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
- Across Clues Table (33 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (33 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Medium
Pro Tip: Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues - they're usually the easiest entry points!
Across Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | 1. Modern "go-to's" | 4 |
| 2A | 5. Curtain for silhouetting on stage | 5 |
| 3A | 10. Bird on the South Carolina state quarter | 4 |
| 4A | 14. Capote or chesterfield | 4 |
| 5A | 15. Emulates E.T., in a way | 10 |
| 6A | 17. Roman goddess who drives a two-horse chariot | 4 |
| 7A | 18. Precious self-reference | 10 |
| 8A | 19. Name shared by the singer of the #1 hit "Rock Me Gently" (1974) and the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate (2024) | 7 |
| 9A | 21. Double-___ cassowary (bird of Indonesia and Australia) | 7 |
| 10A | 22. Matches with forensics | 14 |
| 11A | 24. Occasions to relax and recharge | 6 |
| 12A | 25. Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15) | 5 |
| 13A | 26. Gasoline brand that offered the Torch Club credit card | 5 |
| 14A | 27. Aid in making salsa | 5 |
| 15A | 28. Operculum, e.g. | 3 |
| 16A | 31. Capital of Greenland | 4 |
| 17A | 32. They're hard to pull off | 5 |
| 18A | 33. Spa service, in brief | 4 |
| 19A | 34. Up to snuff, facetiously | 3 |
| 20A | 35. Trickles | 5 |
| 21A | 36. Cup holders | 5 |
| 22A | 37. Many a Porsche 911 | 5 |
| 23A | 38. Practical types who are often perfectionists, it's said | 6 |
| 24A | 39. Don't start with me! | 14 |
| 25A | 43. Difficult effort | 7 |
| 26A | 44. Cut out | 7 |
| 27A | 46. Setting for Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" | 10 |
| 28A | 48. Cold-smoked lox | 4 |
| 29A | 49. 7 up, perhaps | 10 |
| 30A | 50. Gulf of ___, waters that abut Djibouti and Somaliland | 4 |
| 31A | 51. Vanilla units | 4 |
| 32A | 52. Spouts | 5 |
| 33A | 53. Romp | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Modern "go-to's""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the address of a web page on the world wide web
- Similar words include: universal resource locator, URL, uniform resource locator
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: URLS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "5. Curtain for silhouetting on stage"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a firm open-weave fabric used for a curtain in the theater
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCRIM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3A: "10. Bird on the South Carolina state quarter"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that english architect who designed more than fifty london churches (1632-1723)
- Similar words include: Sir Christopher Wren, jenny wren
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WREN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4A: "14. Capote or chesterfield"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
- Similar words include: surface, coating, pelage
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5A: "15. Emulates E.T., in a way"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PHONESHOME
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6A: "17. Roman goddess who drives a two-horse chariot"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (roman mythology) the goddess of the moon; counterpart of greek selene
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LUNA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7A: "18. Precious self-reference"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LITTLEOLME
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8A: "19. Name shared by the singer of the #1 hit "Rock Me Gently" (1974) and the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate (2024)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANDYKIM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9A: "21. Double-___ cassowary (bird of Indonesia and Australia)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that build of or with wattle
- Similar words include: wattle
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WATTLED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10A: "22. Matches with forensics"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEBATECONTESTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11A: "24. Occasions to relax and recharge"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MEDAYS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12A: "25. Obama's third secretary of defense (2013-15)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAGEL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13A: "26. Gasoline brand that offered the Torch Club credit card"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMOCO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14A: "27. Aid in making salsa"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a mechanical device used for dicing food
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DICER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "28. Operculum, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
- Similar words include: palpebra, hat, eyelid
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LID
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16A: "31. Capital of Greenland"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NUUK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "32. They're hard to pull off"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a notable achievement
- Similar words include: effort, exploit, feat
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FEATS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "33. Spa service, in brief"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MANI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19A: "34. Up to snuff, facetiously"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20A: "35. Trickles"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that pass gradually or leak through or as if through small openings
- Similar words include: ooze, seep
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEEPS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "36. Cup holders"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an ornamental metal cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup
- Similar words include: zarf
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ZARFS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "37. Many a Porsche 911"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a car with two doors and front seats and a luggage compartment
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COUPE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "38. Practical types who are often perfectionists, it's said"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in virgo
- Similar words include: Virgo, Virgin, Virgo the Virgin
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VIRGOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "39. Don't start with me!"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SECONDSTRINGER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "43. Difficult effort"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child
- Similar words include: exertion, labour, toil
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRAVAIL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26A: "44. Cut out"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
- Similar words include: expunge, excise, strike
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EXCISED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "46. Setting for Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIVERSEINE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "48. Cold-smoked lox"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and become more luminous in the process
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOVA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "49. 7 up, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVENSTEVEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "50. Gulf of ___, waters that abut Djibouti and Somaliland"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an important port of yemen; located on the gulf of aden; its strategic location has made it a major trading center of southern arabia since ancient times
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31A: "51. Vanilla units"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the vessel that contains the seeds of a plant (not the seeds themselves)
- Similar words include: cod, pod, seedpod
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PODS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "52. Spouts"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth
- Similar words include: disgorge, cat, eruct
- Opposite of: keep down
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPEWS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "53. Romp"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that north american songbirds having a yellow breast
- Similar words include: frisk, escapade, gambol
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LARK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Victor over Washington on 11/12/1955 in "Back to the Future, Pt. II" — and in real life | 4 |
| 2D | 2. Cattle call | 9 |
| 3D | 3. Went wide or long, as a tennis ball | 9 |
| 4D | 4. "No closer!" | 8 |
| 5D | 5. Takes off | 6 |
| 6D | 6. Wind pipe? | 5 |
| 7D | 7. Blight | 3 |
| 8D | 8. Getting a break on Broadway? | 9 |
| 9D | 9. Medleys | 8 |
| 10D | 10. Marriott property with the slogan "Whatever Whenever" | 6 |
| 11D | 11. Triumphs smoothly | 5 |
| 12D | 12. ___ Brickowski ("The Lego Movie" protagonist) | 5 |
| 13D | 13. "What this country ___ ..." | 5 |
| 14D | 16. Certain volleyballer | 6 |
| 15D | 20. Deck | 4 |
| 16D | 23. Once-popular terra-cotta figurine | 7 |
| 17D | 24. Trigger hair | 4 |
| 18D | 27. State in which Gulliver is discovered by the Lilliputians | 9 |
| 19D | 28. Combo meal upgrade | 9 |
| 20D | 29. Going back ages | 9 |
| 21D | 30. ___ track | 4 |
| 22D | 32. Folks who enjoy a well-aged beef? | 8 |
| 23D | 33. Borderline | 8 |
| 24D | 35. Echolocation systems | 6 |
| 25D | 36. Element between copper and gallium on the periodic table | 4 |
| 26D | 37. Spelling combinations? | 6 |
| 27D | 38. They're concerned with feeding kits | 6 |
| 28D | 39. Pharyngeal woe | 5 |
| 29D | 40. Cynthia ___, Tony winner for "The Color Purple" | 5 |
| 30D | 41. Buckled | 5 |
| 31D | 42. Extend, in a way | 5 |
| 32D | 45. Chilly and damp | 4 |
| 33D | 47. "___ noticed" | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Victor over Washington on 11/12/1955 in "Back to the Future, Pt. II" — and in real life"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UCLA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Cattle call"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROUNDEMUP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Went wide or long, as a tennis ball"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LANDEDOUT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. "No closer!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STAYBACK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Takes off"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that extending the legs at right angles to the trunk (one in front and the other in back)
- Similar words include: Split, tear, split up
- Opposite of: unite
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPLITS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Wind pipe?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
- Similar words include: gong, bell
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHIME
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Blight"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a state of decay usually accompanied by an offensive odor
- Similar words include: putrefaction, rotting, bunkum
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Getting a break on Broadway?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INTWOACTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Medleys"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a motley assortment of things
- Similar words include: hodgepodge, ragbag, melange
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MELANGES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Marriott property with the slogan "Whatever Whenever""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHOTEL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. Triumphs smoothly"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that rotary motion of an object around its own axis
- Similar words include: revolve, bun, rolling wave
- Opposite of: unwind
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROLLS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. ___ Brickowski ("The Lego Movie" protagonist)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
- Similar words include: ant, pismire
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMMET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "13. "What this country ___ ...""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a condition requiring relief
- Similar words include: penury, involve, want
- Opposite of: obviate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEEDS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "16. Certain volleyballer"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that one who sets written material into type
- Similar words include: typesetter, typographer, compositor
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SETTER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "20. Deck"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a blow that renders the opponent unconscious
- Similar words include: knockout, knock out, KO
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KAYO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "23. Once-popular terra-cotta figurine"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHIAPET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "24. Trigger hair"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck
- Similar words include: head of hair
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MANE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "27. State in which Gulliver is discovered by the Lilliputians"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEEPSLEEP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "28. Combo meal upgrade"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LARGESODA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "29. Going back ages"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INFOREVER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "30. ___ track"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that god of the underworld; counterpart of greek pluto
- Similar words include: affront, Dis, Orcus
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DISS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "32. Folks who enjoy a well-aged beef?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FEUDISTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "33. Borderline"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that at or constituting a border or edge
- Similar words include: bare, borderline, fringy
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MARGINAL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "35. Echolocation systems"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a measuring instrument that sends out an acoustic pulse in water and measures distances in terms of the time for the echo of the pulse to return
- Similar words include: echo sounder, asdic, sonar
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SONARS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "36. Element between copper and gallium on the periodic table"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs naturally as zinc sulphide in zinc blende
- Similar words include: Zn, atomic number 30
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ZINC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "37. Spelling combinations?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an assembly of witches; usually 13 witches
- Similar words include: coven
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COVENS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "38. They're concerned with feeding kits"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a malicious woman with a fierce temper
- Similar words include: hellcat, vixen, harpy
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VIXENS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "39. Pharyngeal woe"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that spherical gram-positive bacteria occurring in pairs or chains; cause e.g. scarlet fever and tonsillitis
- Similar words include: streptococcal, streptococcus, streptococcic
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STREP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "40. Cynthia ___, Tony winner for "The Color Purple""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERIVO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "41. Buckled"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that hollow out as if making a cave or opening
- Similar words include: spelunk, undermine, cave
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAVED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "42. Extend, in a way"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that reestablish on a new, usually improved, basis or make new or like new
- Similar words include: reincarnate, regenerate
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RENEW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "45. Chilly and damp"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that unpleasantly cool and humid
- Similar words include: clammy
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DANK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "47. "___ noticed""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Expert Solving Strategies
Start Smart
Begin with fill-in-the-blank clues and short 3-4 letter words. These are your foundation.
Decode the Clues
Question marks indicate wordplay or puns. "Maybe" suggests multiple interpretations.
Use Cross-References
Let intersecting letters guide you. One correct answer unlocks several others.
Build Vocabulary
Common crossword words repeat. Learning them speeds up future solving.
Today's Puzzle Stats
33 Across Clues
33 Down Clues
66 Total Clues
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