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Tuesday, October 13, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers October 13, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

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

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Tricky

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

Across Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1A 1. ___ classic ("The Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "Pulp Fiction," e.g.) 4
2A 5. Spongy wetlands 4
3A 9. Titleholder 5
4A 14. Engrave 4
5A 15. Dirt pie ingredient 4
6A 16. Greek goddesses of the seasons 5
7A 17. Optional mission in a video game 9
8A 19. Gradually eat away 5
9A 20. Selfless sort 8
10A 21. Shindig for someone to announce whether they're having a boy or a girl 6
11A 22. – 6
12A 23. Lie next to 4
13A 25. Show on which Tina Fey and Seth Meyers have worked as head writers, in brief 3
14A 26. Tropical cocktail with bananas, strawberries, rum and coconut cream 8
15A 31. Go downhill fast 3
16A 34. Feedbag contents 4
17A 36. Shindig for someone settling into a new home 5
18A 37. – 7
19A 40. Flips, say 7
20A 42. Skirt, as an issue 5
21A 43. Jennifer who wrote "A Visit From the Goon Squad" 4
22A 45. Auction unit 3
23A 46. Cowboy's kerchief 8
24A 48. Show stoppers? 3
25A 51. Goes bad 4
26A 52. Shindig for someone who's about to tie the knot 6
27A 56. – 6
28A 60. Like a dish of veal or chicken dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried in butter 8
29A 62. Surfers ride them 5
30A 63. Lunchroom 9
31A 64. Wolf in "The Jungle Book" 5
32A 65. Initials on a map until 1991 4
33A 66. Shindig for the cast and crew after filming is done ... with a hint to entering this answer and three others in the grid 4
34A 67. – 5
35A 68. Boxing stats 4
36A 69. Jazz singer Sylvia 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. ___ classic ("The Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "Pulp Fiction," e.g.)"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that followers of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices
  • Similar words include: fad, rage, cultus
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CULT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Spongy wetlands"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation; has poorer drainage than a swamp; soil is unfit for cultivation but can be cut and dried and used for fuel
  • Similar words include: bog, bog down, peat bog
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Titleholder"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that someone who has won first place in a competition
  • Similar words include: chomp, title-holder, champion
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHAMP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Engrave"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make an etching of
  • Similar words include: engrave
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETCH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Dirt pie ingredient"

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!

6A: "16. Greek goddesses of the seasons"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Optional mission in a video game"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Gradually eat away"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that become ground down or deteriorate
  • Similar words include: gnaw, wear away, eat away
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERODE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Selfless sort"

8 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being
  • Similar words include: philanthropist
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALTRUIST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Shindig for someone to announce whether they're having a boy or a girl"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a grammatical category in inflected languages governing the agreement between nouns and pronouns and adjectives; in some languages it is quite arbitrary but in indo-european languages it is usually based on sex or animateness
  • Similar words include: sex, sexuality, grammatical gender
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GENDER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "22. –"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make visible
  • Similar words include: discover, let out, unwrap
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REVEAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "23. Lie next to"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
  • Similar words include: butt, butt on, adjoin
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABUT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Show on which Tina Fey and Seth Meyers have worked as head writers, in brief"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "26. Tropical cocktail with bananas, strawberries, rum and coconut cream"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "31. Go downhill fast"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that narrow wood or metal or plastic runners used in pairs for gliding over snow
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. Feedbag contents"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

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')
  • Similar words include: oat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OATS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "36. Shindig for someone settling into a new home"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
  • Similar words include: theatre, firm, planetary house
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOUSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "37. –"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature
  • Similar words include: heating, thaw, thawing
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WARMING

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "40. Flips, say"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sell (something) again after having bought it
  • Similar words include: resell
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RESELLS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "42. Skirt, as an issue"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
  • Similar words include: deflect, stave off, head off
  • Opposite of: validate, confront
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AVOID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Jennifer who wrote "A Visit From the Goon Squad""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "45. Auction unit"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
  • Similar words include: hatful, spate, batch
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "46. Cowboy's kerchief"

8 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large and brightly colored handkerchief; often used as a neckerchief
  • Similar words include: bandana
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BANDANNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "48. Show stoppers?"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a public promotion of some product or service
  • Similar words include: advertizing, advertisement, advertizement
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "51. Goes bad"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor
  • Similar words include: buncombe, decomposition, molder
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "52. Shindig for someone who's about to tie the knot"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that archaic terms for a wedding or wedding feast
  • Similar words include: espousal, spousal, nuptial
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BRIDAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "56. –"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a plumbing fixture that sprays water over you
  • Similar words include: exhibitor, shower bath, rain shower
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHOWER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "60. Like a dish of veal or chicken dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried in butter"

8 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a native or inhabitant of milan
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MILANESE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "62. Surfers ride them"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
  • Similar words include: Wave, flourish, waving
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WAVES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "63. Lunchroom"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a restaurant where you serve yourself and pay a cashier
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAFETERIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "64. Wolf in "The Jungle Book""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "65. Initials on a map until 1991"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a former communist country in eastern europe and northern asia; established in 1922; included russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (ukraine and byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 december 1991
  • Similar words include: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Soviet Union, Russia
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: USSR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "66. Shindig for the cast and crew after filming is done ... with a hint to entering this answer and three others in the grid"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cloak that is folded or wrapped around a person
  • Similar words include: enwrap, twine, wrapping
  • Opposite of: unwind, unwrap
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WRAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "67. –"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "68. Boxing stats"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a knockout declared by the referee who judges one boxer unable to continue
  • Similar words include: TKO, technical knockout
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TKOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "69. Jazz singer Sylvia"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. ___ Millan, celebrity dog trainer 5
2D 2. Handy 5
3D 3. High-def flat screen, for short 5
4D 4. "Ay, ___ the rub" 6
5D 5. Broth that might come from a dissolved cube 8
6D 6. Magnetite and bauxite 4
7D 7. Whole that's greater than the sum of its parts, from the German 7
8D 8. Barfly 3
9D 9. Spotted African sprinters 8
10D 10. Car's honker 4
11D 11. Longtime Yankee slugger, familiarly 4
12D 12. Earned 4
13D 13. Member of a jury 4
14D 18. Ke Huy ___, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" actor 4
15D 21. Boss, in Britain 3
16D 24. Major Iraqi port city 5
17D 27. Adversary 3
18D 28. Quiet period 4
19D 29. Scandinavian capital 4
20D 30. Toward sunset 4
21D 31. Mop, as the deck 4
22D 32. Polynesian brew 4
23D 33. Smooth out, as a wrinkled shirt 4
24D 35. Talent broker 5
25D 38. Mediocre, in modern slang 3
26D 39. "'Tis entirely likely" 8
27D 41. Those going along with others' unhealthy habits 8
28D 44. Item worn with a hazmat suit 7
29D 47. Negative connector 3
30D 49. "Curses!" 4
31D 50. Fibrous connecting tissues 6
32D 53. Second-largest city in Northern Ireland 5
33D 54. "Take me ___" 5
34D 55. Bounds 5
35D 56. Substitute 4
36D 57. Ceremonial Maori dance 4
37D 58. Done 4
38D 59. Mark left by a whip 4
39D 61. "Should that be true ..." 4
40D 63. Word before "one's losses" or "both ways" 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. ___ Millan, celebrity dog trainer"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Handy"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that being of use or service
  • Similar words include: useful
  • Opposite of: useless
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UTILE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. High-def flat screen, for short"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "Ay, ___ the rub""

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a location other than here; that place
  • Similar words include: there
  • Opposite of: here
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THERES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Broth that might come from a dissolved cube"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a clear seasoned broth
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOUILLON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Magnetite and bauxite"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined
  • Similar words include: ore
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Whole that's greater than the sum of its parts, from the German"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GESTALT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Barfly"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a chronic drinker
  • Similar words include: drunk, wino, rummy
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Spotted African sprinters"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that long-legged spotted cat of africa and southwestern asia having nonretractile claws; the swiftest mammal; can be trained to run down game
  • Similar words include: chetah, cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHEETAHS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Car's honker"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it
  • Similar words include: tusk, trump, car horn
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HORN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Longtime Yankee slugger, familiarly"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Earned"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that give certain properties to something
  • Similar words include: progress to, create, cause
  • Opposite of: unmake, unmade
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MADE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Member of a jury"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
  • Similar words include: match, compeer, equal
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Ke Huy ___, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" actor"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "21. Boss, in Britain"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. Major Iraqi port city"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the second largest city in iraq; an oil port in southern iraq
  • Similar words include: Basia
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "27. Adversary"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)
  • Similar words include: foeman, opposition, enemy
  • Opposite of: friend
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "28. Quiet period"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished
  • Similar words include: quiet, calm down, still
  • Opposite of: agitate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LULL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "29. Scandinavian capital"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the capital and largest city of norway; the country's main port; located at the head of a fjord on norway's southern coast
  • Similar words include: capital of Norway, Christiania
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OSLO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "30. Toward sunset"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the countries of (originally) europe and (now including) north america and south america
  • Similar words include: Occident, western United States, Rebecca West
  • Opposite of: east
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WEST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Mop, as the deck"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that implement consisting of a small piece of cotton that is used to apply medication or cleanse a wound or obtain a specimen of a secretion
  • Similar words include: mop, dab, swob
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWAB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. Polynesian brew"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an alcoholic drink made from the aromatic roots of the kava shrub
  • Similar words include: kavakava
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KAVA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "33. Smooth out, as a wrinkled shirt"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
  • Similar words include: cast-iron, Fe, atomic number 26
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "35. Talent broker"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
  • Similar words include: broker, federal agent, factor
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Mediocre, in modern slang"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. "'Tis entirely likely""

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "41. Those going along with others' unhealthy habits"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "44. Item worn with a hazmat suit"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a protective mask with a filter; protects the face and lungs against poisonous gases
  • Similar words include: gas helmet, respirator
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GASMASK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "47. Negative connector"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "49. "Curses!""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "50. Fibrous connecting tissues"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cord or band of inelastic tissue connecting a muscle with its bony attachment
  • Similar words include: tendon, brawniness, muscularity
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SINEWS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "53. Second-largest city in Northern Ireland"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "54. "Take me ___""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "55. Bounds"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
  • Similar words include: jump, jump off, bound
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEAPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "56. Substitute"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an equal exchange
  • Similar words include: switch, barter, swop
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "57. Ceremonial Maori dance"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "58. Done"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "59. Mark left by a whip"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions
  • Similar words include: flog, weal, strap
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WELT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "61. "Should that be true ...""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "63. Word before "one's losses" or "both ways""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a share of the profits
  • Similar words include: mown, excision, cold shoulder
  • Opposite of: uncut, untrimmed
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CUT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Expert Solving Strategies

Start Smart

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

Decode the Clues

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

Use Cross-References

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

Build Vocabulary

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

Today's Puzzle Stats

36 Across Clues
40 Down Clues
76 Total Clues

More NYT Crossword Help

Looking for more puzzle solutions? Check out our comprehensive archive of NYT crossword hints and answers. We update daily with expert analysis and solving strategies.

Disclaimer: Crossword clues and grid © The New York Times. This site provides hints and educational content for puzzle enthusiasts. XWordHint is not affiliated with The New York Times.

Last updated: October 13, 2026 at 10:49 AM

Thursday, September 17, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers September 17, 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. Buds 4
2A 5. Concealer for the face 4
3A 9. Pre-K building blocks 4
4A 13. Plant that thrives in a terra-cotta pot 4
5A 14. Stick it to your rival! 4
6A 15. Bring in 4
7A 16. Twill-woven worsted wool garment 4
8A 17. Fix, in a way 4
9A 18. Purple bubble tea flavor 4
10A 19. Annual e-sport fighting competition, in brief 3
11A 20. Short sidekick? 4
12A 21. Chocolatier with the tagline "Life is a ball" 5
13A 22. Dub over? 6
14A 24. Cuatro y dos 4
15A 26. Business magnate Condé 4
16A 28. Promising places? 6
17A 32. Ferry or wherry 4
18A 35. Start of an incantation 4
19A 37. Pastoral sound 3
20A 38. Web design feature that may cycle back to earlier sections ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme 14
21A 42. Inspired stuff 3
22A 43. Pro device 4
23A 44. ___ out a win 4
24A 45. Bond alternatives 6
25A 47. "... ___ no one ever" 4
26A 50. Edge jump in figure skating 4
27A 52. Scenes on Black Friday 6
28A 56. Kaitlin of "Hacks" 5
29A 59. Pawn 4
30A 61. Addendum to the five W's 3
31A 62. Female antelopes 4
32A 63. "'___' is the thing with feathers" (Emily Dickinson poem) 4
33A 64. Woodsy scent 4
34A 65. Top of a mosque, often 4
35A 66. Column in decimal notation 4
36A 67. Central Plains people 4
37A 68. Losing streak 4
38A 69. Column in decimal notation 4
39A 70. Cheeky 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Buds"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Concealer for the face"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a covering to disguise or conceal the face
  • Similar words include: dissemble, disguise, masquerade
  • Opposite of: unmask
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MASK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Pre-K building blocks"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "13. Plant that thrives in a terra-cotta pot"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that succulent plants having rosettes of leaves usually with fiber like hemp and spikes of showy flowers; found chiefly in africa
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "14. Stick it to your rival!"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fencing sword similar to a foil but with a heavier blade
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "15. Bring in"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that gather, as of natural products
  • Similar words include: draw, glean, harvest
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "16. Twill-woven worsted wool garment"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a knee-length pleated tartan skirt worn by men as part of the traditional dress in the highlands of northern scotland
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KILT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "17. Fix, in a way"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that remove the ovaries of
  • Similar words include: alter, neuter, castrate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "18. Purple bubble tea flavor"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants
  • Similar words include: Colocasia esculenta, edda, dalo
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TARO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "19. Annual e-sport fighting competition, in brief"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "20. Short sidekick?"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "21. Chocolatier with the tagline "Life is a ball""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "22. Dub over?"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that assign a new name to
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RENAME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "24. Cuatro y dos"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "26. Business magnate Condé"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

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!

16A: "28. Promising places?"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the table in christian churches where communion is given
  • Similar words include: Lord's table, altar, communion table
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALTARS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "32. Ferry or wherry"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small vessel for travel on water
  • Similar words include: gravy boat, sauceboat, gravy holder
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "35. Start of an incantation"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "37. Pastoral sound"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sound made by a cow or bull
  • Similar words include: low
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "38. Web design feature that may cycle back to earlier sections ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme"

14 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "42. Inspired stuff"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
  • Similar words include: melodic line, strain, aura
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "43. Pro device"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "44. ___ out a win"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "45. Bond alternatives"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction
  • Similar words include: breed, livestock, ancestry
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STOCKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. "... ___ no one ever""

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that express in words
  • Similar words include: tell, articulate, aforesaid
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "50. Edge jump in figure skating"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "52. Scenes on Black Friday"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large number of things or people considered together
  • Similar words include: herd, crowd, bunch
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CROWDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "56. Kaitlin of "Hacks""

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "59. Pawn"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of several white wines from the rhine river valley in germany (`hock' is british usage)
  • Similar words include: hock-joint, pawn, Rhine wine
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOCK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "61. Addendum to the five W's"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "62. Female antelopes"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the united states; created in 1977
  • Similar words include: answer, cause, practise
  • Opposite of: unmake
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "63. "'___' is the thing with feathers" (Emily Dickinson poem)"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a specific instance of feeling hopeful
  • Similar words include: promise, trust, go for
  • Opposite of: despair
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "64. Woodsy scent"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a coniferous tree
  • Similar words include: languish, yen, pine tree
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PINE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "65. Top of a mosque, often"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
  • Similar words include: noodle, domed stadium, covered stadium
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "66. Column in decimal notation"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
  • Similar words include: ace, single, unity
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "67. Central Plains people"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the siouan people inhabiting the valleys of the platte and missouri rivers in nebraska
  • Similar words include: Oto
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OTOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "68. Losing streak"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one of a pair of planks used to make a track for rolling or sliding objects
  • Similar words include: slew, slide, slip
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "69. Column in decimal notation"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
  • Similar words include: 10, tenner, decade
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TENS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "70. Cheeky"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality
  • Similar words include: irreverent, impertinent, saucy
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PERT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 20. Reddit Q&A sesh 3
2D 21. Purple shade 5
3D 23. Prefix with body or bacterial 4
4D 25. Side mirrors on a car, anthropomorphically 4
5D 27. "Toodle-oo!" 4
6D 29. One way to run 4
7D 30. Actors like biting into a juicy one 4
8D 31. On board, say 4
9D 32. Pollster's concern 4
10D 33. "Handling this as we speak" 4
11D 34. Hairstyle that you've picked out? 4
12D 36. Kings and queens, e.g. 4
13D 39. Canon competitor 5
14D 40. ___ facto 4
15D 41. Makeover 4
16D 46. Film production environment for an intimate scene, perhaps 9
17D 48. Digital security credential 9
18D 49. Get to 3
19D 51. Telegram and Simple Dialer, for two 9
20D 53. Cannellini, e.g. 9
21D 54. Organ-related item in a wallet 9
22D 55. Perfect place 9
23D 56. Expert employed by a sportsbook 9
24D 57. "Show me some real effort!" 9
25D 58. It's not a full stop 9
26D 60. Room in the audience up for grabs 9
27D 63. Absolute train wrecks 9
28D 64. Andy Warhol, e.g. 9

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "20. Reddit Q&A sesh"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "21. Purple shade"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of various plants of the genus syringa having large panicles of usually fragrant flowers
  • Similar words include: lilac-colored, lavender
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LILAC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "23. Prefix with body or bacterial"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who is opposed (to an action or policy or practice etc.)
  • Opposite of: pro
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANTI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "25. Side mirrors on a car, anthropomorphically"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "27. "Toodle-oo!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "29. One way to run"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that frenzied as if possessed by a demon
  • Similar words include: murderously, berserk, demoniac
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMOK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "30. Actors like biting into a juicy one"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group
  • Similar words include: function, persona, character
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "31. On board, say"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
  • Similar words include: trade, deal, sell
  • Opposite of: unsold, buy
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOLD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "32. Pollster's concern"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation
  • Similar words include: predetermine, diagonal, preconception
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BIAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "33. "Handling this as we speak""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "34. Hairstyle that you've picked out?"

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!

12D: "36. Kings and queens, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
  • Similar words include: go to bed, turn in, love
  • Opposite of: get up, turn out
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "39. Canon competitor"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "40. ___ facto"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "41. Makeover"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that do over, as of (part of) a house
  • Similar words include: remake, refashion, make over
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REDO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "46. Film production environment for an intimate scene, perhaps"

9 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "48. Digital security credential"

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "49. Get to"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that irritate or vex
  • Similar words include: gall
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "51. Telegram and Simple Dialer, for two"

9 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "53. Cannellini, e.g."

9 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "54. Organ-related item in a wallet"

9 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "55. Perfect place"

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "56. Expert employed by a sportsbook"

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "57. "Show me some real effort!""

9 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "58. It's not a full stop"

9 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a punctuation mark (`;') used to connect independent clauses; indicates a closer relation than does a period
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEMICOLON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "60. Room in the audience up for grabs"

9 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "63. Absolute train wrecks"

9 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "64. Andy Warhol, e.g."

9 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Expert Solving Strategies

Start Smart

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

Decode the Clues

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

Use Cross-References

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

Build Vocabulary

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

Today's Puzzle Stats

39 Across Clues
28 Down Clues
67 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: September 17, 2026 at 08:47 AM