
14D 15. One of 412 in the White House 4
15D 16. Supermodel Banks 4
16D 22. Took back one's words 7
17D 24. One struggling to make ends meet 7
18D 26. Grant 5
19D 27. Foe of Dr. Eggman, in video games 5
20D 29. Procured 3
21D 30. "___ Share of Night" (acclaimed 2019 Mariana EnrΓ­quez book) 3
22D 31. Complimentary lines 3
23D 32. Tool for tracing family trees 3
24D 33. Prefix with the name of any month 3
25D 35. Mideast salad, in one spelling 7
26D 36. Simon the Zealot, e.g. 7
27D 37. Sparkly bits in a school art project 7
28D 38. Like some deliveries 7
29D 39. Holder of all the digits, from 1 to 0 6
30D 41. Stage-left orchestra section 6
31D 43. Coccyx or phalange, e.g. 4
32D 44. Unwelcome sound during a dream 5
33D 45. Brown tint 5
34D 46. Construct 5
35D 47. Art movement proclaimed in a 1916 manifesto 4
36D 50. May honorees 4
37D 51. Outdoor item with flaps 4
38D 54. Took a load off 3
39D 55. 2011 platinum single by Tyler, the Creator 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. "Piece of cake!""

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Reality show whose contestants report to the Judge's Table"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Not gendered"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made
  • Similar words include: bisexual, sissy, epicene person
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPICENE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Dope"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Some emergency resources"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a case for containing a set of articles
  • Similar words include: outfit, kit up, kit
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KITS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Serious dirt"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any substance considered disgustingly foul or unpleasant
  • Similar words include: soil, dirt, dirty word
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FILTH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. State whose official fruit is the huckleberry"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state in the rocky mountains
  • Similar words include: ID, Gem State
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IDAHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Done to death"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lose interest or become bored with something or somebody
  • Similar words include: well-worn, exhaust, outwear
  • Opposite of: interest, refresh
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIRED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Flow down the neck"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck
  • Similar words include: head of hair
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MANE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Past word"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that gone by; or in the past
  • Similar words include: agone
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Hot pockets?"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that small circular or square cases of dough with savory fillings
  • Similar words include: cappelletti
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAVIOLI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. 20-20, e.g."

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Small sounds"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)
  • Similar words include: intake, recess, inlet
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INLETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "15. One of 412 in the White House"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
  • Similar words include: doorway, room access, threshold
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "16. Supermodel Banks"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "22. Took back one's words"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "24. One struggling to make ends meet"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. Grant"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
  • Similar words include: earmark, let, set aside
  • Opposite of: forbid, prevent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALLOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "27. Foe of Dr. Eggman, in video games"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (of speed) having or caused by speed approximately equal to that of sound in air at sea level
  • Similar words include: transonic
  • Opposite of: subsonic
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SONIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Procured"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
  • Similar words include: flummox, drive, aim
  • Opposite of: leave, take away
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. "___ Share of Night" (acclaimed 2019 Mariana EnrΓ­quez book)"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "31. Complimentary lines"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ODE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "32. Tool for tracing family trees"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (biochemistry) a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information
  • Similar words include: deoxyribonucleic acid, desoxyribonucleic acid
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "33. Prefix with the name of any month"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that used in combination to denote the middle
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "35. Mideast salad, in one spelling"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "36. Simon the Zealot, e.g."

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform
  • Similar words include: Apostelic Father
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APOSTLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "37. Sparkly bits in a school art project"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
  • Similar words include: coruscation, scintillation, glisten
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLITTER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "38. Like some deliveries"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (of pitches) made with the arm moving parallel to the ground
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIDEARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "39. Holder of all the digits, from 1 to 0"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a keyboard that is a data input device for computers; arrangement of keys is modelled after the typewriter keyboard
  • Similar words include: computer keyboard
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KEYPAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "41. Stage-left orchestra section"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large stringed instrument; seated player holds it upright while playing
  • Similar words include: violoncello, cello
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CELLOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "43. Coccyx or phalange, e.g."

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
  • Similar words include: swot, swot up, ivory
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "44. Unwelcome sound during a dream"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fear resulting from the awareness of danger
  • Similar words include: warning device, appal, appall
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "45. Brown tint"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "46. Construct"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that construct, build, or erect
  • Similar words include: set up, raise, vertical
  • Opposite of: unerect, level
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERECT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "47. Art movement proclaimed in a 1916 manifesto"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
  • Similar words include: pa, pop, daddy
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DADA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "50. May honorees"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal terms for a mother
  • Similar words include: mommy, mammy, mummy
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "51. Outdoor item with flaps"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
  • Similar words include: collapsible shelter, bivouac, encamp
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "54. Took a load off"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the sabbath by jews and some christians
  • Similar words include: posture, sit, Saturday
  • Opposite of: arise, stand
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "55. 2011 platinum single by Tyler, the Creator"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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

29 Across Clues
39 Down Clues
68 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: October 16, 2026 at 08:20 AM

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers September 15, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

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

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Medium

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

Across Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1A 1. Laffy ___, candy with a rhyming name 5
2A 6. Poker buy-in 4
3A 10. "The windows to the soul," metaphorically 4
4A 14. Frighten 5
5A 15. Villain's hideout 4
6A 16. American Girl toy 4
7A 17. Cringey ad campaign going viral, for example 10
8A 19. Madonna's "La ___ Bonita" 4
9A 20. Goes out with 4
10A 21. Piglet and Pooh's marsupial friend 3
11A 22. "Well, in that case ..." 6
12A 24. Clic Stic and Wite-Out brand 3
13A 26. Character at the heart of the "Who shot ...?" cliffhanger of 1980s TV 7
14A 27. Colombian cornmeal cake 5
15A 29. San JosΓ©, ___ Rica 5
16A 30. Oculus Rift or Meta Quest 3 9
17A 32. Opposite of chaos 5
18A 36. Texter's "I think ..." 3
19A 37. Started a game of blackjack, say 5
20A 38. 18-wheeler 4
21A 39. Agrees nonverbally 4
22A 41. Red root vegetables 5
23A 44. Kind of rally at high school 3
24A 45. Put up, as a building 5
25A 47. Many characters on "The Pitt" 9
26A 49. "Quick!" 5
27A 51. Group holding a nominating convention 5
28A 52. Scannable squares often used in place of paper menus 7
29A 55. ___-Wan Kenobi 3
30A 56. Rang, as a bell 6
31A 57. Pooch's bark 3
32A 59. Paddington Bear's country of origin 4
33A 63. What a light bulb represents, in comics 4
34A 64. Puppet dragon of 1960s kids' TV 10
35A 67. Bottom-heavy fruit 4
36A 68. Britney Spears's "___! ... I Did It Again" 4
37A 69. Perform better than 5
38A 70. Daughters' brothers 4
39A 71. Exam 4
40A 72. French fries-to-be 5

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Laffy ___, candy with a rhyming name"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that chewy candy of sugar or syrup boiled until thick and pulled until glossy
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAFFY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "6. Poker buy-in"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (poker) the initial contribution that each player makes to the pot
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANTE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. "The windows to the soul," metaphorically"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that opinion or judgment
  • Similar words include: oculus, eye, eyeball
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EYES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Frighten"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events
  • Similar words include: frighten off, pall, scare off
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Villain's hideout"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the habitation of wild animals
  • Similar words include: den
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. American Girl toy"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small replica of a person; used as a toy
  • Similar words include: dame, wench, chick
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOLL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Cringey ad campaign going viral, for example"

10 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Madonna's "La ___ Bonita""

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Goes out with"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
  • Similar words include: view, visit, escort
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Piglet and Pooh's marsupial friend"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "22. "Well, in that case ...""

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. Clic Stic and Wite-Out brand"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "26. Character at the heart of the "Who shot ...?" cliffhanger of 1980s TV"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "27. Colombian cornmeal cake"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "29. San JosΓ©, ___ Rica"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a riblike part of a plant or animal (such as a middle rib of a leaf or a thickened vein of an insect wing)
  • Similar words include: rib
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COSTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "30. Oculus Rift or Meta Quest 3"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VRHEADSET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "32. Opposite of chaos"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
  • Similar words include: ordination, edict, purchase order
  • Opposite of: deregulate, disorder
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORDER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "36. Texter's "I think ...""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the united nations agency concerned with international maritime activities
  • Similar words include: International Maritime Organization
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "37. Started a game of blackjack, say"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
  • Similar words include: dispense, address, make out
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEALT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "38. 18-wheeler"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one of the two competitions in the next to the last round of an elimination tournament
  • Similar words include: tractor trailer, trailer truck, trucking rig
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEMI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "39. Agrees nonverbally"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sign of assent or salutation or command
  • Similar words include: nod
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NODS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "41. Red root vegetables"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that biennial eurasian plant usually having a swollen edible root; widely cultivated as a food crop
  • Similar words include: Beta vulgaris, beet, beetroot
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "44. Kind of rally at high school"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that liveliness and energy
  • Similar words include: ginger, peppiness
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "45. Put up, as a building"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that construct, build, or erect
  • Similar words include: raise, upright, vertical
  • Opposite of: level, unerect
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERECT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. Many characters on "The Pitt""

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERDOCTORS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "49. "Quick!""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
  • Similar words include: rush, festinate, haste
  • Opposite of: delay
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HURRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "51. Group holding a nominating convention"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an organization to gain political power
  • Similar words include: political party, company
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PARTY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "52. Scannable squares often used in place of paper menus"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "55. ___-Wan Kenobi"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (west indies) followers of a religious system involving witchcraft and sorcery
  • Similar words include: obeah
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "56. Rang, as a bell"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that ring slowly
  • Similar words include: toll
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOLLED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "57. Pooch's bark"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "59. Paddington Bear's country of origin"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a republic in western south america; achieved independence from spain in 1821; was the heart of the inca empire from the 12th to 16th centuries
  • Similar words include: Republic of Peru
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PERU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "63. What a light bulb represents, in comics"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
  • Similar words include: musical theme, mind, estimate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IDEA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "64. Puppet dragon of 1960s kids' TV"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "67. Bottom-heavy fruit"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sweet juicy gritty-textured fruit available in many varieties
  • Similar words include: Pyrus communis, pear tree
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "68. Britney Spears's "___! ... I Did It Again""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "69. Perform better than"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be or do something to a greater degree
  • Similar words include: exceed, surmount, outgo
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OUTDO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "70. Daughters' brothers"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a male human offspring
  • Similar words include: Logos, Son, Word
  • Opposite of: daughter, girl
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SONS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "71. Exam"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that trying something to find out about it
  • Similar words include: tryout, try out, mental test
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40A: "72. French fries-to-be"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an edible tuber native to south america; a staple food of ireland
  • Similar words include: tater, bourgeon, sprout
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPUDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Cough syrup amts. 4
2D 2. Farmland measure 4
3D 3. Haircut that transitions from shorter sides to longer top 4
4D 4. Ultimate ___ (team sport) 7
5D 5. Word of consent 3
6D 6. Too 4
7D 7. Grp. with a phonetic alphabet 4
8D 8. Cause for overtime 3
9D 9. Screw-ups 6
10D 10. Conflicts over Wikipedia content 8
11D 11. Mario's dinosaur sidekick 5
12D 12. Actress Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy" 5
13D 13. Vernacular found in Urban Dictionary 5
14D 18. Place for coin-op game machines 6
15D 23. Kind of high-fat diet 4
16D 25. Tablet with Pro, Air and mini versions 4
17D 26. Scribbled (down) 6
18D 27. Knight's wear 5
19D 28. The "R" in R.I. 5
20D 29. The "log" in "ants on a log" 6
21D 30. Trellis-climbing plant 4
22D 31. "Light" Jedi weapons 6
23D 33. Railroad station 5
24D 34. Manicurist's filing board 5
25D 35. Laces (into) 4
26D 40. Well-educated sorts 8
27D 42. Fill back to capacity, as a glass 6
28D 43. Healing cover 4
29D 46. "Lose the ___, dude!" 4
30D 48. Causes to make a mistake 7
31D 50. Bit of fiery cinnamon candy 6
32D 52. Cotton swabs not recommended for ear canal use 5
33D 53. Cowboy contest 5
34D 54. Fresh from the dishwasher 5
35D 57. Grindr and Tinder, for two 4
36D 58. Sign of decay 4
37D 60. "___, Brute?" 4
38D 61. "Ant-Man" star Paul 4
39D 62. Sights that make you go "What the ...?!" 4
40D 65. ___ v. Wade (1973 Supreme Court decision) 3
41D 66. Rejections 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Cough syrup amts."

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Farmland measure"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Haircut that transitions from shorter sides to longer top"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer
  • Similar words include: slice, evanesce, languish
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FADE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Ultimate ___ (team sport)"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a light, plastic disk about 10 inches in diameter; propelled with a flip of the wrist for recreation or competition
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FRISBEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Word of consent"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an affirmative
  • Opposite of: no
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Too"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Grp. with a phonetic alphabet"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an international organization created in 1949 by the north atlantic treaty for purposes of collective security
  • Similar words include: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NATO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Cause for overtime"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
  • Similar words include: attach, tie-in, crosstie
  • Opposite of: untie, disconnect
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Screw-ups"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
  • Similar words include: wrongdoing, error, mistake
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERRORS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Conflicts over Wikipedia content"

8 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Mario's dinosaur sidekick"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Actress Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy""

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Vernacular found in Urban Dictionary"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered appropriate for formal occasions; often vituperative or vulgar
  • Similar words include: befool, put on, slang expression
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLANG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Place for coin-op game machines"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a covered passageway with shops and stalls on either side
  • Similar words include: colonnade
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARCADE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "23. Kind of high-fat diet"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "25. Tablet with Pro, Air and mini versions"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "26. Scribbled (down)"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of
  • Similar words include: jot, jot down
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JOTTED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. Knight's wear"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that protective covering made of metal and used in combat
  • Similar words include: armour
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARMOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. The "R" in R.I."

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. The "log" in "ants on a log""

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that widely cultivated herb with aromatic leaf stalks that are eaten raw or cooked
  • Similar words include: cultivated celery, Apium graveolens dulce
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CELERY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. Trellis-climbing plant"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VINE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "31. "Light" Jedi weapons"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fencing sword with a v-shaped blade and a slightly curved handle
  • Similar words include: sabre, cavalry sword, saber
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SABERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "33. Railroad station"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that station where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or goods
  • Similar words include: storage, store, terminus
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEPOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "34. Manicurist's filing board"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hard grey-black mineral consisting of corundum and either hematite or magnetite; used as an abrasive (especially as a coating on paper)
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMERY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "35. Laces (into)"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a dissolute man in fashionable society
  • Similar words include: pull, rake, rent
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "40. Well-educated sorts"

8 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines
  • Similar words include: student, scholarly person, assimilator
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCHOLARS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "42. Fill back to capacity, as a glass"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "43. Healing cover"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike
  • Similar words include: rat, fink, blackleg
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCAB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "46. "Lose the ___, dude!""

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "48. Causes to make a mistake"

7 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "50. Bit of fiery cinnamon candy"

6 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "52. Cotton swabs not recommended for ear canal use"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "53. Cowboy contest"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an exhibition of cowboy skills
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RODEO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "54. Fresh from the dishwasher"

5 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead
  • Similar words include: sporty, houseclean, fair
  • Opposite of: unfairly, dirty
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLEAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "57. Grindr and Tinder, for two"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "58. Sign of decay"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a red or brown oxide coating on iron or steel caused by the action of oxygen and moisture
  • Similar words include: corrode, rusting, eat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "60. "___, Brute?""

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "61. "Ant-Man" star Paul"

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that european freshwater fish resembling the roach
  • Similar words include: Scardinius erythrophthalmus
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUDD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "62. Sights that make you go "What the ...?!""

4 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an (apparently) flying object whose nature is unknown; especially those considered to have extraterrestrial origins
  • Similar words include: unidentified flying object, UFO, flying saucer
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UFOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "65. ___ v. Wade (1973 Supreme Court decision)"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fish eggs or egg-filled ovary; having a grainy texture
  • Similar words include: hard roe
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "66. Rejections"

3 letters πŸ’­ Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a radioactive transuranic element synthesized by bombarding curium with carbon ions; 7 isotopes are known
  • Similar words include: nobelium, atomic number 102, No
  • Opposite of: yes
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOS

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

40 Across Clues
41 Down Clues
81 Total Clues

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Last updated: September 15, 2026 at 08:49 AM