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Showing posts sorted by date for query incumbrance. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers August 04, 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. "Handy" kitchen item 4
2A 5. Smears with goo 6
3A 11. Music genre with offbeat rhythms 3
4A 14. So-called "servebot" in tennis, essentially 4
5A 15. Action on the front lines 6
6A 16. Hunk of cash 3
7A 17. Words uttered while sorting potential gowns for an Indian wedding? 11
8A 19. Word aptly hidden in "moldy" 3
9A 20. Some marksmen 7
10A 21. Stringed instruments of old 5
11A 23. Inc. alternative 3
12A 24. Kind of whale 6
13A 27. Wedding feast delivery from India's capital? 13
14A 31. Unwelcome responsibility 4
15A 33. Rawboned 5
16A 34. "Deadline" for a rush order 3
17A 35. Bit of tailoring 3
18A 36. Writer Rand 3
19A 38. Great Leap Forward leader 3
20A 39. Longoria with three Screen Actors Guild awards 3
21A 40. Celestial sphere 3
22A 41. Hold power, as a ruler 5
23A 43. "You said it!" 4
24A 44. Tying the knot during a colorful Hindu festival? 13
25A 48. One who makes a lasting impression while just scratching the surface 6
26A 49. Part of NATO: Abbr. 3
27A 50. When repeated, "You get the gist" 5
28A 52. Enter furtively 7
29A 56. Mysterious sight at night 3
30A 57. "Esteemed reception guests, we regret to report that we've run out of flatbread," e.g.? 11
31A 61. Scratch the surface of, say 3
32A 62. Like the physicist Niels Bohr and the astronomer Tycho Brahe 6
33A 63. Stock market unveilings, for short 4
34A 64. "___ you done?" 3
35A 65. Luxury transports 6
36A 66. Common workout target 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. "Handy" kitchen item"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
  • Similar words include: baseball glove, hand, paw
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MITT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Smears with goo"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any thick, viscous matter
  • Similar words include: slime, reduce, goo
  • Opposite of: gain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLIMES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. Music genre with offbeat rhythms"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. So-called "servebot" in tennis, essentially"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

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!

5A: "15. Action on the front lines"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an engagement fought between two military forces
  • Similar words include: fight, fighting, armed combat
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COMBAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Hunk of cash"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small mass of soft material
  • Similar words include: mass, slew, pot
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Words uttered while sorting potential gowns for an Indian wedding?"

11 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Word aptly hidden in "moldy""

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Some marksmen"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a marksman who shoots at people from a concealed place
  • Similar words include: sniper
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SNIPERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Stringed instruments of old"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a harp used by ancient greeks for accompaniment
  • Similar words include: lyre
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LYRES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. Inc. alternative"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. Kind of whale"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets
  • Similar words include: whalebone
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BALEEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "27. Wedding feast delivery from India's capital?"

13 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "31. Unwelcome responsibility"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an onerous or difficult concern
  • Similar words include: incumbrance, load, burden
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "33. Rawboned"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
  • Similar words include: cadaverous, haggard, emaciated
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GAUNT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. "Deadline" for a rush order"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the momentary present
  • Similar words include: at once, straight off, forthwith
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "35. Bit of tailoring"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

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!

18A: "36. Writer Rand"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "38. Great Leap Forward leader"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

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: Mao Tsetung, monoamine oxidase, Mao Zedong
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "39. Longoria with three Screen Actors Guild awards"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "40. Celestial sphere"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye
  • Similar words include: orbit, globe, eyeball
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "41. Hold power, as a ruler"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a period during which something or somebody is dominant or powerful
  • Similar words include: prevail, predominate, sovereignty
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REIGN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "43. "You said it!""

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "44. Tying the knot during a colorful Hindu festival?"

13 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "48. One who makes a lasting impression while just scratching the surface"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that someone who etches
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETCHER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "49. Part of NATO: Abbr."

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "50. When repeated, "You get the gist""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "52. Enter furtively"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "56. Mysterious sight at night"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

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!

30A: "57. "Esteemed reception guests, we regret to report that we've run out of flatbread," e.g.?"

11 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "61. Scratch the surface of, say"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the month following february and preceding april
  • Similar words include: spoil, vitiate, defect
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "62. Like the physicist Niels Bohr and the astronomer Tycho Brahe"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a scandinavian language that is the official language of denmark
  • Similar words include: danish pastry
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DANISH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "63. Stock market unveilings, for short"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a corporation's first offer to sell stock to the public
  • Similar words include: initial offering, initial public offering, IPO
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IPOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "64. "___ you done?""

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "65. Luxury transports"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing
  • Similar words include: racing yacht, yacht
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YACHTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "66. Common workout target"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small group of indispensable persons or things
  • Similar words include: nitty-gritty, pith, substance
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. The "m" in many a physics equation 4
2D 2. Self-assured words 4
3D 3. Actress Polo 4
4D 4. Toughest hits to get when hitting for the cycle in baseball 7
5D 5. Sear 6
6D 6. "___ of luck!" 4
7D 7. Quick communications, in brief 3
8D 8. Postgraduate deg. with management courses 3
9D 9. Musician's asset 3
10D 10. Stylish shoe feature 8
11D 11. Someone you will never stop despising 10
12D 12. Green smoothie staple 4
13D 13. Tosses in 4
14D 18. "Little" Dickens girl 4
15D 22. Up to this point 3
16D 24. ___-free (plastics label) 3
17D 25. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler vis-à-vis "Saturday Night Live" 6
18D 26. Singer ___ Del Rey 4
19D 27. Longtime Hogwarts headmaster 10
20D 28. Set aflame 6
21D 29. Wander 4
22D 30. Graceful bird 4
23D 31. "Pick me! Pick me!" 4
24D 32. Infamous Roman ruler 4
25D 36. Attractive plus-one 8
26D 37. "You said it!" 4
27D 42. Canine warning 3
28D 43. Like a cherub 7
29D 45. "___ be a real honor" 3
30D 46. Transforms 6
31D 47. Cookie with an "enrobed" variety in the U.K. 4
32D 50. Arizona city or county 4
33D 51. At a distance 4
34D 52. Film information on IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes 4
35D 53. Cops, in slang 4
36D 54. Iconic lab assistant of film 4
37D 55. Where Anheuser-Busch is "BUD" 4
38D 58. Battery for a mouse 3
39D 59. Anti-apartheid org. 3
40D 60. U.S. medical research agcy. 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. The "m" in many a physics equation"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
  • Similar words include: slew, pot, lot
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Self-assured words"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Actress Polo"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Toughest hits to get when hitting for the cycle in baseball"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a base hit at which the batter stops safely at third base
  • Similar words include: trio, three-bagger, treble
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRIPLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Sear"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a surface burn
  • Similar words include: char, blacken, sear
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCORCH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. "___ of luck!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large number or amount
  • Similar words include: mass, slew, circle
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Quick communications, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Postgraduate deg. with management courses"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a master's degree in business
  • Similar words include: Master in Business Administration, Master in Business
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MBA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Musician's asset"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
  • Similar words include: capitulum, auricle, spike
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Stylish shoe feature"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small dagger with a tapered blade
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STILETTO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Someone you will never stop despising"

10 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Green smoothie staple"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal terms for money
  • Similar words include: dinero, boodle, Brassica oleracea acephala
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KALE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Tosses in"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders
  • Similar words include: hyperkinetic syndrome, MBD, add up
  • Opposite of: take away, subtract
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. "Little" Dickens girl"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. Up to this point"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that up to the present time
  • Similar words include: as yet, even, heretofore
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. ___-free (plastics label)"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler vis-à-vis "Saturday Night Live""

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who has received a degree from a school (high school or college or university)
  • Similar words include: alum, grad, alumnus
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALUMNI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. Singer ___ Del Rey"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "27. Longtime Hogwarts headmaster"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "28. Set aflame"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat
  • Similar words include: take fire, inflame, combust
  • Opposite of: extinguish
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IGNITE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "29. Wander"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
  • Similar words include: roam, ramble, swan
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "30. Graceful bird"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult
  • Similar words include: roam, ramble, avow
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "31. "Pick me! Pick me!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "32. Infamous Roman ruler"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that roman emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of rome in 64) but the roman empire remained prosperous during his rule (37-68)
  • Similar words include: Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NERO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "36. Attractive plus-one"

8 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "37. "You said it!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that not only so, but
  • Similar words include: yea
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YEAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "42. Canine warning"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "43. Like a cherub"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint
  • Similar words include: saintlike, saintly, cherubic
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANGELIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "45. "___ be a real honor""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "46. Transforms"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cause to change shape in a computer animation
  • Similar words include: morph
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MORPHS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "47. Cookie with an "enrobed" variety in the U.K."

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that chocolate cookie with white cream filling
  • Similar words include: oreo cookie
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OREO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "50. Arizona city or county"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the north american indian people of arizona and adjacent mexico and california
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YUMA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "51. At a distance"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "52. Film information on IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the actors in a play
  • Similar words include: cat, ramble, throw up
  • Opposite of: keep down
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "53. Cops, in slang"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "54. Iconic lab assistant of film"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "55. Where Anheuser-Busch is "BUD""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a stock exchange in new york
  • Similar words include: big board, N. Y. Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NYSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "58. Battery for a mouse"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

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!

39D: "59. Anti-apartheid org."

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "60. U.S. medical research agcy."

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an agency in the department of health and human services whose mission is to employ science in the pursuit of knowledge to improve human health; is the principal biomedical research agency of the federal government
  • Similar words include: National Institutes of Health
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIH

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.

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Today's Puzzle Stats

36 Across Clues
40 Down Clues
76 Total Clues

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Last updated: August 04, 2026 at 06:07 AM

Thursday, January 8, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers January 08, 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: Moderate

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. ___ canto 3
2A 4. Lessons that might be spelled out for you? 4
3A 8. Photographer Diane 5
4A 13. Wide-open Q&A 3
5A 14. Coffee option 4
6A 15. Snatching sound, in the comics 5
7A 16. Nonverbal "well done" 8
8A 18. Well-known scheme designer 5
9A 19. One of the two Boolean values, in programming 4
10A 20. Disney princess whose name is one letter off from a common princess accessory 5
11A 22. Gimlet base 3
12A 23. Dundee dissent 3
13A 25. Cars with retractable roofs 8
14A 27. What Neapolitan ice cream is divided into 6
15A 30. Compete (for) 3
16A 31. Bit in a breakfast bowl 3
17A 32. Benefactor with a limited number of grants? 5
18A 35. Symbol of the "Black is beautiful" movement 4
19A 39. College concern seen in 16-, 25-, 49- and 63-Across? 14
20A 42. Cathedral recess 4
21A 43. Full of zing 5
22A 44. Tallahassee sch. 3
23A 45. Get rid of 3
24A 47. Tea traders? 6
25A 49. Accidentally burn, perhaps 8
26A 54. Influential power 3
27A 55. Feel under the weather 3
28A 56. It's a start! 5
29A 58. ___-free 4
30A 61. Brand in the feminine care aisle 5
31A 63. Results of wearing some uncomfortable shoes 8
32A 65. Mexican street food typically served with cheese, chili and lime 5
33A 66. Hit TV series set at the fictional William McKinley High School 4
34A 67. Cpl. or sgt. 3
35A 68. Grannies 5
36A 69. Fictional lover of Rochester 4
37A 70. Many Ph.D.s-to-be, for short 3

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. ___ canto"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a logarithmic unit of sound intensity equal to 10 decibels
  • Similar words include: B
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "4. Lessons that might be spelled out for you?"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural)
  • Similar words include: ABC's, first principle, ABC
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABCS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "8. Photographer Diane"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "13. Wide-open Q&A"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "14. Coffee option"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that flowing in drops; the formation and falling of drops of liquid
  • Similar words include: trickle, dripping, drip mould
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "15. Snatching sound, in the comics"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "16. Nonverbal "well done""

8 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "18. Well-known scheme designer"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "19. One of the two Boolean values, in programming"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that proper alignment; the property possessed by something that is in correct or proper alignment
  • Similar words include: unfeigned, genuine, lawful
  • Opposite of: false, untruthful
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRUE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "20. Disney princess whose name is one letter off from a common princess accessory"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "22. Gimlet base"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that strong liquor flavored with juniper berries
  • Similar words include: cotton gin, snare, noose
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "23. Dundee dissent"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Cars with retractable roofs"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "27. What Neapolitan ice cream is divided into"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
  • Similar words include: third, one-third, third gear
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THIRDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "30. Compete (for)"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
  • Similar words include: contend, compete
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "31. Bit in a breakfast bowl"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that annual grass of europe and north africa; grains used as food and fodder (referred to primarily in the plural: `oats')
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "32. Benefactor with a limited number of grants?"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (islam) an invisible spirit mentioned in the koran and believed by muslims to inhabit the earth and influence mankind by appearing in the form of humans or animals
  • Similar words include: djinni, jinnee, djinny
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GENIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "35. Symbol of the "Black is beautiful" movement"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a rounded thickly curled hairdo
  • Similar words include: Afro hairdo
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFRO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "39. College concern seen in 16-, 25-, 49- and 63-Across?"

14 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "42. Cathedral recess"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar
  • Similar words include: apsis
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Full of zing"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that having an agreeably pungent taste
  • Similar words include: zestful, yeasty, barmy
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ZESTY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "44. Tallahassee sch."

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "45. Get rid of"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
  • Similar words include: ax
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AXE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "47. Tea traders?"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (yiddish) a vulgar shrew; a shallow coarse termagant
  • Similar words include: yenta
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YENTAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "49. Accidentally burn, perhaps"

8 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "54. Influential power"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the chance to speak
  • Similar words include: enounce, suppose, enjoin
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "55. Feel under the weather"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that aromatic bulb used as seasoning
  • Similar words include: pain, trouble, garlic
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AIL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "56. It's a start!"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the beginning or early stages
  • Similar words include: attack, onslaught, onrush
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONSET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "58. ___-free"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a native or inhabitant of scotland
  • Similar words include: Scotsman, Scotchman
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "61. Brand in the feminine care aisle"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a disposable absorbent pad (trade name kotex); worn to absorb menstrual flow
  • Similar words include: sanitary towel, sanitary napkin
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KOTEX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "63. Results of wearing some uncomfortable shoes"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "65. Mexican street food typically served with cheese, chili and lime"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "66. Hit TV series set at the fictional William McKinley High School"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that great merriment
  • Similar words include: mirthfulness, mirth, gloating
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "67. Cpl. or sgt."

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "68. Grannies"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "69. Fictional lover of Rochester"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shallow salt lake in south central australia about 35 feet below sea level; the largest lake in the country and the lowest point on the continent
  • Similar words include: Lake Eyre
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EYRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "70. Many Ph.D.s-to-be, for short"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite
  • Similar words include: tantalum, Ta, atomic number 73
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Bangkok currency 4
2D 2. Doha dignitary 4
3D 3. Heineken subsidiary whose name means "small bodies of water" 9
4D 4. Go on, in dialogue 3
5D 5. One who eats crisps and uses a loo 4
6D 6. Kind of duty 5
7D 7. Stab, in a way 5
8D 8. Spanish exclamation akin to "Oh, baby!" 6
9D 9. Small hopper in the Hundred Acre Wood 3
10D 10. "Spot on!" 5
11D 11. Open, as a fanny pack 5
12D 12. Scrapes 5
13D 17. Get wind of 4
14D 21. Knickknack 7
15D 24. "We stand today on the ___ of a new frontier": John F. Kennedy, 7/15/1960 4
16D 26. Nursing spot 4
17D 27. Attire for a fraternity party, maybe 4
18D 28. Instrument originating in ancient Sumer 4
19D 29. Jump at, as an opportunity 7
20D 33. Opposite of SSW 3
21D 34. Maybes 3
22D 36. "In da Club" rapper 9
23D 37. Parks in history 4
24D 38. Albatross, so to speak 4
25D 40. Beloved 4
26D 41. Thumbs-up votes 4
27D 46. PlayStation alternatives 6
28D 48. So-called "father of the American cartoon" 4
29D 49. Like the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey 5
30D 50. It takes a bow in a concert hall 5
31D 51. Sir ___ Hercules John 5
32D 52. Indigenous people at the center of 2023's "Killers of the Flower Moon" 5
33D 53. ___ green 5
34D 57. Layer 4
35D 59. Sea creature that can weigh 400 pounds at birth 4
36D 60. Possessive of a Chinese menu? 4
37D 62. Zeta follower 3
38D 64. Go on dates with 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Bangkok currency"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the basic unit of money in thailand
  • Similar words include: tical
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BAHT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Doha dignitary"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an independent ruler or chieftain (especially in africa or arabia)
  • Similar words include: ameer, emeer, amir
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Heineken subsidiary whose name means "small bodies of water""

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Go on, in dialogue"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders
  • Similar words include: add together, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, lend
  • Opposite of: subtract, take away
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. One who eats crisps and uses a loo"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a native or inhabitant of great britain
  • Similar words include: Briton, Britisher, britt
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BRIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Kind of duty"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that of or relating or belonging to a city
  • Similar words include: civil
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CIVIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Stab, in a way"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
  • Similar words include: fizgig, shaft, gig
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Spanish exclamation akin to "Oh, baby!""

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Small hopper in the Hundred Acre Wood"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. "Spot on!""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a game in which numbered balls are drawn at random and players cover the corresponding numbers on their cards
  • Similar words include: beano, keno, lotto
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BINGO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Open, as a fanny pack"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that open the zipper of
  • Opposite of: zip up
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNZIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Scrapes"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
  • Similar words include: scrape, bark, cutis
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKINS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "17. Get wind of"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
  • Similar words include: try, see, pick up
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "21. Knickknack"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel
  • Similar words include: bangle, gewgaw, trinket
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOVELTY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "24. "We stand today on the ___ of a new frontier": John F. Kennedy, 7/15/1960"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the boundary of a surface
  • Similar words include: butt, butt against, boundary
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EDGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "26. Nursing spot"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the small projection of a mammary gland
  • Similar words include: mamilla, tit, mammilla
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "27. Attire for a fraternity party, maybe"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a one-piece cloak worn by men in ancient rome
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOGA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "28. Instrument originating in ancient Sumer"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck; the strings stretched between the neck and the soundbox are plucked with the fingers
  • Similar words include: mouth organ, harmonica, dwell
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HARP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "29. Jump at, as an opportunity"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "33. Opposite of SSW"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the compass point that is midway between north and northeast
  • Similar words include: north northeast, nor'-nor'-east
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NNE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "34. Maybes"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "36. "In da Club" rapper"

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "37. Parks in history"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses
  • Similar words include: genus Rosa
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROSA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "38. Albatross, so to speak"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an onerous or difficult concern
  • Similar words include: incumbrance, load, encumbrance
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "40. Beloved"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
  • Similar words include: beloved, darling, affectionately
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "41. Thumbs-up votes"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "46. PlayStation alternatives"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "48. So-called "father of the American cartoon""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states political cartoonist (1840-1902)
  • Similar words include: Thomas Nast
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "49. Like the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that consisting of or made of wood of the oak tree
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OAKEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "50. It takes a bow in a concert hall"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of the numerous plants of the genus viola
  • Similar words include: genus Viola
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VIOLA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "51. Sir ___ Hercules John"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "52. Indigenous people at the center of 2023's "Killers of the Flower Moon""

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the siouan people formerly living in missouri in the valleys of the missouri and osage rivers; oil was found on osage lands early in the 20th century
  • Similar words include: Osage River
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OSAGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "53. ___ green"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states circus clown (1898-1979)
  • Similar words include: Grace Patricia Kelly, Weary Willie, Gene Kelly
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KELLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "57. Layer"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
  • Similar words include: tier up, level, grade
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "59. Sea creature that can weigh 400 pounds at birth"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
  • Similar words include: sea wolf, killer whale, killer
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORCA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "60. Possessive of a Chinese menu?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "62. Zeta follower"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a terrorist organization organized in 1959 by student activists who were dissatisfied with the moderate nationalism of the traditional basque party; want to create an independent homeland in spain's western pyrenees
  • Similar words include: Basque Homeland and Freedom, Basque Fatherland and Liberty, Euskadi ta Askatasuna
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "64. Go on dates with"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
  • Similar words include: date, see to it, go through
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEE

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
38 Down Clues
75 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: January 08, 2026 at 01:45 PM