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 (34 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (32 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. Result of a tense build-up? | 10 |
| 2A | 11. Hit a point of no return? | 4 |
| 3A | 15. Kick off | 10 |
| 4A | 16. "Outta my way!" | 4 |
| 5A | 17. ABC's realm | 10 |
| 6A | 18. Body part affected by heterochromia | 4 |
| 7A | 19. Fed | 4 |
| 8A | 20. ___ Mai, Grammy-winning R&B singer | 4 |
| 9A | 21. Buff | 5 |
| 10A | 22. Drops | 5 |
| 11A | 24. Mars rover named in honor of a 19th-century activist | 9 |
| 12A | 26. Ludwig ___, post-W.W. II leader who led West Germany's economic recovery | 6 |
| 13A | 28. Cooking term whose name is composed of two synonyms for "criticize" | 8 |
| 14A | 29. Agcy. tracking popular baby names | 3 |
| 15A | 30. Agcy. concerned with declarations | 3 |
| 16A | 32. Parts of some high-speed rail systems | 7 |
| 17A | 33. Be exceptionally good, in modern slang | 4 |
| 18A | 34. Vaper's purchase | 4 |
| 19A | 35. What Esau got in exchange for selling his birthright to Jacob | 7 |
| 20A | 38. Disclaimer in a quote | 3 |
| 21A | 39. "Hang" | 3 |
| 22A | 42. Detaches from the frame, perhaps | 8 |
| 23A | 44. Grammatical case in 48-Across | 6 |
| 24A | 46. Longtime Pixar character who saiys "I might be old, but I still got a spring in my step!" | 9 |
| 25A | 48. See 44-Across | 5 |
| 26A | 49. Super, slangily | 5 |
| 27A | 50. Curve on a score | 4 |
| 28A | 52. Follower of hand or home | 4 |
| 29A | 53. Bit of filming | 4 |
| 30A | 54. Asteroids and Space Invaders | 10 |
| 31A | 56. In the past | 4 |
| 32A | 57. System by which all speech is protected? | 10 |
| 33A | 58. Cravings | 4 |
| 34A | 59. Club runners | 10 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Result of a tense build-up?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JENGATOWER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "11. Hit a point of no return?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that succeed at easily
- Similar words include: pass with flying colors, sail through, sweep through
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3A: "15. Kick off"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that commence officially
- Similar words include: kick off, usher in, introduce
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INAUGURATE
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4A: "16. "Outta my way!""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the act of deciding to do something
- Similar words include: propel, motivate, locomote
- Opposite of: stay, refrain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOVE
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5A: "17. ABC's realm"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NATIONALTV
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6A: "18. Body part affected by heterochromia"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
- Similar words include: flag, iris diaphragm, fleur-de-lis
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRIS
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7A: "19. Fed"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GMAN
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8A: "20. ___ Mai, Grammy-winning R&B singer"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELLA
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9A: "21. Buff"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWOLE
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10A: "22. Drops"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
- Similar words include: suffer, lose, drop off
- Opposite of: keep, profit
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOSES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11A: "24. Mars rover named in honor of a 19th-century activist"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a temporary resident
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOJOURNER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12A: "26. Ludwig ___, post-W.W. II leader who led West Germany's economic recovery"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERHARD
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13A: "28. Cooking term whose name is composed of two synonyms for "criticize""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PANROAST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14A: "29. Agcy. tracking popular baby names"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an independent government agency responsible for the social security system
- Similar words include: Social Security Administration
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SSA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "30. Agcy. concerned with declarations"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the bureau of the treasury department responsible for tax collections
- Similar words include: Internal Revenue Service
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16A: "32. Parts of some high-speed rail systems"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (physics) a device that attracts iron and produces a magnetic field
- Similar words include: attracter, magnet, attraction
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAGNETS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "33. Be exceptionally good, in modern slang"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a blow from a flat object (as an open hand)
- Similar words include: bang, bolt, smack
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLAP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "34. Vaper's purchase"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ECIG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19A: "35. What Esau got in exchange for selling his birthright to Jacob"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a stew of vegetables and (sometimes) meat
- Similar words include: potage
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POTTAGE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20A: "38. Disclaimer in a quote"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that urge to attack someone
- Similar words include: set
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "39. "Hang""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that edible seeds or roots or stems or leaves or bulbs or tubers or nonsweet fruits of any of numerous herbaceous plant
- Similar words include: veggie, vegetable
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VEG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "42. Detaches from the frame, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
- Similar words include: cark, unhinge, distract
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNHINGES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "44. Grammatical case in 48-Across"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the category of nouns serving as the indirect object of a verb
- Similar words include: dative case
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DATIVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "46. Longtime Pixar character who saiys "I might be old, but I still got a spring in my step!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLINKYDOG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "48. See 44-Across"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any dialect of the language of ancient rome
- Similar words include: Romance
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LATIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26A: "49. Super, slangily"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HECKA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "50. Curve on a score"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (music) a curved line spanning notes that are to be played legato
- Similar words include: blur, spot, smirch
- Opposite of: focus
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLUR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "52. Follower of hand or home"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that give certain properties to something
- Similar words include: take in, make believe, puddle
- Opposite of: break, unmake
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MADE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "53. Bit of filming"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
- Similar words include: take in, lease, postulate
- Opposite of: abstain, obviate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAKE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "54. Asteroids and Space Invaders"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATARIGAMES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31A: "56. In the past"
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: all over, o'er, concluded
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "57. System by which all speech is protected?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SECURELINE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "58. Cravings"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a yearning for something or to do something
- Similar words include: yearn, languish, yen
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YENS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34A: "59. Club runners"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an executive officer of a firm or corporation
- Similar words include: Chief Executive, president, chairman
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PRESIDENTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Change sounds | 7 |
| 2D | 2. Captivates | 7 |
| 3D | 3. Actress Lyonne | 7 |
| 4D | 4. Neighbor of Sierra Leone | 6 |
| 5D | 5. In the past | 3 |
| 6D | 6. Use a fork for, in a way | 4 |
| 7D | 7. Some thesis defenses | 5 |
| 8D | 8. Trounce | 6 |
| 9D | 9. Singer dubbed the "Matriarch of the Blues" | 9 |
| 10D | 10. Gun before the green, say | 3 |
| 11D | 11. "Is it not?" | 8 |
| 12D | 12. Stellar visual effects | 7 |
| 13D | 13. Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped | 7 |
| 14D | 14. Strands | 7 |
| 15D | 21. Precise and calculated | 8 |
| 16D | 23. First country to elect a female prime minister (1960) | 8 |
| 17D | 25. Tripping | 6 |
| 18D | 27. Sluggish | 6 |
| 19D | 31. One putting the pedal to the metal | 9 |
| 20D | 33. No-goodniks | 8 |
| 21D | 35. Toddler's walking aid | 7 |
| 22D | 36. Like someone using autoreply, perhaps | 7 |
| 23D | 37. Start to congeal | 7 |
| 24D | 39. Part of some gummies | 7 |
| 25D | 40. Clear | 7 |
| 26D | 41. Births | 7 |
| 27D | 43. Comfort | 6 |
| 28D | 45. Mesoamerican staple with a "hot" variety | 6 |
| 29D | 47. Mentors | 5 |
| 30D | 51. "Rude Boy" singer, to fans | 4 |
| 31D | 54. Ancient symbol of royalty | 3 |
| 32D | 55. Test not offered in high school, for short | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Change sounds"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a metallic sound
- Similar words include: doggerel verse, jangle, jingle-jangle
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JINGLES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Captivates"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that attract; cause to be enamored
- Similar words include: trance, enamor, charm
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENAMORS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Actress Lyonne"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NATASHA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Neighbor of Sierra Leone"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a former british gold coin worth 21 shillings
- Similar words include: Republic of Guinea, ginzo, dago
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GUINEA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. In the past"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that gone by; or in the past
- Similar words include: agone
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Use a fork for, in a way"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
- Similar words include: melodic line, tune up, line
- Opposite of: untune
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TUNE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Some thesis defenses"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an examination conducted by spoken communication
- Similar words include: oral, viva voce, oral examination
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORALS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Trounce"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a forceful consequence; a strong effect
- Similar words include: impact, wham, whop
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WALLOP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Singer dubbed the "Matriarch of the Blues""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETTAJAMES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Gun before the green, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that rate of revolution of a motor
- Similar words include: revolutions per minute, rev up, rpm
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REV
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. "Is it not?""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMIWRONG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Stellar visual effects"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere; visible as a white halo during a solar eclipse
- Similar words include: corona discharge, St. Elmo's fire, electric glow
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CORONAE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "13. Adjective that becomes its own synonym after its first letter is dropped"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that morally bad or wrong
- Similar words include: evil, vicious, malefic
- Opposite of: good
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVILEST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "14. Strands"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an outcome (good or bad) that is well deserved
- Similar words include: forsake, abandon, desert
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DESERTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "21. Precise and calculated"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that of or relating to or involving or used in surgery
- Similar words include: operative
- Opposite of: nonsurgical, medical
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SURGICAL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "23. First country to elect a female prime minister (1960)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SRILANKA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "25. Tripping"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONACID
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "27. Sluggish"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRAGGY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "31. One putting the pedal to the metal"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPEEDSTER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "33. No-goodniks"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
- Similar words include: rat, lowlife, stinker
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STINKERS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "35. Toddler's walking aid"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PUSHTOY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "36. Like someone using autoreply, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONLEAVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "37. Start to congeal"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that make thick or thicker
- Similar words include: inspissate
- Opposite of: thin
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THICKEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "39. Part of some gummies"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of a group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VITAMIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "40. Clear"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
- Similar words include: observable, manifest, apparent
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVIDENT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "41. Births"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a coming into being
- Similar words include: genesis, Genesis, Book of Genesis
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GENESES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "43. Comfort"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment
- Similar words include: consolation, comfort, soothe
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOLACE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "45. Mesoamerican staple with a "hot" variety"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a city in northern ghana
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAMALE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "47. Mentors"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a hindu or buddhist religious leader and spiritual teacher
- Similar words include: Guru, guru
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GURUS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "51. "Rude Boy" singer, to fans"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIRI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "54. Ancient symbol of royalty"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that of southern europe; similar to but smaller than the adder
- Similar words include: asp viper, Egyptian cobra, Naja haje
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "55. Test not offered in high school, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GED
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
34 Across Clues
32 Down Clues
66 Total Clues
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