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Monday, May 25, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers May 25, 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. Jokes (around) 4
2A 5. Not very spicy 4
3A 9. Super 8 or Red Roof Inn 5
4A 14. Paper cut? 4
5A 15. Big name in laptops 4
6A 16. Public relations concern 5
7A 17. Steamy segment in a movie 9
8A 19. Fruit that makes your lips pucker 5
9A 20. Tennis skirt feature 5
10A 21. Lack of light 8
11A 23. Locale for a plastic flamingo 4
12A 26. Yoga studio essential 3
13A 27. De-tension center? 3
14A 30. Variety of chili that can reach a Scoville score of 1+ million 11
15A 36. European ski destination 4
16A 38. Volcanic spew 3
17A 39. Sample collected by Ancestry.com 6
18A 40. Daily Planet reporter Lois 4
19A 41. Show the ropes 5
20A 43. "___ sesame!" 4
21A 44. Comfortable 6
22A 46. Anguish 3
23A 47. Manage, as a bar 4
24A 48. California national park known for its dryness 11
25A 51. Pigs' digs 3
26A 52. Number starting a countdown 3
27A 53. Sitting on 4
28A 55. Bring dishonor upon 8
29A 60. "I'm sleepy" signals 5
30A 64. Ancient Mexican empire 5
31A 65. 1980s hit with the lyric "Me mind on fire, me soul on fire" ... or how one might describe 17-, 30- and 48-Across? 9
32A 68. Back of a car or front of an elephant 5
33A 69. Orchestral woodwind 4
34A 70. Place of buzziness? 4
35A 71. Most watches have three of these 5
36A 72. Japanese electronics giant 4
37A 73. An estimated 25% of modern phone calls 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Jokes (around)"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a young person of either sex
  • Similar words include: child, jolly, kidskin
  • Opposite of: parent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KIDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Not very spicy"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
  • Similar words include: meek, balmy, modest
  • Opposite of: intense
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MILD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Super 8 or Red Roof Inn"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a motor hotel
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOTEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Paper cut?"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting
  • Similar words include: redact, delete, cut
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EDIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Big name in laptops"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that type genus of the aceraceae; trees or shrubs having winged fruit
  • Similar words include: genus Acer
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Public relations concern"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an iconic mental representation
  • Similar words include: envision, effigy, simulacrum
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMAGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Steamy segment in a movie"

9 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Fruit that makes your lips pucker"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that yellow oval fruit with juicy acidic flesh
  • Similar words include: lemon yellow, maize, Citrus limon
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEMON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Tennis skirt feature"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of various types of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and then pressing or stitching into shape
  • Similar words include: plait, plicate, ruffle
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLEAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Lack of light"

8 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that absence of light or illumination
  • Similar words include: dark, iniquity, wickedness
  • Opposite of: lightness, light
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DARKNESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. Locale for a plastic flamingo"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a field of cultivated and mowed grass
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAWN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "26. Yoga studio essential"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "27. De-tension center?"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "30. Variety of chili that can reach a Scoville score of 1+ million"

11 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "36. European ski destination"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large mountain system in south-central europe; scenic beauty and winter sports make them a popular tourist attraction
  • Similar words include: the Alps, alp
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "38. Volcanic spew"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the residue that remains when something is burned
  • Similar words include: ash tree
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "39. Sample collected by Ancestry.com"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a clear liquid secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands and mucous glands of the mouth; moistens the mouth and starts the digestion of starches
  • Similar words include: spittle, spit
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALIVA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "40. Daily Planet reporter Lois"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a narrow way or road
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LANE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "41. Show the ropes"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an english pirate who operated in the caribbean and off the atlantic coast of north america (died in 1718)
  • Similar words include: instruct, learn, Thatch
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEACH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "43. "___ sesame!""

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water
  • Similar words include: undefendable, receptive, surface
  • Opposite of: fold, closed
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "44. Comfortable"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "46. Anguish"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that misery resulting from affliction
  • Similar words include: suffering, woefulness
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "47. Manage, as a bar"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
  • Similar words include: incline, lean, be given
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "48. California national park known for its dryness"

11 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "51. Pigs' digs"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an infection of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid
  • Similar words include: pigsty, eye infection, pigpen
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "52. Number starting a countdown"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

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: decade, x, X
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "53. Sitting on"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that on, to, or at the top
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATOP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "55. Bring dishonor upon"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
  • Similar words include: asperse, sully, denigrate
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BESMIRCH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "60. "I'm sleepy" signals"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom
  • Similar words include: yaw, oscitancy, yawn
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YAWNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "64. Ancient Mexican empire"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the nahuatl people who established an empire in mexico that was overthrown by cortes in 1519
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AZTEC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "65. 1980s hit with the lyric "Me mind on fire, me soul on fire" ... or how one might describe 17-, 30- and 48-Across?"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "68. Back of a car or front of an elephant"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
  • Similar words include: tree trunk, proboscis, torso
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRUNK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "69. Orchestral woodwind"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece
  • Similar words include: hautboy, hautbois
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "70. Place of buzziness?"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a teeming multitude
  • Similar words include: beehive
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HIVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "71. Most watches have three of these"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (with `in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
  • Similar words include: helping hand, bridge player, handwriting
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HANDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "72. Japanese electronics giant"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "73. An estimated 25% of modern phone calls"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a canned meat made largely from pork
  • Similar words include: junk e-mail
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Seaweed in an underwater forest 4
2D 2. Revered figure 4
3D 3. Go off the deep end? 4
4D 4. Incredible bargain 5
5D 5. Kraft ___ & Cheese 3
6D 6. Lead-in to maker or breaker 3
7D 7. Give, but expect back 4
8D 8. Experienced during sleep 6
9D 9. Frothy drink often served with boba 7
10D 10. A ladybug landing on you is considered a good one 4
11D 11. Opposite of wild 4
12D 12. Alter ___ (other selves) 4
13D 13. Camera shop purchase 4
14D 18. Adult male deer 4
15D 22. A hardened criminal might have a long one 8
16D 24. "Yeah, yeah" 8
17D 25. Missing part of the Great Sphinx of Giza 4
18D 27. Leafy lunch order 5
19D 28. Piece of armadillo armor 5
20D 29. Common sleep disorder 5
21D 31. Item worn over the shoulders 5
22D 32. "The ___ thickens ..." 4
23D 33. Vocal cords, informally 5
24D 34. Happening 5
25D 35. Singer Newman with the hit "You've Got a Friend in Me" 5
26D 37. Chair or pew 4
27D 42. Coke or Pepsi 4
28D 45. Gimmicky routines 7
29D 49. Dried poblanos used in mole sauce 6
30D 50. Toy on a string 4
31D 54. Trails 5
32D 55. Relaxing soak 4
33D 56. Book just after Ezekiel, alphabetically 4
34D 57. Flabbergast 4
35D 58. Patch up 4
36D 59. Drifter in search of work 4
37D 61. What to do with egg whites when making meringue 4
38D 62. Luminous stellar explosion 4
39D 63. Women in ___ (educational advocacy group) 4
40D 66. Colossal quantity 3
41D 67. "Yoo-hoo!" 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Seaweed in an underwater forest"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large brown seaweeds having fluted leathery fronds
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KELP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Revered figure"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a material effigy that is worshipped
  • Similar words include: god, paragon, graven image
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IDOL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Go off the deep end?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall
  • Similar words include: plunk, nosedive, plunge
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Incredible bargain"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an advantageous purchase
  • Similar words include: slip, buy, bargain
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Kraft ___ & Cheese"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric
  • Similar words include: mack, macintosh, mackintosh
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Lead-in to maker or breaker"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that water frozen in the solid state
  • Similar words include: crank, deoxyephedrine, meth
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ICE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Give, but expect back"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that bestow a quality on
  • Similar words include: bring, contribute, add
  • Opposite of: borrow
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Experienced during sleep"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that have a daydream; indulge in a fantasy
  • Similar words include: daydream, dream, stargaze
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DREAMT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Frothy drink often served with boba"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. A ladybug landing on you is considered a good one"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sign of something about to happen
  • Similar words include: portend, predict, foretell
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OMEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Opposite of wild"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that correct by punishment or discipline
  • Similar words include: reclaim, meek, cultivate
  • Opposite of: wild
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Alter ___ (other selves)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others
  • Similar words include: ego, egotism, self
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EGOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Camera shop purchase"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images
  • Similar words include: lens of the eye, lense, genus Lens
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LENS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Adult male deer"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a male deer, especially an adult male red deer
  • Similar words include: grass, hart, rat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. A hardened criminal might have a long one"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. "Yeah, yeah""

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one or some or every or all without specification
  • Similar words include: whatsoever, any
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHATEVER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Missing part of the Great Sphinx of Giza"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
  • Similar words include: intrude, poke, scent
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. Leafy lunch order"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of or including greens
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. Piece of armadillo armor"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
  • Similar words include: crustal plate, home base, home
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Common sleep disorder"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that transient cessation of respiration
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APNEA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Item worn over the shoulders"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHAWL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. "The ___ thickens ...""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
  • Similar words include: plot of ground, secret plan, diagram
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "33. Vocal cords, informally"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
  • Similar words include: pipe up, pip, mop up
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIPES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "34. Happening"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that something that happens at a given place and time
  • Similar words include: issue, case, outcome
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "35. Singer Newman with the hit "You've Got a Friend in Me""

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that feeling great sexual desire
  • Similar words include: horny, aroused, turned on
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RANDY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "37. Chair or pew"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
  • Similar words include: derriere, bum, nates
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "42. Coke or Pepsi"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large genus of african trees bearing kola nuts
  • Similar words include: El Salvadoran colon, Colon, colon
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COLA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "45. Gimmicky routines"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (yiddish) a little; a piece
  • Similar words include: schtick, shtick, schtik
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHTICKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "49. Dried poblanos used in mole sauce"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "50. Toy on a string"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "54. Trails"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a course of conduct
  • Similar words include: itinerary, path, route
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PATHS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "55. Relaxing soak"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a vessel containing liquid in which something is immersed (as to process it or to maintain it at a constant temperature or to lubricate it)
  • Similar words include: bathe, bathroom, tub
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BATH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "56. Book just after Ezekiel, alphabetically"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a jewish priest and scribe sent by the persian king to restore jewish law and worship in jerusalem
  • Similar words include: Book of Ezra
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EZRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "57. Flabbergast"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow
  • Similar words include: daze, stupefy, sandbag
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STUN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "58. Patch up"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sewing that repairs a worn or torn hole (especially in a garment)
  • Similar words include: doctor, reparation, repair
  • Opposite of: break
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MEND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "59. Drifter in search of work"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a disreputable vagrant
  • Similar words include: bum, tramp
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOBO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "61. What to do with egg whites when making meringue"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an instrument with a handle and a flexible lash that is used for whipping
  • Similar words include: welt, trounce, pip
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "62. Luminous stellar explosion"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and become more luminous in the process
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOVA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "63. Women in ___ (educational advocacy group)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
  • Similar words include: stalk, shank, stem turn
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "66. Colossal quantity"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a united states unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds
  • Similar words include: net ton, long ton, short ton
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "67. "Yoo-hoo!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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

37 Across Clues
41 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 25, 2026 at 08:04 AM

Monday, April 20, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers April 20, 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: Challenging

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. Solicit with a goodie 5
2A 6. School support grps. 4
3A 10. Egyptian cobra 3
4A 13. Well-informed 5
5A 14. Teaser, for short 5
6A 15. Word before Kim, Wayne or Nas X in hip-hop names 3
7A 16. Low red card in a deck 11
8A 18. George Gershwin's lyricist brother 3
9A 19. Window shades 6
10A 20. Follow orders 4
11A 21. Locomotives, to kids 14
12A 25. Comic figure at a circus 5
13A 26. "Impressive!" 3
14A 27. Stir up, as waters 4
15A 28. "The worst!" 9
16A 34. ___-backward 3
17A 35. Walk wearily 7
18A 37. ___-Magnon (early human) 3
19A 38. City and its surroundings 9
20A 40. German refusal 4
21A 41. Alternative to .com or .edu 3
22A 42. Ridiculous 5
23A 43. "Don't mention it — it was easy" 14
24A 50. "Just doin' my job" 4
25A 51. Insect with pincers 6
26A 52. X, for a sorority 3
27A 53. "I need to use the bathroom" ... or what the shaded squares spell? 11
28A 58. Skirt feature 3
29A 59. Decorations around the United Nations 5
30A 60. "Sauer" hot dog topping 5
31A 61. Triage sites, for short 3
32A 62. Mascara coats one 4
33A 63. Full of know-how 5

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Solicit with a goodie"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that dispose or incline or entice to
  • Similar words include: charm, influence, entice
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEMPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "6. School support grps."

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. Egyptian cobra"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that of southern europe; similar to but smaller than the adder
  • Similar words include: Vipera aspis, Egyptian cobra, Naja haje
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "13. Well-informed"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (sometimes followed by `of') having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
  • Similar words include: cognizant, mindful, cognisant
  • Opposite of: unaware, unmindful
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AWARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "14. Teaser, for short"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "15. Word before Kim, Wayne or Nas X in hip-hop names"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "16. Low red card in a deck"

11 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "18. George Gershwin's lyricist brother"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a militant organization of irish nationalists who used terrorism and guerilla warfare in an effort to drive british forces from northern ireland and achieve a united independent ireland
  • Similar words include: Provisional Irish Republican Army, Irish Republican Army, ire
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "19. Window shades"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
  • Similar words include: subterfuge, screen, blind
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLINDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "20. Follow orders"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be obedient to
  • Opposite of: disobey
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBEY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "21. Locomotives, to kids"

14 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHOOCHOOTRAINS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "25. Comic figure at a circus"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a rude or vulgar fool
  • Similar words include: goofball, clown around, goof
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLOWN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "26. "Impressive!""

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that express admiration and pleasure by uttering `ooh' or `aah'
  • Similar words include: aah
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OOH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "27. Stir up, as waters"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be agitated
  • Similar words include: moil, rile, boil
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROIL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "28. "The worst!""

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. ___-backward"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "35. Walk wearily"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that walk or tramp about
  • Similar words include: shlep
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRAIPSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "37. ___-Magnon (early human)"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities
  • Similar words include: scope, oscilloscope, cathode-ray oscilloscope
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "38. City and its surroundings"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "40. German refusal"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "41. Alternative to .com or .edu"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "42. Ridiculous"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a word used for misbehaving children
  • Similar words include: punch-drunk, light-headed, empty-headed
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SILLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "43. "Don't mention it — it was easy""

14 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOTROUBLEATALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "50. "Just doin' my job""

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "51. Insect with pincers"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of numerous insects of the order dermaptera having elongate bodies and slender many-jointed antennae and a pair of large pincers at the rear of the abdomen
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EARWIG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "52. X, for a sorority"

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, ki
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "53. "I need to use the bathroom" ... or what the shaded squares spell?"

11 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "58. Skirt feature"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the edge of a piece of cloth; especially the finished edge that has been doubled under and stitched down
  • Similar words include: ahem
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "59. Decorations around the United Nations"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
  • Similar words include: fleur-de-lis, ease off, pin
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLAGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "60. "Sauer" hot dog topping"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that offensive term for a person of german descent
  • Similar words include: Jerry, Krauthead, Hun
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KRAUT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "61. Triage sites, for short"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium
  • Similar words include: Er, ER, atomic number 68
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "62. Mascara coats one"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of the short curved hairs that grow from the edges of the eyelids
  • Similar words include: strap, slash, flog
  • Opposite of: unlash
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LASH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "63. Full of know-how"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cognitive condition of someone who understands
  • Similar words include: understanding, comprehend, dig
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAVVY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Butterfly on the ankle, say, informally 3
2D 2. "Gross!" 3
3D 3. Chinese revolutionary 3
4D 4. Football all-star game 7
5D 5. Cookware coating 6
6D 6. National museum in Madrid 5
7D 7. Trunk for a sculptor to sculpt 5
8D 8. Fig. from an out-of-order ATM? 3
9D 9. ...---... in Morse 3
10D 10. Cover story, in court 5
11D 11. Sound that warns of a tornado 5
12D 12. What coins are exchanged for at an arcade 5
13D 14. Phnom ___, Cambodia's capital 4
14D 17. Kool-Aid rival 3
15D 20. Site of Pearl Harbor 4
16D 21. Not far away 5
17D 22. Lift 5
18D 23. Throw (out) 4
19D 24. Valentine's Day flower 4
20D 25. Stow tightly, with "in" 4
21D 28. Cigarette substance 3
22D 29. Move in a hurry, old-style 3
23D 30. Craft brew designation letters 3
24D 31. Medium-sized battery 5
25D 32. Filtered food for whales 5
26D 33. PlayStation maker 4
27D 35. Matador charger 4
28D 36. Pasta sauce brand 4
29D 39. Golfer McIlroy 4
30D 40. Big U.S./Canada falls 7
31D 42. (The) boondocks 6
32D 43. Specialty 5
33D 44. Catchall survey option 5
34D 45. Cuts at the margins 5
35D 46. Apps undergoing testing 5
36D 47. "Sometimes you just gotta ___" 5
37D 48. Flubs 4
38D 49. Slack-jawed feeling 3
39D 53. Grp. for the Jets and Jaguars 3
40D 54. In the style of 3
41D 55. Bathroom, informally 3
42D 56. Sweetie, to Brits 3
43D 57. Total dump 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Butterfly on the ankle, say, informally"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that tastelessness by virtue of being cheap and vulgar
  • Similar words include: sleaze, cheapness, tackiness
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. "Gross!""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Chinese revolutionary"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of many body compounds (e.g., epinephrine and norepinephrine and serotonin)
  • Similar words include: monoamine oxidase, Mao Zedong, Mao Tsetung
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Football all-star game"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Cookware coating"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a material used to coat cooking utensils and in industrial applications where sticking is to be avoided
  • Similar words include: polytetrafluoroethylene
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEFLON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. National museum in Madrid"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Trunk for a sculptor to sculpt"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the body excluding the head and neck and limbs
  • Similar words include: trunk, body
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TORSO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Fig. from an out-of-order ATM?"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. ...---... in Morse"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an internationally recognized distress signal in radio code
  • Similar words include: sol, so, soh
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Cover story, in court"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
  • Similar words include: exculpation, excuse, self-justification
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALIBI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Sound that warns of a tornado"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived
  • Similar words include: Delilah, femme fatale, enchantress
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIREN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. What coins are exchanged for at an arcade"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
  • Similar words include: work, sport, drama
  • Opposite of: tightness
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLAYS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "14. Phnom ___, Cambodia's capital"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "17. Kool-Aid rival"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "20. Site of Pearl Harbor"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an island of central hawaii (between molokai and kauai); the chief island of the state
  • Similar words include: Oahu Island
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OAHU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "21. Not far away"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the temporal end; the concluding time
  • Similar words include: close-fitting, conclusion, secretive
  • Opposite of: open, distant
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLOSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "22. Lift"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lifting device for raising heavy or cumbersome objects
  • Similar words include: wind, lift, run up
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOIST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "23. Throw (out)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the act of flipping a coin
  • Similar words include: cast out, jactitate, discard
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOSS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "24. Valentine's Day flower"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of many shrubs of the genus rosa that bear roses
  • Similar words include: climb up, rose wine, roseate
  • Opposite of: set, wane
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "25. Stow tightly, with "in""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that crowd or pack to capacity
  • Similar words include: ram, mug up, drum
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "28. Cigarette substance"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "29. Move in a hurry, old-style"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Similar words include: rush, race, rush along
  • Opposite of: linger
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "30. Craft brew designation letters"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "31. Medium-sized battery"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "32. Filtered food for whales"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that shrimp-like planktonic crustaceans; major source of food for e.g. baleen whales
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KRILL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "33. PlayStation maker"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "35. Matador charger"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "36. Pasta sauce brand"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "39. Golfer McIlroy"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "40. Big U.S./Canada falls"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that waterfall in canada is the horseshoe falls; in the united states it is the american falls
  • Similar words include: Niagara Falls, Niagara River
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIAGARA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "42. (The) boondocks"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an implement consisting of a length of wood
  • Similar words include: bond, marijuana cigarette, stay
  • Opposite of: move, dislodge
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STICKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "43. Specialty"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a position particularly well suited to the person who occupies it
  • Similar words include: recession, corner, ecological niche
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NICHE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "44. Catchall survey option"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied; - the white queen
  • Similar words include: former, early
  • Opposite of: same
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OTHER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "45. Cuts at the margins"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state of arrangement or appearance
  • Similar words include: trim down, crop, prune
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRIMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "46. Apps undergoing testing"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the 2nd letter of the greek alphabet
  • Similar words include: beta, genus Beta, Beta
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BETAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "47. "Sometimes you just gotta ___""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sound of laughing
  • Similar words include: joke, express joy, express mirth
  • Opposite of: cry
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAUGH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "48. Flubs"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that to make a mistake or be incorrect
  • Similar words include: slip, stray, err
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "49. Slack-jawed feeling"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
  • Similar words include: fear, veneration, reverence
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AWE

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39D: "53. Grp. for the Jets and Jaguars"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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40D: "54. In the style of"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALA

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41D: "55. Bathroom, informally"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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42D: "56. Sweetie, to Brits"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

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43D: "57. Total dump"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an infection of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid
  • Similar words include: pigpen, hordeolum, eye infection
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Expert Solving Strategies

Start Smart

Begin with fill-in-the-blank clues and short 3-4 letter words. These are your foundation.

Decode the Clues

Question marks indicate wordplay or puns. "Maybe" suggests multiple interpretations.

Use Cross-References

Let intersecting letters guide you. One correct answer unlocks several others.

Build Vocabulary

Common crossword words repeat. Learning them speeds up future solving.

Today's Puzzle Stats

33 Across Clues
43 Down Clues
76 Total Clues

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Last updated: April 20, 2026 at 06:00 AM