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

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

Saturday, September 5, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers September 05, 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. Made chitchat 9
2A 10. Underground rock 5
3A 15. "Slow down a second!" 9
4A 16. What you might hear when you get someone's goat? 5
5A 17. Nay sayers 15
6A 19. Actor Nick of "The Prince of Tides" 5
7A 20. One way to stand 4
8A 21. Hang time, for short? 4
9A 22. Important 3
10A 23. Journey, so to speak 4
11A 25. Access, as to an elite network 6
12A 27. "___ ME" (humorous "sign") 4
13A 29. European landmark whose name begins with an "A" in classical literature 4
14A 31. Reduced price? 3
15A 32. Revered one 4
16A 34. "Keep on going!" 4
17A 36. Word in a Tibetan leader's title 5
18A 38. "Infection" common among schoolkids 7
19A 40. California city bisected by Interstate 5 7
20A 42. Not continue beyond 5
21A 43. Stunner 4
22A 45. Cette femme 4
23A 46. Toy popularized by Queen Victoria, familiarly 3
24A 47. ___ dance (Lunar New Year tradition) 4
25A 49. Shiny material 4
26A 51. Annular reefs 6
27A 53. Stock market option 4
28A 55. TV drama whose past guest stars have included Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber 3
29A 58. Its license plate might read "FOR HIRE" 4
30A 59. Land, marked 4
31A 61. Held the elevator door for, say 5
32A 63. Sarcastic response to boasting 15
33A 66. Carnival line? 5
34A 67. Score sneakily 9
35A 68. "The door's open!" 5
36A 69. Conclude an agreement, say 9

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Made chitchat"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that talk idly or casually and in a friendly way
  • Similar words include: jawbone, schmooze, shmooze
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCHMOOZED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "10. Underground rock"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that molten rock in the earth's crust
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAGMA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "15. "Slow down a second!""

9 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "16. What you might hear when you get someone's goat?"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sound of sheep or goats (or any sound resembling this)
  • Similar words include: baa, blate, blat
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLEAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "17. Nay sayers"

15 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALLTHOSEAGAINST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "19. Actor Nick of "The Prince of Tides""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "20. One way to stand"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a garment size for a tall person
  • Similar words include: marvellous, improbable, grandiloquent
  • Opposite of: short
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "21. Hang time, for short?"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Important"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
  • Similar words include: cay, fundamental, winder
  • Opposite of: atonality
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KEY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. Journey, so to speak"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
  • Similar words include: route
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "25. Access, as to an elite network"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the principal dish of a meal
  • Similar words include: accession, access, admission
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENTREE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "27. "___ ME" (humorous "sign")"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thin coat of water-base paint
  • Similar words include: lavation, lave, wash off
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WASH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "29. European landmark whose name begins with an "A" in classical literature"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an inactive volcano in sicily; last erupted in 1961; the highest volcano in europe (10,500 feet)
  • Similar words include: bunsen, Mt Etna, bunsen burner
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "31. Reduced price?"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "32. Revered one"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. "Keep on going!""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that english statesman who opposed henry viii's divorce from catherine of aragon and was imprisoned and beheaded; recalled for his concept of utopia, the ideal state
  • Similar words include: more than, Thomas More, Sir Thomas More
  • Opposite of: less, fewer
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "36. Word in a Tibetan leader's title"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "38. "Infection" common among schoolkids"

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a parasitic louse that infests the body of human beings
  • Similar words include: Pediculus corporis, cootie, body louse
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COOTIES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "40. California city bisected by Interstate 5"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a city in southern california (southeast of los angeles); site of disneyland
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANAHEIM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "42. Not continue beyond"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Stunner"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a very attractive or seductive looking woman
  • Similar words include: sweetheart, knockout, dish
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LULU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "45. Cette femme"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "46. Toy popularized by Queen Victoria, familiarly"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a disparaging term for a british person
  • Similar words include: pommy
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "47. ___ dance (Lunar New Year tradition)"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large gregarious predatory feline of africa and india having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
  • Similar words include: Leo, Leo the Lion, social lion
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LION

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "49. Shiny material"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that someone who doesn't understand what is going on
  • Similar words include: square, cripple, feeble
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "51. Annular reefs"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon
  • Similar words include: atoll
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATOLLS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "53. Stock market option"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a telephone connection
  • Similar words include: prognosticate, shout out, call up
  • Opposite of: put option
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "55. TV drama whose past guest stars have included Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "58. Its license plate might read "FOR HIRE""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large luxurious car; usually driven by a chauffeur
  • Similar words include: limousine
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "59. Land, marked"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "61. Held the elevator door for, say"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "63. Sarcastic response to boasting"

15 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARENTYOUSPECIAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "66. Carnival line?"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that music composed for dancing the conga
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CONGA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "67. Score sneakily"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "68. "The door's open!""

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that to come or go into
  • Similar words include: introduce, participate, figure
  • Opposite of: exit, drop out
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENTER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "69. Conclude an agreement, say"

9 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Ritzy 5
2D 2. Luxury fashion house based in Paris 5
3D 3. Incident so dramatic it feels like a movie 15
4D 4. Apt name for a yoga instructor? 4
5D 5. "Our best thought came from ___": Ralph Waldo Emerson 6
6D 6. "Found you!" 3
7D 7. Cracker alternative to Ritz 5
8D 8. Mobile library? 7
9D 9. Cope 4
10D 10. Future manager's goal, for short 3
11D 11. Most-celebrated celebrities 5
12D 12. Primary follower 15
13D 13. Thing you may regret hitting "Reply All" to 9
14D 14. When it happened 9
15D 18. Valley with gentle slopes 4
16D 24. "I can't catch a break!" 4
17D 26. Bubkes 4
18D 28. 20-Across, en español 4
19D 30. Green-winged water bird 4
20D 32. Stunning attraction at a winter festival, maybe 9
21D 33. Clothing tag warning 9
22D 35. Seat of one European monarchy 4
23D 37. Tongue-in-cheek interjection akin to "Told ya ..." 4
24D 39. "___ turn out fine" 4
25D 41. Like the 18th Amendment, nowadays 4
26D 44. Boorish 7
27D 48. Game on a car trip 4
28D 50. Form of a gene 6
29D 52. The sound that concludes "The Sound and the Fury" 5
30D 54. Befuddled 5
31D 56. "We're alike in that way" 5
32D 57. Cove 5
33D 60. Stock market woe 4
34D 62. Diminishing return? 4
35D 64. Waterproofing material for a sail, once 3
36D 65. Lahore is here: Abbr. 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Ritzy"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that elegance by virtue of being fashionable
  • Similar words include: ostentate, chicness, modishness
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWANK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Luxury fashion house based in Paris"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Incident so dramatic it feels like a movie"

15 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOLLYWOODMOMENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Apt name for a yoga instructor?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
  • Similar words include: matted, lusterlessness, lustrelessness
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MATT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. "Our best thought came from ___": Ralph Waldo Emerson"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. "Found you!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Cracker alternative to Ritz"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Mobile library?"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Cope"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a particular instance of buying or selling
  • Similar words include: treat, take, contend
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Future manager's goal, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Most-celebrated celebrities"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Primary follower"

15 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GENERALELECTION

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Thing you may regret hitting "Reply All" to"

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. When it happened"

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "18. Valley with gentle slopes"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a narrow secluded valley (in the mountains)
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. "I can't catch a break!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "26. Bubkes"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a quantity of no importance
  • Similar words include: zero, cypher, nil
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NADA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "28. 20-Across, en español"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "30. Green-winged water bird"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a blue-green color or pigment
  • Similar words include: cyan, blue-green, bluish green
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "32. Stunning attraction at a winter festival, maybe"

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "33. Clothing tag warning"

9 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "35. Seat of one European monarchy"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

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!

23D: "37. Tongue-in-cheek interjection akin to "Told ya ...""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.
  • Similar words include: hem
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AHEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "39. "___ turn out fine""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "41. Like the 18th Amendment, nowadays"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a quantity of no importance
  • Similar words include: zero, cypher, nil
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NULL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "44. Boorish"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
  • Similar words include: vulgar, coarse, rough-cut
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNCOUTH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "48. Game on a car trip"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "50. Form of a gene"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character
  • Similar words include: allelomorph
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALLELE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "52. The sound that concludes "The Sound and the Fury""

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "54. Befuddled"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "56. "We're alike in that way""

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "57. Cove"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)
  • Similar words include: recess, intake
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INLET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "60. Stock market woe"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that something that is lost
  • Similar words include: personnel casualty, passing, release
  • Opposite of: gain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOSS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "62. Diminishing return?"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves
  • Similar words include: resound, replication, reverberation
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ECHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "64. Waterproofing material for a sail, once"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "65. Lahore is here: Abbr."

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Expert Solving Strategies

Start Smart

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

Decode the Clues

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

Use Cross-References

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

Build Vocabulary

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

Today's Puzzle Stats

36 Across Clues
36 Down Clues
72 Total Clues

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 05, 2026 at 07:45 AM