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Thursday, May 21, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers May 21, 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. Gossiped-about duo 4
2A 5. River whose southernmost source is found in Burundi 4
3A 9. Animal that expresses anger by spitting 5
4A 14. Curbside call 4
5A 15. Egg's outline 4
6A 16. Traditional Vietnamese garment whose name means "long shirt" 5
7A 17. 2000 Eminem single with lines from his "biggest fan" 4
8A 18. St. Benedict, for one 4
9A 19. Central meeting points 5
10A 20. timiL 12
11A 23. 50¢ or $1: Abbr. 3
12A 24. Fish more formally known as a batomorph 3
13A 25. Capital of Portugal, to natives 6
14A 29. Crown of jewels 6
15A 31. Penultimate Greek letter 3
16A 33. One of four seen on Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" 3
17A 34. Goat's cry 3
18A 35. Golfer's suppor- 9
19A 38. Move like a fox 5
20A 40. Get a lode of this! 3
21A 41. John from Britain 5
22A 42. Evade 9
23A 44. "Bad" beginning 3
24A 45. Like news that everyone already knows 3
25A 46. Legal boundaries? 3
26A 47. Kind of cat with a black-and-white coat 6
27A 50. More melted, as a marshmallow 6
28A 53. Tree alongside a ski run 3
29A 54. Bro, e.g. 3
30A 55. P | u | n | c | h | e | s 12
31A 59. Sound of a perfect basketball shot 5
32A 62. "Beware the ___ of a patient man": John Dryden 4
33A 63. Ordered 4
34A 64. Increase, as interest 5
35A 65. German Ms. 4
36A 66. Pupil's surroundings 4
37A 67. Environmentalist Adams 5
38A 68. Site for many stars? 4
39A 69. Sounds of disapproval 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Gossiped-about duo"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list
  • Similar words include: point, particular, detail
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. River whose southernmost source is found in Burundi"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the world's longest river (4150 miles); flows northward through eastern africa into the mediterranean; the nile river valley in egypt was the site of the world's first great civilization
  • Similar words include: Nile River
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NILE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Animal that expresses anger by spitting"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that wild or domesticated south american cud-chewing animal related to camels but smaller and lacking a hump
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LLAMA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Curbside call"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a car driven by a person whose job is to take passengers where they want to go in exchange for money
  • Similar words include: cab, hack, taxicab
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAXI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Egg's outline"

4 letters Category: Common Word

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: ovoid, elliptical, ovate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Traditional Vietnamese garment whose name means "long shirt""

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. 2000 Eminem single with lines from his "biggest fan""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "18. St. Benedict, for one"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
  • Similar words include: Thelonious Sphere Monk, Thelonious Monk, monastic
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MONK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "19. Central meeting points"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "20. timiL"

12 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BACKWARDSCAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. 50¢ or $1: Abbr."

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. Fish more formally known as a batomorph"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a column of light (as from a beacon)
  • Similar words include: shaft of light, irradiation, light beam
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Capital of Portugal, to natives"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that capital and largest city and economic and cultural center of portugal; a major port in western portugal on tagus river where it broadens and empties into the atlantic
  • Similar words include: Lisbon, capital of Portugal
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LISBOA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "29. Crown of jewels"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an ornamental jeweled headdress signifying sovereignty
  • Similar words include: crown
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIADEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "31. Penultimate Greek letter"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of pressure
  • Similar words include: pounds per square inch
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PSI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "33. One of four seen on Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
  • Similar words include: build up, sleeve, gird
  • Opposite of: disarm
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "34. Goat's cry"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "35. Golfer's suppor-"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "38. Move like a fox"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
  • Similar words include: malinger, lurk
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKULK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "40. Get a lode of this!"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "41. John from Britain"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "42. Evade"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a very short skirt
  • Similar words include: mini
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MINISKIRT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "44. "Bad" beginning"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "45. Like news that everyone already knows"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that past times (especially in the phrase `in days of old')
  • Similar words include: sometime, former, one-time
  • Opposite of: young, new
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OLD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "46. Legal boundaries?"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)
  • Similar words include: EL, elevated railway, elevated
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "47. Kind of cat with a black-and-white coat"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that semiformal evening dress for men
  • Similar words include: dinner jacket, black tie, tux
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TUXEDO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "50. More melted, as a marshmallow"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that soft and sticky
  • Similar words include: icky, gooey
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOOIER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "53. Tree alongside a ski run"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that nonresinous wood of a fir tree
  • Similar words include: fir tree, true fir
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "54. Bro, e.g."

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person's brother or sister
  • Similar words include: blood relation, blood relative, cognate
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "55. P | u | n | c | h | e | s"

12 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRIPEDSOCKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "59. Sound of a perfect basketball shot"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a brushing or rustling sound
  • Similar words include: lap, swoosh, posh
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWISH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "62. "Beware the ___ of a patient man": John Dryden"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a feeling of intense anger
  • Similar words include: fierceness, madness, hysteria
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FURY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "63. Ordered"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a chadic language spoken in northern nigeria
  • Similar words include: bid, entreat, press
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BADE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "64. Increase, as interest"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that tightly woven fabric with raised cords
  • Similar words include: temper, irritation, offend
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIQUE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "65. German Ms."

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a german courtesy title or form of address for an adult woman
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FRAU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "66. Pupil's surroundings"

4 letters Category: Common Word

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: fleur-de-lis, sword lily, iris diaphragm
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRIS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "67. Environmentalist Adams"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "68. Site for many stars?"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog)
  • Similar words include: yelping, yap, yip
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YELP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "69. Sounds of disapproval"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that utter `tsk,' `tut,' or `tut-tut,' as in disapproval
  • Similar words include: tut, tut-tut, tsk
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TSKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Short negative review 6
2D 2. Floor covering in a Japanese tearoom 6
3D 3. "Bingo!" 11
4D 4. Stole material 4
5D 5. Southern denial 6
6D 6. Something tickled on a piano 5
7D 7. "Buy ___. They're not making it anymore" (old saying) 4
8D 8. Philanthropic group with a clock face in its logo 4
9D 9. The so-called "Pineapple Isle" 5
10D 10. Goes around and around 5
11D 11. Make sense, with "up" 3
12D 12. "Maggie ___," classic folk song covered by the Beatles 3
13D 13. ChatGPT, Claude, etc. 3
14D 21. Inflicts 6
15D 22. Muse of history 4
16D 26. Lasting damage from a tough experience, metaphorically 11
17D 27. Milkshake flavor 4
18D 28. Gospel shout 4
19D 30. "Fountain of Milk Spreading Itself Uselessly on Three Shoes" painter, 1945 4
20D 31. Contented sounds 5
21D 32. "Changed my mind," in editing notation 4
22D 35. Curl 4
23D 36. Hip-knee connectors 6
24D 37. Source of linseed oil 4
25D 38. It's all a haze 4
26D 39. Drug bust unit 4
27D 43. Model Miranda 4
28D 47. Make neat 6
29D 48. Large-eyed African antelope with a duplicative name 6
30D 49. Fixate 6
31D 51. Give out 5
32D 52. Neighbor of Ricky and Lucy, on 1950s TV 5
33D 53. Far from house-trained 5
34D 56. Dodgy 4
35D 57. 100% 4
36D 58. End piece? 4
37D 59. Belinda's business on "The White Lotus" 3
38D 60. Prevail 3
39D 61. Some test figs. 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Short negative review"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Floor covering in a Japanese tearoom"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. "Bingo!""

11 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Stole material"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the expensive fur of a mink
  • Similar words include: mink coat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MINK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Southern denial"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Something tickled on a piano"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses
  • Similar words include: pearl, tusk, bone
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IVORY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. "Buy ___. They're not making it anymore" (old saying)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the land on which real estate is located
  • Similar words include: realm, down, commonwealth
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Philanthropic group with a clock face in its logo"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called `elk' in europe and `moose' in north america
  • Similar words include: Cervus elaphus, Alces alces, Cervus elaphus canadensis
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. The so-called "Pineapple Isle""

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an island of central hawaii; a pineapple-growing area
  • Similar words include: Lanai Island
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LANAI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Goes around and around"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fastener consisting of a metal ring for lining a small hole to permit the attachment of cords or lines
  • Similar words include: iteration, intertwine, loop topology
  • Opposite of: open circuit, uncoil
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOOPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Make sense, with "up""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders
  • Similar words include: minimal brain damage, append, sum
  • Opposite of: subtract, take away
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. "Maggie ___," classic folk song covered by the Beatles"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. ChatGPT, Claude, etc."

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an agency of the united states army responsible for providing timely and relevant and accurate and synchronized intelligence to tactical and operational and strategic level commanders
  • Similar words include: Army Intelligence, three-toed sloth, artificial insemination
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AIS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "21. Inflicts"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
  • Similar words include: wreak, work, play
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WREAKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. Muse of history"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (greek mythology) the muse of history
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLIO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "26. Lasting damage from a tough experience, metaphorically"

11 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "27. Milkshake flavor"

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!

18D: "28. Gospel shout"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a primeval egyptian personification of air and breath; worshipped especially at thebes
  • Similar words include: Amun, Amon
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "30. "Fountain of Milk Spreading Itself Uselessly on Three Shoes" painter, 1945"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that surrealist spanish painter (1904-1989)
  • Similar words include: Salvador Dali
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DALI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "31. Contented sounds"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a low vibrating sound typical of a contented cat
  • Similar words include: birr, whir, whiz
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PURRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "32. "Changed my mind," in editing notation"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that printing: cancel, as of a correction or deletion
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "35. Curl"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops
  • Similar words include: scroll, curlicue, gyre
  • Opposite of: uncoil
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COIL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "36. Hip-knee connectors"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the longest and thickest bone of the human skeleton; extends from the pelvis to the knee
  • Similar words include: thighbone, femoris, femur
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FEMURS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "37. Source of linseed oil"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fiber of the flax plant that is made into thread and woven into linen fabric
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLAX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. It's all a haze"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that air pollution by a mixture of smoke and fog
  • Similar words include: smogginess
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMOG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. Drug bust unit"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one thousand grams; the basic unit of mass adopted under the systeme international d'unites
  • Similar words include: kg, kilogram
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KILO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "43. Model Miranda"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "47. Make neat"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "48. Large-eyed African antelope with a duplicative name"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "49. Fixate"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that haunt like a ghost; pursue
  • Similar words include: haunt, ghost
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBSESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "51. Give out"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an important question that is in dispute and must be settled
  • Similar words include: topic, egress, subject
  • Opposite of: recall
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISSUE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "52. Neighbor of Ricky and Lucy, on 1950s TV"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "53. Far from house-trained"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that wild and menacing
  • Similar words include: ferine, savage
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FERAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "56. Dodgy"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that subject to accident or chance or change
  • Similar words include: fluky, flukey, chancy
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IFFY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "57. 100%"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that free of extraneous elements of any kind
  • Similar words include: everlasting, thoroughgoing, sodding
  • Opposite of: unsaturated, impure
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PURE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "58. End piece?"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography
  • Similar words include: necrology, obituary
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "59. Belinda's business on "The White Lotus""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a health resort near a spring or at the seaside
  • Similar words include: health spa, watering hole, resort hotel
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "60. Prevail"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a victory (as in a race or other competition)
  • Similar words include: bring home the bacon, acquire, advance
  • Opposite of: fall back, losings
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "61. Some test figs."

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a measure of a person's intelligence as indicated by an intelligence test; the ratio of a person's mental age to their chronological age (multiplied by 100)
  • Similar words include: IQ, intelligence quotient, I.Q.
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IQS

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
39 Down Clues
78 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 21, 2026 at 07:05 AM

Saturday, February 21, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers February 21, 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. Look to give nothing away? 10
2A 11. European city on the Bay of Angels 4
3A 15. Film subgenre exemplified by "The Thing" or "The Fly" 10
4A 16. Like some fixations 4
5A 17. It gets folded and pressed 10
6A 18. Split in two 4
7A 19. Posts on Insta 3
8A 20. The third primary chakra is located just above it 5
9A 21. Foundations of many dad jokes 4
10A 22. "Right, right, right" 4
11A 24. Yom Kippur topic 3
12A 25. Certain slip-on 6
13A 27. Merely hinted at 5
14A 29. Author of "The Fisherman and His Flute" 5
15A 31. Clip-on mic, for short 3
16A 32. Many great athletes play with it 4
17A 34. Architect's tool 7
18A 36. A cow can produce about 200 pounds of it a year 7
19A 39. In pieces 7
20A 40. Items of some import? 7
21A 41. Rachel ___, author of "Heated Rivalry" 4
22A 42. Savory latke topping 3
23A 43. Sidney who directed "12 Angry Men" 5
24A 45. "Quiet, you!" 5
25A 49. Formula 1 star, e.g. 6
26A 51. Shade similar to avocado 3
27A 53. "Sick!" 4
28A 54. On a chain, say 4
29A 55. A lot of paperwork 5
30A 57. The W.N.B.A.'s Mercury, on scoreboards 3
31A 58. Steps to a lively tune 4
32A 59. How low can you go? 10
33A 61. "Right now!" 4
34A 62. What roller coasters are designed to do 10
35A 63. Flat earth? 4
36A 64. Item for purchase with a question mark on its side 10

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Look to give nothing away?"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "11. European city on the Bay of Angels"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a city in southeastern france on the mediterranean; the leading resort on the french riviera
  • Similar words include: skillful, decent, gracious
  • Opposite of: nasty
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NICE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "15. Film subgenre exemplified by "The Thing" or "The Fly""

10 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "16. Like some fixations"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an examination conducted by spoken communication
  • Similar words include: unwritten, oral exam, oral examination
  • Opposite of: anal, aboral
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "17. It gets folded and pressed"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tortilla that is filled with cheese and heated
  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: QUESADILLA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. Split in two"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cutlery used for serving and eating food
  • Similar words include: branch, crotch, forking
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FORK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "19. Posts on Insta"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a chest in which coins from the mint are held to await assay
  • Similar words include: pix chest, pyx, pyx chest
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. The third primary chakra is located just above it"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a scar where the umbilical cord was attached
  • Similar words include: omphalus, belly button, omphalos
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAVEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. Foundations of many dad jokes"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a humorous play on words
  • Similar words include: paronomasia, pun, wordplay
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PUNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "22. "Right, right, right""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. Yom Kippur topic"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that estrangement from god
  • Similar words include: drop the ball, hell, boob
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "25. Certain slip-on"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a blanket-like cloak with a hole in the center for the head
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PONCHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "27. Merely hinted at"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that implied by or inferred from actions or statements
  • Similar words include: understood, silent
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TACIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "29. Author of "The Fisherman and His Flute""

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that greek author of fables (circa 620-560 bc)
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AESOP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "31. Clip-on mic, for short"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
  • Similar words include: lavatory, bathroom, can
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAV

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "32. Many great athletes play with it"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hard coarse-grained siliceous sandstone
  • Similar words include: gritstone, backbone, gumption
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "34. Architect's tool"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "36. A cow can produce about 200 pounds of it a year"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a colorless odorless gas used as a fuel
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: METHANE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "39. In pieces"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that widely separated especially in space
  • Similar words include: apart
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASUNDER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "40. Items of some import?"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "41. Rachel ___, author of "Heated Rivalry""

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that scottish philosopher of common sense who opposed the ideas of david hume (1710-1796)
  • Similar words include: Thomas Reid
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "42. Savory latke topping"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a bluish translucent magnetic liquid obtained by compressing gaseous oxygen and then cooling it below its boiling point; used as an oxidizer in rocket propellants
  • Similar words include: liquid oxygen
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "43. Sidney who directed "12 Angry Men""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "45. "Quiet, you!""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "49. Formula 1 star, e.g."

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the operator of a motor vehicle
  • Similar words include: number one wood, device driver
  • Opposite of: nondriver
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRIVER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "51. Shade similar to avocado"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that seed of a pea plant used for food
  • Similar words include: pea plant
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "53. "Sick!""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that street names for marijuana
  • Similar words include: sess, pot, cola
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "54. On a chain, say"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "55. A lot of paperwork"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
  • Similar words include: organize, forge, variant
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FORMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "57. The W.N.B.A.'s Mercury, on scoreboards"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "58. Steps to a lively tune"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that music in three-four time for dancing a jig
  • Similar words include: gigue, jig
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JIGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "59. How low can you go?"

10 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "61. "Right now!""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that as soon as possible
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "62. What roller coasters are designed to do"

10 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fill with sublime emotion
  • Similar words include: beatify, thrill, tickle pink
  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EXHILARATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "63. Flat earth?"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that flat tableland with steep edges
  • Similar words include: table
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MESA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "64. Item for purchase with a question mark on its side"

10 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Smoking spot 6
2D 2. Mrs. John Quincy Adams 6
3D 3. Campaign leader, informally 6
4D 4. Overseer of the Erie Canal, in brief 3
5D 5. "Star Trek" villain played by Ricardo Montalbán 4
6D 6. Some diner drinks 5
7D 7. They might have all the answers 10
8D 8. Pink-furred cat in "Garfield" 6
9D 9. With 26-Down, basic instruction to a dog 4
10D 10. New ___ (official cap maker for M.L.B.) 3
11D 11. Like a spoilsport 5
12D 12. Totally foolproof 8
13D 13. Many key changes take place in it 8
14D 14. Herd at Yellowstone 3
15D 21. It's a surprise, of course! 7
16D 23. Chinese symbol of prosperity 5
17D 25. Group of companions 5
18D 26. See 9-Down 4
19D 28. Followed surreptitiously 7
20D 30. Beginner's set 10
21D 33. Rack up 5
22D 35. Ruined 5
23D 36. Blend into one 4
24D 37. Free spirits? 8
25D 38. Hydrogen sulfide, e.g. 8
26D 44. Big times 6
27D 46. You might hear a hiss when it's pulled 6
28D 47. Defunct image editor 6
29D 48. Chile con carne cuisine 6
30D 50. Hornet genus 5
31D 52. Take a constitutional 5
32D 55. Cunning 4
33D 56. Go to the moon 4
34D 58. Play together, in a way 3
35D 59. Phase for dreamers 3
36D 60. "___ me!" 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Smoking spot"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Mrs. John Quincy Adams"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Campaign leader, informally"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Overseer of the Erie Canal, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mid-atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
  • Similar words include: Empire State, New York, NY
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NYS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. "Star Trek" villain played by Ricardo Montalbán"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a title given to rulers or other important people in asian countries
  • Similar words include: caravansary, caravan inn, caravanserai
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KHAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Some diner drinks"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sodium salt of carbonic acid; used in making soap powders and glass and paper
  • Similar words include: sodium carbonate, sal soda, washing soda
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SODAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. They might have all the answers"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Pink-furred cat in "Garfield""

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. With 26-Down, basic instruction to a dog"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that rotary motion of an object around its own axis
  • Similar words include: rolling, curlicue, range
  • Opposite of: unwind
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROLL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. New ___ (official cap maker for M.L.B.)"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event
  • Similar words include: geological era, earned run average, epoch
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Like a spoilsport"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Totally foolproof"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a wooden warship of the 19th century that is plated with iron or steel armor
  • Similar words include: brassbound
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRONCLAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Many key changes take place in it"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. Herd at Yellowstone"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called `elk' in europe and `moose' in north america
  • Similar words include: moose, Alces alces, Cervus elaphus canadensis
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "21. It's a surprise, of course!"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "23. Chinese symbol of prosperity"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one
  • Similar words include: Ashcan School, eighter from Decatur, eight-spot
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EIGHT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Group of companions"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a temporary police force
  • Similar words include: posse comitatus
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POSSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. See 9-Down"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch
  • Similar words include: ended, all over, complete
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. Followed surreptitiously"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that to lag or linger behind
  • Similar words include: chase after, tail, tag
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRAILED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "30. Beginner's set"

10 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "33. Rack up"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make oneself subject to; bring upon oneself; become liable to
  • Similar words include: obtain, find, receive
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INCUR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "35. Ruined"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cancel, annul, or reverse an action or its effect
  • Similar words include: loosen, undo, unmake
  • Opposite of: wrap, make
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNDID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "36. Blend into one"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a form of rummy using two decks of cards and four jokers; jokers and deuces are wild; the object is to form groups of the same rank
  • Similar words include: flux, fuse, mix
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MELD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "37. Free spirits?"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that expel through adjuration or prayers
  • Similar words include: exorcize
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EXORCISE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Hydrogen sulfide, e.g."

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "44. Big times"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event
  • Similar words include: date of reference, era, epoch
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPOCHS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "46. You might hear a hiss when it's pulled"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "47. Defunct image editor"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "48. Chile con carne cuisine"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "50. Hornet genus"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that type genus of the vespidae: various hornets and yellow jackets
  • Similar words include: genus Vespa
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VESPA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "52. Take a constitutional"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a leisurely walk (usually in some public place)
  • Similar words include: promenade, stroll, saunter
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMBLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "55. Cunning"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that marked by skill in deception
  • Similar words include: sly, dodgy, guileful
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FOXY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "56. Go to the moon"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the act of rising upward into the air
  • Similar words include: sailplane, zoom, soar upwards
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "58. Play together, in a way"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that preserve of crushed fruit
  • Similar words include: muddle, mess, ram
  • Opposite of: free
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "59. Phase for dreamers"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a recurring sleep state during which dreaming occurs; a state of rapidly shifting eye movements during sleep
  • Similar words include: paradoxical sleep, REM sleep, rapid eye movement sleep
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "60. "___ me!""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
  • Similar words include: test, render, sample
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRY

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

36 Across Clues
36 Down Clues
72 Total Clues

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Last updated: February 21, 2026 at 04:50 AM