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Sunday, September 28, 2025

NYT Down Clues Answers September 28, 2025 - All 69 Vertical Solutions & Expert Hints

NYT Down Today September 28, 2025: Complete Vertical Clues Walkthrough

Quick Summary: Today's NYT Crossword has 69 Down clues. We have all the vertical answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!

Related Puzzles: June 22 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | January 24 2024 NYT Clues Solutions | August 12 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |

About Today's Down Clues

NYT Down clues solutions for September 28, 2025
NYT Down Clues - Sunday, September 28, 2025
Down Clues Statistics
Detail Information
Date September 28, 2025
Day of Week Sunday
Total Down Clues 69 clues
Direction Vertical (Top to Bottom)
Difficulty Tricky

All Down Clues - Complete List

Here are all 69 Down clues for today's puzzle. These go vertically from top to bottom.

Complete Down Clues List
Number Clue
1 Down 1. Title heroine described as "handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition"
2 Down 2. Dough
3 Down 3. Fly-catching bird with a name derived from Greek
4 Down 4. Driveway goo
5 Down 5. As a whole
6 Down 6. Moves elsewhere
7 Down 7. Tenured profs, often
8 Down 8. Small battery … or an org. that might help with a battery
9 Down 9. It's all in your head
10 Down 10. Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, in the Bible
11 Down 11. Book after Song of Solomon
12 Down 12. French cocktail made with crème de cassis
13 Down 13. Mirrored
14 Down 14. Reasoned conclusion
15 Down 15. Brewski
16 Down 16. Bulldog fan in Connecticut
17 Down 17. Santa ___
18 Down 18. Stellar
19 Down 19. Van ___ Avenue, thoroughfare in San Francisco
20 Down 28. Minds one's P's and Q's
21 Down 31. Contribute (to), as one's reputation
22 Down 34. Been asleep, say
23 Down 35. Texter's "Beats me"
24 Down 36. Small inlet
25 Down 38. Li'l
26 Down 43. One-named singer born in Nigeria
27 Down 45. Skier's conveyance
28 Down 46. Online site for DIYers
29 Down 47. Time out, perhaps
30 Down 48. Info commonly shown on a board game box
31 Down 50. Clown around with food?
32 Down 51. City SE of Phoenix
33 Down 52. Purpose of some cameras
34 Down 55. Reaches a shared opinion about
35 Down 56. Holistic contentment
36 Down 57. Some beans or sauces
37 Down 59. "E pluribus ___"
38 Down 62. Sport
39 Down 65. Matrix
40 Down 67. Sun bloc?
41 Down 68. Pretty ___ picture
42 Down 70. Moving around
43 Down 72. Attack
44 Down 74. You can put a ring on it
45 Down 76. Back
46 Down 78. Came back, as hair
47 Down 79. Music's Fatboy Slim and David Guetta, informally
48 Down 81. Error message on a Blu-ray device
49 Down 83. Targeted (to)
50 Down 85. Key for a quick exit
51 Down 92. Boils with rage
52 Down 95. Liberal-leaning
53 Down 97. Chinese "nut" that's really a fruit
54 Down 98. Makes small in comparison
55 Down 99. Government debt obligations, familiarly
56 Down 100. 40 winks
57 Down 101. ___ fatale
58 Down 102. Gets 40 winks
59 Down 103. Letter-shaped train track piece
60 Down 104. "To ___ own self be true"
61 Down 105. Sharpened
62 Down 106. George of "Star Trek"
63 Down 107. Bad thing to discover in the pantry
64 Down 108. AA or JJ, e.g.
65 Down 111. Jazz singer Sylvia ___
66 Down 113. Come to
67 Down 114. "For sure"
68 Down 116. Org. that merged with the U.F.C. in 2023
69 Down 117. Kind of party

Detailed Hints and Answers for All Down Clues

Need help? Here are comprehensive hints and answers for each Down clue. Also check these helpful guides:

Complete Down Solutions:

1 Down: "1. Title heroine described as "handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition""

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
  • Word pattern: E__A
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 1

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer EMMA

2 Down: "2. Dough"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'M' and ends with 'H'
  • Word pattern: M____H
  • Similar words: clams, kale
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: informal terms for money
  • This is Down clue number 2

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer MOOLAH

3 Down: "3. Fly-catching bird with a name derived from Greek"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: P____E
  • Similar words: Sayornis phoebe, quintet
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
  • This is Down clue number 3

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer PHOEBE

4 Down: "4. Driveway goo"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
  • Similar words: mariner, pitch
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 4

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer TAR

5 Down: "5. As a whole"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'O' and ends with 'L'
  • Word pattern: O_____L
  • Similar words: boilers suit, boilersuit
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 5

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer OVERALL

6 Down: "6. Moves elsewhere"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: R_______S
  • Similar words: resettle
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: settle in a new place
  • This is Down clue number 6

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer RESETTLES

7 Down: "7. Tenured profs, often"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'P' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: P__S
  • Similar words: PhD, Ph.D.
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 7

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer PHDS

8 Down: "8. Small battery … or an org. that might help with a battery"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 8

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer AAA

9 Down: "9. It's all in your head"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: P____E
  • Similar words: soul, mind
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 9

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer PSYCHE

10 Down: "10. Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, in the Bible"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'L'
  • Word pattern: R____L
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 10

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer RACHEL

11 Down: "11. Book after Song of Solomon"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'I' and ends with 'H'
  • Word pattern: I____H
  • Similar words: Book of Isaiah
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 11

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ISAIAH

12 Down: "12. French cocktail made with crème de cassis"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'K' and ends with 'R'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 12

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer KIR

13 Down: "13. Mirrored"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: A__D
  • Similar words: caricature, ape
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: imitate uncritically and in every aspect
  • This is Down clue number 13

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer APED

14 Down: "14. Reasoned conclusion"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'I' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: I_______E
  • Similar words: illation
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 14

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer INFERENCE

15 Down: "15. Brewski"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: C_____E
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 15

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer COLDONE

16 Down: "16. Bulldog fan in Connecticut"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'I'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 16

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ELI

17 Down: "17. Santa ___"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'M' and ends with 'A'
  • Word pattern: M____A
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 17

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer MONICA

18 Down: "18. Stellar"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
  • Word pattern: A____L
  • Similar words: stellar
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: being or relating to or resembling or emanating from stars
  • This is Down clue number 18

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ASTRAL

19 Down: "19. Van ___ Avenue, thoroughfare in San Francisco"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'N' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: N__S
  • Similar words: cape
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a strip of land projecting into a body of water
  • This is Down clue number 19

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer NESS

20 Down: "28. Minds one's P's and Q's"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'B' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: B_____S
  • Similar words: behave, carry
  • Opposite of: misbehave
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 20

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer BEHAVES

21 Down: "31. Contribute (to), as one's reputation"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: R_____D
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: return or recoil
  • This is Down clue number 21

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer REDOUND

22 Down: "34. Been asleep, say"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'L' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: L__N
  • Similar words: lie in, rest
  • Opposite of: stand
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
  • This is Down clue number 22

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer LAIN

23 Down: "35. Texter's "Beats me""

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'I' and ends with 'K'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 23

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer IDK

24 Down: "36. Small inlet"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'A'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 24

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer RIA

25 Down: "38. Li'l"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'I' and ends with 'Y'
  • Word pattern: I__Y
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 25

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ITSY

26 Down: "43. One-named singer born in Nigeria"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: S__E
  • Similar words: de Sade, Marquis de Sade
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 26

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SADE

27 Down: "45. Skier's conveyance"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'T' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: T__R
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 27

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer TBAR

28 Down: "46. Online site for DIYers"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'W'
  • Word pattern: E__W
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 28

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer EHOW

29 Down: "47. Time out, perhaps"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'V' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: V______N
  • Similar words: holiday
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
  • This is Down clue number 29

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer VACATION

30 Down: "48. Info commonly shown on a board game box"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'L'
  • Word pattern: A______L
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 30

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer AGELEVEL

31 Down: "50. Clown around with food?"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'M' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: M______D
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 31

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer MCDONALD

32 Down: "51. City SE of Phoenix"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'C' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: C______R
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 32

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer CHANDLER

33 Down: "52. Purpose of some cameras"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'Y'
  • Word pattern: S______Y
  • Similar words: security system, certificate
  • Opposite of: insecurity
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: the state of being free from danger or injury
  • This is Down clue number 33

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SECURITY

34 Down: "55. Reaches a shared opinion about"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: A______N
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 34

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer AGREESON

35 Down: "56. Holistic contentment"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'W' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: W______S
  • Similar words: health
  • Opposite of: illness
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
  • This is Down clue number 35

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer WELLNESS

36 Down: "57. Some beans or sauces"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: S__S
  • Similar words: soy, soja bean
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 36

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SOYS

37 Down: "59. "E pluribus ___""

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'U' and ends with 'M'
  • Word pattern: U__M
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 37

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer UNUM

38 Down: "62. Sport"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'W' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: W__R
  • Similar words: fag, wear out
  • Opposite of: refresh
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: impairment resulting from long use
  • This is Down clue number 38

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer WEAR

39 Down: "65. Matrix"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'Y'
  • Word pattern: A___Y
  • Similar words: regalia, range
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: an orderly arrangement
  • This is Down clue number 39

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ARRAY

40 Down: "67. Sun bloc?"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'N' and ends with 'A'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 40

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer NBA

41 Down: "68. Pretty ___ picture"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'A'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 41

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ASA

42 Down: "70. Moving around"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: A___R
  • Similar words: about, up
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: out of bed
  • This is Down clue number 42

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ASTIR

43 Down: "72. Attack"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: S_____N
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 43

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SETUPON

44 Down: "74. You can put a ring on it"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: E_____E
  • Similar words: ear lobe
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: the fleshy pendulous part of the external human ear
  • This is Down clue number 44

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer EARLOBE

45 Down: "76. Back"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'D' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: D____D
  • Similar words: fight down, oppose
  • Opposite of: attack
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: argue or speak in defense of
  • This is Down clue number 45

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer DEFEND

46 Down: "78. Came back, as hair"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'G' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: G____N
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 46

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer GREWIN

47 Down: "79. Music's Fatboy Slim and David Guetta, informally"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
  • Similar words: disk jockey, disk-jockey
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a person who announces and plays popular recorded music
  • This is Down clue number 47

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer DJS

48 Down: "81. Error message on a Blu-ray device"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'N' and ends with 'C'
  • Word pattern: N____C
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 48

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer NODISC

49 Down: "83. Targeted (to)"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'G' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: G____D
  • Similar words: pitch, gear
  • Opposite of: ungeared
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: set the level or character of
  • This is Down clue number 49

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer GEARED

50 Down: "85. Key for a quick exit"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'E' and ends with 'C'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 50

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ESC

51 Down: "92. Boils with rage"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: S_____D
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 51

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SEESRED

52 Down: "95. Liberal-leaning"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'L' and ends with 'T'
  • Word pattern: L_____T
  • Similar words: left-of-center, left-wing
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a person who belongs to the political left
  • This is Down clue number 52

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer LEFTIST

53 Down: "97. Chinese "nut" that's really a fruit"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'L' and ends with 'I'
  • Word pattern: L____I
  • Similar words: litchi nut, litchi tree
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 53

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer LITCHI

54 Down: "98. Makes small in comparison"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'D' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: D____S
  • Similar words: overshadow, nanus
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a person who is markedly small
  • This is Down clue number 54

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer DWARFS

55 Down: "99. Government debt obligations, familiarly"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: T____S
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 55

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer TBONDS

56 Down: "100. 40 winks"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'A'
  • Word pattern: S____A
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a nap in the early afternoon (especially in hot countries)
  • This is Down clue number 56

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SIESTA

57 Down: "101. ___ fatale"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: F___E
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 57

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer FEMME

58 Down: "102. Gets 40 winks"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: R___S
  • Similar words: ease, rest
  • Opposite of: be active
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: something left after other parts have been taken away
  • This is Down clue number 58

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer RESTS

59 Down: "103. Letter-shaped train track piece"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'I' and ends with 'L'
  • Word pattern: I___L
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 59

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer IRAIL

60 Down: "104. "To ___ own self be true""

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: T___E
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 60

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer THINE

61 Down: "105. Sharpened"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'H' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: H___D
  • Similar words: hone, perfect
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: sharpen with a hone
  • This is Down clue number 61

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer HONED

62 Down: "106. George of "Star Trek""

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'T' and ends with 'I'
  • Word pattern: T___I
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 62

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer TAKEI

63 Down: "107. Bad thing to discover in the pantry"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'L'
  • Word pattern: S___L
  • Similar words: odour, scent
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 63

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SMELL

64 Down: "108. AA or JJ, e.g."

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'P' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: P__R
  • Similar words: yoke, partner off
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a set of two similar things considered as a unit
  • This is Down clue number 64

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer PAIR

65 Down: "111. Jazz singer Sylvia ___"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: S__S
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 65

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer SYMS

66 Down: "113. Come to"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
  • Similar words: follow, live
  • Opposite of: differ
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: a unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters
  • This is Down clue number 66

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer ARE

67 Down: "114. "For sure""

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'S'
  • Opposite of: no
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: an affirmative
  • This is Down clue number 67

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer YES

68 Down: "116. Org. that merged with the U.F.C. in 2023"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'W' and ends with 'E'
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • This is Down clue number 68

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer WWE

69 Down: "117. Kind of party"

Helpful hints for this Down clue:

  • This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
  • It starts with 'H' and ends with 'N'
  • Similar words: biddy
  • This is an abbreviation or acronym
  • Definition: adult female chicken
  • This is Down clue number 69

Answer:

Click to reveal the Down answer HEN

Expert Strategies for Solving Down Clues

Master the vertical clues with these professional tips:

Why Start with Down Clues?

  • Down clues often reveal key letters for intersecting words
  • Vertical patterns can unlock difficult sections
  • Many prefixes and suffixes run vertically
  • Down answers often help solve Across clues

Down Clue Patterns to Recognize

  1. Fill-in-the-blank clues: These are usually the easiest Down entries
  2. Prefixes and suffixes: Common word parts often run vertically
  3. Abbreviations: Look for clues with "Abbr." or shortened forms
  4. Plural indicators: Words ending in 'S' are common in Down
  5. Pop culture references: Names and titles often appear vertically

Time-Saving Down Techniques

Technique How It Helps
Scan all Down first Get a mental map of the vertical flow
Fill short Down words 3-4 letter words are often prefixes or connectors
Use crossing letters Across letters help confirm Down answers
Look for themes Related Down answers often share a theme

Frequently Asked Questions About Down Clues

What are Down clues in crossword puzzles?

Down clues are the vertical entries in a crossword puzzle that read from top to bottom. They're numbered and correspond to specific columns in the grid.

Should I solve Down or Across clues first?

Many solvers alternate between Down and Across clues to build momentum. Down clues can help unlock difficult sections by providing key intersecting letters. The best approach is to solve the clues you find easiest first, regardless of direction.

How many Down clues are in today's puzzle?

Today's NYT crossword has 69 Down clues.

Are Down clues easier than Across clues?

Neither direction is inherently easier. The difficulty depends on the specific clues and your knowledge. However, Down clues often contain helpful prefixes, suffixes, and word parts that can be easier to guess.

How do Down clues interact with Across clues?

Down and Across clues intersect at various points in the grid. Solving one can provide letters that help solve the other, making the puzzle easier as you progress.

About This Page: We provide comprehensive Down clues solutions and hints for the NYT Crossword to help you improve your solving skills. This site is not affiliated with The New York Times.

Last Updated: September 28, 2025 at 05:12 AM

Search terms: NYT Down, Down clues, vertical, crossword answers, top to bottom, September 28 2025 down clues

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XWordHint Crossword Answers September 28, 2025 | 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

September 28, 2025 NYT Crossword Solutions

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. Caveat ___ ("Buyer beware") 6
2A 7. Spice that's characteristic of Hungarian cooking 7
3A 14. Marvel Comics mutant who can freeze his own body 6
4A 20. Arizona county or Indigenous people 6
5A 21. Tries some water, say 7
6A 22. Like a win-win situation 6
7A 23. ___ law, concept in computing technology 6
8A 24. Alternative to a nanny 7
9A 25. Fire starters 6
10A 26. Contents of a flagon 3
11A 27. Ole Miss athletes, to fans 4
12A 29. X 3
13A 30. ___ Scott, whom the Supreme Court said was not free to sue for his freedom 4
14A 32. Org. not getting many happy returns? 3
15A 33. Remove surgically, as tissue 6
16A 35. "They tell me …" 5
17A 37. Beethoven symphony originally intended to honor Napoleon 6
18A 39. Class that might cause some high schoolers to blush 6
19A 40. Sprawling Indian metropolis 5
20A 41. Like some bridges 6
21A 42. "Let me check on that" 6
22A 44. Expiates, with "for" 6
23A 46. Man's name that's 49-Across plus a letter 4
24A 49. Woman's name that's the first three letters of 46-Across 3
25A 50. Rap battle participants 3
26A 53. Tampa Bay athlete, in brief 3
27A 54. Twists off course, as a ship 4
28A 58. Witch 3
29A 59. Exploited 4
30A 60. "Weekend Update" co-host Michael 3
31A 61. All over again 4
32A 63. ___Guessr, hit online game whose players deduce locations from Google Street View images 3
33A 64. Where a hurricane forms 5
34A 66. Wish someone "Happy Birthday," perhaps 9
35A 69. At dawn, say 5
36A 71. Mammal with long whiskers 6
37A 73. Extra 5
38A 74. They stand for art 6
39A 75. Called 6
40A 77. ___ Day, Billie Holiday's portrayer in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" 5
41A 78. Celebrity chef Ina 6
42A 79. Demanding entertainer 4
43A 80. X 3
44A 82. He was né Clay 3
45A 83. Watchdog's warning 3
46A 84. Words of understanding 4
47A 86. Outback baby 4
48A 87. Familiar initialism coined by a U.S. Air Force captain 3
49A 88. Do-over at Wimbledon 3
50A 89. Kind of sauce at a sushi bar 3
51A 90. Sewer in American history 4
52A 91. "Weekend Update" show, for short 3
53A 92. Zipped 4
54A 93. Like some alcohol … or places that prohibit alcohol 3
55A 94. Not present and not excused, for short 4
56A 96. Foreign policy grp. 3
57A 97. Brezhnev of the Soviet Union 6
58A 99. Cherokee and Cheyenne 6
59A 101. Relationship featuring casual intimacy … or a hint to six pairs of intersecting answers in this puzzle 19
60A 108. Starbucks competitor 5
61A 109. Spot for an ornament 7
62A 110. Giants in California and New York 5
63A 112. "Beat it!" 7
64A 115. Actor Wilson of "The Office" 5
65A 116. Rye, e.g. 7
66A 118. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!" 7
67A 119. Like slow filers and fast drivers, at times 5
68A 120. Furniture retailer owned by Williams-Sonoma 7
69A 121. Lives (in) 7
70A 122. Iditarod transports 5
71A 123. Involves 7

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Caveat ___ ("Buyer beware")"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who buys
  • Similar words include: buyer, purchaser, vendee
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMPTOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "7. Spice that's characteristic of Hungarian cooking"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that plant bearing large mild thick-walled usually bell-shaped fruits; the principal salad peppers
  • Similar words include: sweet pepper plant, pimiento, pimento
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAPRIKA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "14. Marvel Comics mutant who can freeze his own body"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that someone who cuts and delivers ice
  • Similar words include: hatchet man
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ICEMAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "20. Arizona county or Indigenous people"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the north american indian people formerly living in the colorado river valley in arizona and nevada and california
  • Similar words include: Mojave Desert, Mojave, Mohave Desert
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOHAVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "21. Tries some water, say"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "22. Like a win-win situation"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "23. ___ law, concept in computing technology"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states composer of works noted for their use of the american vernacular (1893-1969)
  • Similar words include: Moore, G. E. Moore, tie up
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOORES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "24. Alternative to a nanny"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that childcare during the day while parents work
  • Similar words include: day care
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DAYCARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "25. Fire starters"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony
  • Similar words include: Flint, Flint River, flint
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLINTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "26. Contents of a flagon"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the united states an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "27. Ole Miss athletes, to fans"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that `johnny' was applied as a nickname for confederate soldiers by the federal soldiers in the american civil war; `greyback' derived from their grey confederate uniforms
  • Similar words include: Johnny, greyback, Reb
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REBS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "29. X"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the circulating life energy that in chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health
  • Similar words include: khi, qi, ch'i
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "30. ___ Scott, whom the Supreme Court said was not free to sue for his freedom"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "32. Org. not getting many happy returns?"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the bureau of the treasury department responsible for tax collections
  • Similar words include: Internal Revenue Service
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "33. Remove surgically, as tissue"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that wear away through erosion or vaporization
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABLATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "35. "They tell me …""

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "37. Beethoven symphony originally intended to honor Napoleon"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "39. Class that might cause some high schoolers to blush"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
  • Similar words include: wellness
  • Opposite of: illness
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEALTH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "40. Sprawling Indian metropolis"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a city in north central india
  • Similar words include: Old Delhi
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DELHI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "41. Like some bridges"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a consonant articulated with the tip of the tongue near the gum ridge
  • Similar words include: dental consonant, alveolar, alveolar consonant
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DENTAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "42. "Let me check on that""

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "44. Expiates, with "for""

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make amends for
  • Similar words include: abye, aby, atone
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATONES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "46. Man's name that's 49-Across plus a letter"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "49. Woman's name that's the first three letters of 46-Across"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "50. Rap battle participants"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one million periods per second
  • Similar words include: MHz, megacycle per second, megacycle
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MCS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "53. Tampa Bay athlete, in brief"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "54. Twists off course, as a ship"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an infectious tropical disease resembling syphilis in its early stages; marked by red skin eruptions and ulcerating lesions
  • Similar words include: framboesia, swerve, yawn
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YAWS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "58. Witch"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an ugly evil-looking old woman
  • Similar words include: beldam, crone, slime eels
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "59. Exploited"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
  • Similar words include: apply, victimized, use
  • Opposite of: misused
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: USED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "60. "Weekend Update" co-host Michael"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "61. All over again"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that again but in a new or different way
  • Similar words include: afresh
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANEW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "63. ___Guessr, hit online game whose players deduce locations from Google Street View images"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "64. Where a hurricane forms"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
  • Similar words include: sea
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCEAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "66. Wish someone "Happy Birthday," perhaps"

9 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "69. At dawn, say"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
  • Similar words include: early on, betimes, too soon
  • Opposite of: late, middle
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EARLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "71. Mammal with long whiskers"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber
  • Similar words include: sea horse, seahorse
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WALRUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "73. Extra"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that anything that tends to arouse
  • Similar words include: fillip, incentive
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BONUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "74. They stand for art"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an upright tripod for displaying something (usually an artist's canvas)
  • Similar words include: easel
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EASELS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "75. Called"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that name formally or designate with a term
  • Similar words include: term
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TERMED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40A: "77. ___ Day, Billie Holiday's portrayer in "The United States vs. Billie Holiday""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41A: "78. Celebrity chef Ina"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

42A: "79. Demanding entertainer"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a distinguished female operatic singer; a female operatic star
  • Similar words include: prima donna
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIVA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

43A: "80. X"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
  • Similar words include: x, tenner, X
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

44A: "82. He was né Clay"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942)
  • Similar words include: Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali, Cassius Marcellus Clay
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

45A: "83. Watchdog's warning"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

46A: "84. Words of understanding"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

47A: "86. Outback baby"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

48A: "87. Familiar initialism coined by a U.S. Air Force captain"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

49A: "88. Do-over at Wimbledon"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a brutal terrorist group active in kashmir; fights against india with the goal of restoring islamic rule of india
  • Similar words include: get, countenance, Lashkar-e-Taiba
  • Opposite of: disallow, prevent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

50A: "89. Kind of sauce at a sushi bar"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

51A: "90. Sewer in American history"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that scottish explorer who led arctic expeditions that yielded geographic discoveries while searching for the northwest passage (1777-1856)
  • Similar words include: John Ross, Nellie Ross, Betsy Griscom Ross
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROSS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

52A: "91. "Weekend Update" show, for short"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

53A: "92. Zipped"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that move faster
  • Similar words include: rush along, pelt along, belt along
  • Opposite of: linger, decelerate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

54A: "93. Like some alcohol … or places that prohibit alcohol"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages
  • Similar words include: prohibitionist, ironical, teetotal
  • Opposite of: phlegmy, sweet
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

55A: "94. Not present and not excused, for short"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one who is away or absent without leave
  • Similar words include: truant
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AWOL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

56A: "96. Foreign policy grp."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a committee in the executive branch of government that advises the president on foreign and military and national security; supervises the central intelligence agency
  • Similar words include: National Security Council
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NSC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

57A: "97. Brezhnev of the Soviet Union"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

58A: "99. Cherokee and Cheyenne"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a social division of (usually preliterate) people
  • Similar words include: kindred, kinship group, kin
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRIBES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

59A: "101. Relationship featuring casual intimacy … or a hint to six pairs of intersecting answers in this puzzle"

19 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___________________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FRIENDSWITHBENEFITS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

60A: "108. Starbucks competitor"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

61A: "109. Spot for an ornament"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

62A: "110. Giants in California and New York"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

63A: "112. "Beat it!""

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

64A: "115. Actor Wilson of "The Office""

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

65A: "116. Rye, e.g."

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a liquor made from fermented mash of grain
  • Similar words include: whisky
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHISKEY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

66A: "118. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!""

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

67A: "119. Like slow filers and fast drivers, at times"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that issue a ticket or a fine to as a penalty
  • Similar words include: fine, fin, break water
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FINED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

68A: "120. Furniture retailer owned by Williams-Sonoma"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

69A: "121. Lives (in)"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make one's home in a particular place or community
  • Similar words include: rest, reside, lodge in
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RESIDES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

70A: "122. Iditarod transports"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
  • Similar words include: sleigh, sledge, sled
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLEDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

71A: "123. Involves"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that land received by fee tail
  • Similar words include: imply, fee-tail, implicate
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENTAILS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Title heroine described as "handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition" 4
2D 2. Dough 6
3D 3. Fly-catching bird with a name derived from Greek 6
4D 4. Driveway goo 3
5D 5. As a whole 7
6D 6. Moves elsewhere 9
7D 7. Tenured profs, often 4
8D 8. Small battery … or an org. that might help with a battery 3
9D 9. It's all in your head 6
10D 10. Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, in the Bible 6
11D 11. Book after Song of Solomon 6
12D 12. French cocktail made with crème de cassis 3
13D 13. Mirrored 4
14D 14. Reasoned conclusion 9
15D 15. Brewski 7
16D 16. Bulldog fan in Connecticut 3
17D 17. Santa ___ 6
18D 18. Stellar 6
19D 19. Van ___ Avenue, thoroughfare in San Francisco 4
20D 28. Minds one's P's and Q's 7
21D 31. Contribute (to), as one's reputation 7
22D 34. Been asleep, say 4
23D 35. Texter's "Beats me" 3
24D 36. Small inlet 3
25D 38. Li'l 4
26D 43. One-named singer born in Nigeria 4
27D 45. Skier's conveyance 4
28D 46. Online site for DIYers 4
29D 47. Time out, perhaps 8
30D 48. Info commonly shown on a board game box 8
31D 50. Clown around with food? 8
32D 51. City SE of Phoenix 8
33D 52. Purpose of some cameras 8
34D 55. Reaches a shared opinion about 8
35D 56. Holistic contentment 8
36D 57. Some beans or sauces 4
37D 59. "E pluribus ___" 4
38D 62. Sport 4
39D 65. Matrix 5
40D 67. Sun bloc? 3
41D 68. Pretty ___ picture 3
42D 70. Moving around 5
43D 72. Attack 7
44D 74. You can put a ring on it 7
45D 76. Back 6
46D 78. Came back, as hair 6
47D 79. Music's Fatboy Slim and David Guetta, informally 3
48D 81. Error message on a Blu-ray device 6
49D 83. Targeted (to) 6
50D 85. Key for a quick exit 3
51D 92. Boils with rage 7
52D 95. Liberal-leaning 7
53D 97. Chinese "nut" that's really a fruit 6
54D 98. Makes small in comparison 6
55D 99. Government debt obligations, familiarly 6
56D 100. 40 winks 6
57D 101. ___ fatale 5
58D 102. Gets 40 winks 5
59D 103. Letter-shaped train track piece 5
60D 104. "To ___ own self be true" 5
61D 105. Sharpened 5
62D 106. George of "Star Trek" 5
63D 107. Bad thing to discover in the pantry 5
64D 108. AA or JJ, e.g. 4
65D 111. Jazz singer Sylvia ___ 4
66D 113. Come to 3
67D 114. "For sure" 3
68D 116. Org. that merged with the U.F.C. in 2023 3
69D 117. Kind of party 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Title heroine described as "handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Dough"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal terms for money
  • Similar words include: lucre, gelt, simoleons
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOOLAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Fly-catching bird with a name derived from Greek"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
  • Similar words include: quint, quintuplet, pentad
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PHOEBE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Driveway goo"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
  • Similar words include: seaman, sea dog, Jack
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. As a whole"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (usually plural) work clothing consisting of denim trousers (usually with a bib and shoulder straps)
  • Similar words include: boilers suit, boilersuit
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVERALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Moves elsewhere"

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that settle in a new place
  • Similar words include: resettle
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RESETTLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Tenured profs, often"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a doctorate usually based on at least 3 years graduate study and a dissertation; the highest degree awarded graduate study
  • Similar words include: Ph.D., PhD
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PHDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Small battery … or an org. that might help with a battery"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta associated with old age and hypertension
  • Similar words include: abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AAA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. It's all in your head"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason
  • Similar words include: mind, nous, head
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PSYCHE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Mother of Joseph and Benjamin, in the Bible"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old testament) the second wife of jacob and mother of joseph and benjamin
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RACHEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Book after Song of Solomon"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old testament) the first of the major hebrew prophets (8th century bc)
  • Similar words include: Book of Isaiah
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISAIAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. French cocktail made with crème de cassis"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Mirrored"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that imitate uncritically and in every aspect
  • Similar words include: ape, caricature
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. Reasoned conclusion"

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation
  • Similar words include: illation
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INFERENCE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "15. Brewski"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "16. Bulldog fan in Connecticut"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "17. Santa ___"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "18. Stellar"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that being or relating to or resembling or emanating from stars
  • Similar words include: stellar
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASTRAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "19. Van ___ Avenue, thoroughfare in San Francisco"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a strip of land projecting into a body of water
  • Similar words include: cape
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "28. Minds one's P's and Q's"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself
  • Similar words include: carry, bear, behave
  • Opposite of: misbehave
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEHAVES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Contribute (to), as one's reputation"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that return or recoil
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REDOUND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "34. Been asleep, say"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
  • Similar words include: rest, lie, dwell
  • Opposite of: arise, stand
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "35. Texter's "Beats me""

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "36. Small inlet"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Li'l"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "43. One-named singer born in Nigeria"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that french soldier and writer whose descriptions of sexual perversion gave rise to the term `sadism' (1740-1814)
  • Similar words include: Comte Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade, Marquis de Sade, de Sade
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SADE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "45. Skier's conveyance"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "46. Online site for DIYers"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "47. Time out, perhaps"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
  • Similar words include: holiday
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VACATION

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "48. Info commonly shown on a board game box"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "50. Clown around with food?"

8 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "51. City SE of Phoenix"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states writer of detective thrillers featuring the character of philip marlowe (1888-1959)
  • Similar words include: Raymond Chandler, Raymond Thornton Chandler
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHANDLER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "52. Purpose of some cameras"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the state of being free from danger or injury
  • Similar words include: security system, security department, security measures
  • Opposite of: insecurity
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SECURITY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "55. Reaches a shared opinion about"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "56. Holistic contentment"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
  • Similar words include: health
  • Opposite of: illness
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WELLNESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "57. Some beans or sauces"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a source of oil; used for forage and soil improvement and as food
  • Similar words include: soybean plant, soy, Glycine max
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOYS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "59. "E pluribus ___""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "62. Sport"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that impairment resulting from long use
  • Similar words include: jade, weary, wearable
  • Opposite of: refresh
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "65. Matrix"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an orderly arrangement
  • Similar words include: regalia, lay out, raiment
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARRAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "67. Sun bloc?"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "68. Pretty ___ picture"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

42D: "70. Moving around"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that on the move
  • Similar words include: about, up
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASTIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

43D: "72. Attack"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

44D: "74. You can put a ring on it"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fleshy pendulous part of the external human ear
  • Similar words include: ear lobe
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EARLOBE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

45D: "76. Back"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that argue or speak in defense of
  • Similar words include: guard, oppose, fend for
  • Opposite of: prosecute, attack
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEFEND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

46D: "78. Came back, as hair"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

47D: "79. Music's Fatboy Slim and David Guetta, informally"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who announces and plays popular recorded music
  • Similar words include: disk jockey, DJ, disk-jockey
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DJS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

48D: "81. Error message on a Blu-ray device"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

49D: "83. Targeted (to)"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that set the level or character of
  • Similar words include: gear, pitch
  • Opposite of: ungeared
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GEARED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

50D: "85. Key for a quick exit"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

51D: "92. Boils with rage"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

52D: "95. Liberal-leaning"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who belongs to the political left
  • Similar words include: collectivist, left-winger, left-of-center
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEFTIST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

53D: "97. Chinese "nut" that's really a fruit"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that chinese tree cultivated especially in philippines and india for its edible fruit; sometimes placed in genus nephelium
  • Similar words include: lichee, litchi nut, leechee
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LITCHI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

54D: "98. Makes small in comparison"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who is markedly small
  • Similar words include: midget, shadow, overshadow
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DWARFS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

55D: "99. Government debt obligations, familiarly"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

56D: "100. 40 winks"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a nap in the early afternoon (especially in hot countries)
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIESTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

57D: "101. ___ fatale"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

58D: "102. Gets 40 winks"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that something left after other parts have been taken away
  • Similar words include: reside, remainder, quietus
  • Opposite of: be active, change
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RESTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

59D: "103. Letter-shaped train track piece"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

60D: "104. "To ___ own self be true""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

61D: "105. Sharpened"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sharpen with a hone
  • Similar words include: hone, perfect
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HONED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

62D: "106. George of "Star Trek""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

63D: "107. Bad thing to discover in the pantry"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
  • Similar words include: odour, olfactory modality, sense of smell
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMELL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

64D: "108. AA or JJ, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a set of two similar things considered as a unit
  • Similar words include: partner off, match, duo
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

65D: "111. Jazz singer Sylvia ___"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

66D: "113. Come to"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

67D: "114. "For sure""

3 letters 💭 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!

68D: "116. Org. that merged with the U.F.C. in 2023"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

69D: "117. Kind of party"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that adult female chicken
  • Similar words include: biddy
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEN

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

71 Across Clues
69 Down Clues
140 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.

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Last updated: September 28, 2025 at 03:48 AM

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