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

Tuesday, October 6, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers October 06, 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. What a leaky faucet has 4
2A 5. Hands, informally ... or coverings for hands 5
3A 10. "Not another peep out of you!" 4
4A 14. Classical Persian poet 4
5A 15. Nebraska home of Creighton University 5
6A 16. Between cruise ports, say 4
7A 17. Intl. oil group 4
8A 18. Like streakers 5
9A 19. Deep blue 4
10A 20. Pale and sickly 5
11A 22. Have an "aha" moment about 3
12A 23. Urged (on) 5
13A 24. One of six, supposedly, for a seer 5
14A 25. "___ Were a Rich Man" 3
15A 26. Rear of a boat 5
16A 27. Lifeless 9
17A 30. Who said "Revolutions are the locomotives of history" 4
18A 33. Video game section 5
19A 34. Pen points 4
20A 38. Number on a dating profile 3
21A 39. Gallops into the sunset, say 7
22A 41. "I've seen better" 3
23A 42. Attend without a date 6
24A 44. Sound in polka music 6
25A 46. Strategic disk game played on a vertical board 11
26A 50. Music genre for James Brown 4
27A 51. Device once used with a Blockbuster rental 3
28A 52. Mission-driven grps., often 4
29A 54. "___ you listening?" 3
30A 55. Who said "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" 5
31A 57. May honoree 3
32A 59. Animal with a "mask" 7
33A 62. A step above amateur 7
34A 65. Peeved 7
35A 66. Like italic type 7
36A 67. With 68-Across, posable plaything ... or a verbal hint to each half of 4-, 7- and 10-Down and 46-Across 6
37A 68. See 67-Across 6

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. What a leaky faucet has"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Hands, informally ... or coverings for hands"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
  • Similar words include: baseball mitt, manus, glove
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MITTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. "Not another peep out of you!""

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (poetic) tranquil silence
  • Similar words include: stillness, silence, shut up
  • Opposite of: louden
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HUSH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Classical Persian poet"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Nebraska home of Creighton University"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the siouan people formerly living in the missouri river valley in northeastern nebraska
  • Similar words include: Maha
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OMAHA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Between cruise ports, say"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that in the direction of the sea
  • Similar words include: seawards, seaward
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASEA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Intl. oil group"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum
  • Similar words include: Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPEC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "18. Like streakers"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that completely unclothed
  • Similar words include: au naturel, bare, defenseless
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAKED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "19. Deep blue"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
  • Similar words include: US Navy, naval forces, United States Navy
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAVY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "20. Pale and sickly"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that having or as if having especially high-pitched spots
  • Similar words include: spiky
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEAKY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "22. Have an "aha" moment about"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
  • Similar words include: beget, stimulate, puzzle
  • Opposite of: leave, take away
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "23. Urged (on)"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that throw eggs at
  • Similar words include: egg
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EGGED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "24. One of six, supposedly, for a seer"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a general conscious awareness
  • Similar words include: mother wit, signified, horse sense
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SENSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "25. "___ Were a Rich Man""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "26. Rear of a boat"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the rear part of a ship
  • Similar words include: behind, keister, grim
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STERN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "27. Lifeless"

9 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that belonging to the class of nouns denoting nonliving things
  • Similar words include: nonliving, non-living, pulseless
  • Opposite of: animate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INANIMATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "30. Who said "Revolutions are the locomotives of history""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states comedian; one of four brothers who made motion pictures together (1901-1979)
  • Similar words include: Julius Marx, Chico, Arthur Marx
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MARX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "33. Video game section"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
  • Similar words include: plane, tier, level off
  • Opposite of: raise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEVEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "34. Pen points"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the writing point of a pen
  • Similar words include: beak, pen nib, pecker
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIBS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "38. Number on a dating profile"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that how long something has existed
  • Similar words include: maturate, geezerhood, years
  • Opposite of: rejuvenate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "39. Gallops into the sunset, say"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "41. "I've seen better""

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "42. Attend without a date"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "44. Sound in polka music"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "46. Strategic disk game played on a vertical board"

11 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "50. Music genre for James Brown"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state of nervous depression
  • Similar words include: cringe, recoil, Casimir Funk
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FUNK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "51. Device once used with a Blockbuster rental"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a magnetic tape recorder for recording (and playing back) tv programs
  • Similar words include: videocassette recorder
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VCR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "52. Mission-driven grps., often"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an organization that is not part of the local or state or federal government
  • Similar words include: NGO, nongovernmental organization
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NGOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "54. "___ you listening?""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "55. Who said "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a teacher and prophet born in bethlehem and active in nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for christianity (circa 4 bc - ad 29)
  • Similar words include: Savior, Saviour, Jesus of Nazareth
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JESUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "57. May honoree"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal terms for a mother
  • Similar words include: mommy, mama, mummy
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "59. Animal with a "mask""

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fur of the north american racoon
  • Similar words include: racoon
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RACCOON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "62. A step above amateur"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an athlete who plays for pay on a part-time basis
  • Similar words include: semiprofessional
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEMIPRO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "65. Peeved"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "66. Like italic type"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lie obliquely
  • Similar words include: biased, coloured, colored
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLANTED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "67. With 68-Across, posable plaything ... or a verbal hint to each half of 4-, 7- and 10-Down and 46-Across"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that something done (usually as opposed to something said)
  • Similar words include: carry through, activity, accomplish
  • Opposite of: inactivity, inactiveness
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACTION

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "68. See 67-Across"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
  • Similar words include: project, compute, work out
  • Opposite of: ground
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIGURE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Is released, as an album 5
2D 2. Currency in Mumbai 5
3D 3. Clarifying phrase 5
4D 4. Interception returned for a touchdown 7
5D 5. Start of the workweek: Abbr. 3
6D 6. Saw in one's mind's eye 8
7D 7. Break for a few minutes 8
8D 8. Newspaper in New York, L.A. or Seattle, colloquially 8
9D 9. Bummed out 3
10D 10. Surf with one's toes off the front of the board 7
11D 11. What an electric meter measures 5
12D 12. Cut completely 5
13D 13. Joseph called "Father of the Symphony" 5
14D 21. Coin dated with the year of its country's imperial era 3
15D 23. Latin "is" 3
16D 28. Put in a row 5
17D 29. Unapproachable 5
18D 30. Newsstand purchase, informally 3
19D 31. In the past 3
20D 32. Feline adoption option 9
21D 35. Spur-of-the-moment 9
22D 36. Arthur of "The Golden Girls" 3
23D 37. "Zip it!" 3
24D 39. Place in a hierarchy 4
25D 40. Midnight's opposite 4
26D 43. Suffix in the names of many U.S. cities 3
27D 45. Starbucks keepsake, perhaps 3
28D 47. Hurdles or high jump, e.g. 5
29D 48. Loops in, digitally 3
30D 49. Secure tightly 5
31D 50. Swiss currency 5
32D 53. How you may feel after a workout vis-à-vis before 5
33D 54. Operatic solo 4
34D 55. Become a member of 4
35D 56. Subject of introspection 4
36D 58. Preset camera option 4
37D 60. ___ effect (purported influence of police shows on juries' expectations for forensics) 3
38D 61. Yoko who participated in a bed-in 3
39D 63. ___ tai 3
40D 64. Bank with a lion in its logo 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Is released, as an album"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shape that is spherical and small
  • Similar words include: swing, degenerate, sink
  • Opposite of: sharpen, attend to
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DROPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Currency in Mumbai"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the basic unit of money in sri lanka; equal to 100 cents
  • Similar words include: Indian rupee, Nepalese rupee, Pakistani rupee
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUPEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Clarifying phrase"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Interception returned for a touchdown"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Start of the workweek: Abbr."

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the second day of the week; the first working day
  • Similar words include: Monday
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Saw in one's mind's eye"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
  • Similar words include: envisage, opine, suppose
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMAGINED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Break for a few minutes"

8 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Newspaper in New York, L.A. or Seattle, colloquially"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Bummed out"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness; ; - christina rossetti
  • Similar words include: pitiful, deplorable, lamentable
  • Opposite of: glad
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Surf with one's toes off the front of the board"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. What an electric meter measures"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the act of using
  • Similar words include: utilisation, custom, utilization
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: USAGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Cut completely"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that set or keep apart
  • Similar words include: discerp, lop, break up
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEVER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Joseph called "Father of the Symphony""

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that prolific austrian composer who influenced the classical form of the symphony (1732-1809)
  • Similar words include: Franz Joseph Haydn, Joseph Haydn
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAYDN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "21. Coin dated with the year of its country's imperial era"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a yearning for something or to do something
  • Similar words include: pine, hankering, yearn
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "23. Latin "is""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that standard time in the 5th time zone west of greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern united states
  • Similar words include: Eastern Standard Time, Eastern Time
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "28. Put in a row"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that place in a line or arrange so as to be parallel or straight
  • Similar words include: adjust, coordinate, ordinate
  • Opposite of: skew
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALIGN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "29. Unapproachable"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that remote in manner
  • Similar words include: upstage, distant
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALOOF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "30. Newsstand purchase, informally"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it
  • Similar words include: magazine
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "31. In the past"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

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!

20D: "32. Feline adoption option"

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "35. Spur-of-the-moment"

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an extemporaneous speech or remark
  • Similar words include: off-the-cuff, extemporary, ad lib
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMPROMPTU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "36. Arthur of "The Golden Girls""

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "37. "Zip it!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "39. Place in a hierarchy"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
  • Similar words include: social station, glaring, social rank
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RANK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "40. Midnight's opposite"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the middle of the day
  • Similar words include: twelve noon, high noon, noontide
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "43. Suffix in the names of many U.S. cities"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a united states unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds
  • Similar words include: long ton, net ton, short ton
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "45. Starbucks keepsake, perhaps"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the quantity that can be held in a mug
  • Similar words include: smiler, fool, patsy
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MUG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "47. Hurdles or high jump, e.g."

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that something that happens at a given place and time
  • Similar words include: consequence, result, outcome
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "48. Loops in, digitally"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a liter
  • Similar words include: millilitre, cubic centimeter, milliliter
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CCS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "49. Secure tightly"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (medicine) a bandage consisting of a pad and belt; worn to hold a hernia in place by pressure
  • Similar words include: bind, tie up, tie down
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRUSS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "50. Swiss currency"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 centimes
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FRANC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "53. How you may feel after a workout vis-à-vis before"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that causing misery or pain or distress
  • Similar words include: painful, mad, sensitive
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SORER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "54. Operatic solo"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an elaborate song for solo voice
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "55. Become a member of"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the shape or manner in which things come together and a connection is made
  • Similar words include: link, junction, articulation
  • Opposite of: disjoin
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JOIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "56. Subject of introspection"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that your consciousness of your own identity
  • Similar words include: ego
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SELF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "58. Preset camera option"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that how something is done or how it happens
  • Similar words include: modal value, manner, musical mode
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MODE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "60. ___ effect (purported influence of police shows on juries' expectations for forensics)"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "61. Yoko who participated in a bed-in"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states musician (born in japan) who married john lennon and collaborated with him on recordings (born in 1933)
  • Similar words include: Yoko Ono
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "63. ___ tai"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "64. Bank with a lion in its logo"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Expert Solving Strategies

Start Smart

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

Decode the Clues

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

Use Cross-References

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

Build Vocabulary

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

Today's Puzzle Stats

37 Across Clues
40 Down Clues
77 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 06, 2026 at 10:34 AM

Thursday, August 13, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers August 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: 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. Take a quick turn 3
2A 4. Sound from a monitor 4
3A 8. One who's definitely not being invited to the party 6
4A 14. Letters indicating a texter's P.O.V. 3
5A 15. Fried side dish with catfish, perhaps 4
6A 16. Cough drop brand whose name is yodeled in its commercials 6
7A 17. Mafia members, e.g. 8
8A 19. Gave a talking to? 6
9A 20. Tiptoed, say 5
10A 21. Bamboozle 5
11A 23. Michigan, in Chicago: Abbr. 3
12A 24. Messenger 6
13A 26. Alimony recipients, say 9
14A 28. Boil ... or a sign of boiling 5
15A 30. Important travel info, in brief 4
16A 31. Dessert often eaten before the ides of March 3
17A 33. Hold up 5
18A 35. "Light" weapon 5
19A 39. Verbalized shivers 4
20A 41. Drinks at a pub 4
21A 43. Kind of bean used in Egyptian falafel 4
22A 44. ___ Ingebrigtsen, track gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics 5
23A 46. Teary-eyed expression 5
24A 48. In need of training, say 3
25A 49. Collect over and over, as resources in a video game 4
26A 51. Pass, as time doing something 5
27A 53. 11th of a noted 12 8
28A 57. Was especially wintry 6
29A 60. Part of a slider 3
30A 61. ___ Roy, "Succession" role for which Kieran Culkin won an Emmy 5
31A 63. "It is not enough to be industrious; ___ the ants": Henry David Thoreau 5
32A 64. Smallest member of the genus Lynx 6
33A 66. Evaluating, as an opponent ... or a hint to "fitting" the answers to the italicized clues into the grid 8
34A 68. Uncommon color on the red carpet 6
35A 69. Draw together, as brows 4
36A 70. Decline cookies, say, with "out" 3
37A 71. Soaked up the sun 6
38A 72. ___ Pictures (media giant) 4
39A 73. Last term in a math lecture series? 3

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Take a quick turn"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions
  • Similar words include: zig, zigzag
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ZAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "4. Sound from a monitor"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a short high tone produced as a signal or warning
  • Similar words include: blare, toot, claxon
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEEP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "8. One who's definitely not being invited to the party"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who is rejected (from society or home)
  • Similar words include: Ishmael, outcast, castaway
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PARIAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Letters indicating a texter's P.O.V."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the united nations agency concerned with international maritime activities
  • Similar words include: International Maritime Organization
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Fried side dish with catfish, perhaps"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that long green edible beaked pods of the okra plant
  • Similar words include: okra plant, gumbo, lady's-finger
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OKRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Cough drop brand whose name is yodeled in its commercials"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Mafia members, e.g."

8 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a criminal who is a member of gang
  • Similar words include: gangster, mobster
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOBSTERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Gave a talking to?"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that talk pompously
  • Similar words include: orate
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORATED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Tiptoed, say"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
  • Similar words include: cringe, mouse, cower
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CREPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Bamboozle"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the base part of a tree that remains standing after the tree has been felled
  • Similar words include: pulpit, rostrum, ambo
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STUMP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. Michigan, in Chicago: Abbr."

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. Messenger"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (formal) a person who announces important news
  • Similar words include: forerunner, trumpeter, precursor
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HERALD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "26. Alimony recipients, say"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. Boil ... or a sign of boiling"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that water at boiling temperature diffused in the atmosphere
  • Similar words include: steam clean, steamer
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "30. Important travel info, in brief"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a system for screening luggage in airports; an agent passes a swab around or inside luggage and then runs the swab through a machine that can detect trace amounts of explosives
  • Similar words include: explosive trace detection, ETD
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "31. Dessert often eaten before the ides of March"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top
  • Similar words include: Proto-Indo European
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "33. Hold up"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a compartment in a stable where a single animal is confined and fed
  • Similar words include: stand, stalling, shillyshally
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "35. "Light" weapon"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fencing sword with a v-shaped blade and a slightly curved handle
  • Similar words include: sabre, cavalry sword
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SABER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "39. Verbalized shivers"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "41. Drinks at a pub"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the united states an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume
  • Similar words include: ale
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Kind of bean used in Egyptian falafel"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "44. ___ Ingebrigtsen, track gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "46. Teary-eyed expression"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "48. In need of training, say"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
  • Similar words include: newfangled, novel, newly
  • Opposite of: worn, old
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "49. Collect over and over, as resources in a video game"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit
  • Similar words include: grow, raise, produce
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "51. Pass, as time doing something"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that pass time in a specific way
  • Similar words include: pass, drop, expend
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPEND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "53. 11th of a noted 12"

8 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in aquarius
  • Similar words include: Aquarius the Water Bearer, Water Bearer
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AQUARIUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "57. Was especially wintry"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fall as snow
  • Similar words include: snow, bamboozle, lead by the nose
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SNOWED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "60. Part of a slider"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that small rounded bread either plain or sweet
  • Similar words include: roll
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BUN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "61. ___ Roy, "Succession" role for which Kieran Culkin won an Emmy"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a resident of modern rome
  • Similar words include: romish, popish, papistic
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROMAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "63. "It is not enough to be industrious; ___ the ants": Henry David Thoreau"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "64. Smallest member of the genus Lynx"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that small lynx of north america
  • Similar words include: Lynx rufus, bay lynx
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOBCAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "66. Evaluating, as an opponent ... or a hint to "fitting" the answers to the italicized clues into the grid"

8 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "68. Uncommon color on the red carpet"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
  • Similar words include: orangeness, orange tree, Orange River
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORANGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "69. Draw together, as brows"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fabric made by knitting
  • Similar words include: pucker, plain, rumple
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KNIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "70. Decline cookies, say, with "out""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that select as an alternative over another
  • Similar words include: choose, prefer
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "71. Soaked up the sun"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that treat skins and hides with tannic acid so as to convert them into leather
  • Similar words include: bronze, suntanned, bronzed
  • Opposite of: untanned
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TANNED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "72. ___ Pictures (media giant)"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "73. Last term in a math lecture series?"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that last or greatest in an indefinitely large series
  • Similar words include: n-th
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NTH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. 0 5
2D 2. Love of Bologna 5
3D 3. Fly off the handle 9
4D 4. They might have deposits 7
5D 5. Pull (out), as a narrow victory 3
6D 6. Makes an oopsie 4
7D 7. Sticky stuff 5
8D 8. Query for Claude, e.g. 6
9D 9. Apple accessory announced alongside the removal of the iPhone's headphone jack 7
10D 10. Record label owned by 72-Across 3
11D 11. Littlest bits 5
12D 12. Motrin alternative 5
13D 13. Epitome of a hot place 5
14D 18. Reacted to a bad taste, perhaps 4
15D 22. Like a bike without wheels 7
16D 25. "Gold" of the 21st century 4
17D 27. Org. focused on cloud security? 4
18D 29. Five stars on a scale, typically 7
19D 31. Sandwich that may be a bit crunchy, for short 3
20D 32. Apt name for an investor 3
21D 34. A.I. that has been trained with massive amounts of text, in brief 3
22D 36. Something to jump on 9
23D 37. Many a sleepless night 3
24D 38. Untapped, as talent 3
25D 40. Casual gaming site? 4
26D 42. Drains the life out of 4
27D 45. Overwhelming stream 7
28D 47. Compactness 7
29D 50. Ran amok 6
30D 52. Lunchtime, say 4
31D 53. Monastic superior 5
32D 54. Website that describes itself as "a place to share knowledge and better understand the world" 5
33D 55. Allow to post on a forum again, e.g. 5
34D 56. Uses caution while in public during flu season, say 5
35D 58. Go off with a bang 5
36D 59. Consideration when diving 5
37D 62. El ___ 4
38D 65. Channel that pioneered 24-hour TV reporting 3
39D 67. Grape whose "white" wine is actually pink, informally 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. 0"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a quantity of no importance
  • Similar words include: null, cipher, zip
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ZILCH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Love of Bologna"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Fly off the handle"

9 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. They might have deposits"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
  • Similar words include: bottleful, bottle, feeding bottle
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOTTLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Pull (out), as a narrow victory"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Makes an oopsie"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that to make a mistake or be incorrect
  • Similar words include: drift, mistake, slip
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Sticky stuff"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any mixture of a soft and malleable consistency
  • Similar words include: glue, spread, library paste
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PASTE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Query for Claude, e.g."

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cue given to a performer (usually the beginning of the next line to be spoken)
  • Similar words include: quick, propel, instigate
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PROMPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Apple accessory announced alongside the removal of the iPhone's headphone jack"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Record label owned by 72-Across"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Littlest bits"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  • Similar words include: smidgin, smidgen, smidgeon
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IOTAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Motrin alternative"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (trademarks aleve and anaprox and aflaxen) that fights pain and inflammation
  • Similar words include: Anaprox, naproxen sodium, Aflaxen
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALEVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Epitome of a hot place"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (greek mythology) the god of the underworld in ancient mythology; brother of zeus and husband of persephone
  • Similar words include: infernal region, Pluto, Hell
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HADES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Reacted to a bad taste, perhaps"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a quarrel about petty points
  • Similar words include: spatter, pitter-patter, patter
  • Opposite of: boo
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. Like a bike without wheels"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
  • Opposite of: useful
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: USELESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "25. "Gold" of the 21st century"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
  • Similar words include: information, datum, data point
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DATA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "27. Org. focused on cloud security?"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the airforce of the united states of america; the agency that defends the united states through control and exploitation of air and space
  • Similar words include: Air Force, US Air Force, United States Air Force
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: USAF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "29. Five stars on a scale, typically"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the largest possible quantity
  • Similar words include: uttermost, level best, maximal
  • Opposite of: minimum, minimal
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAXIMUM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "31. Sandwich that may be a bit crunchy, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "32. Apt name for an investor"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a militant organization of irish nationalists who used terrorism and guerilla warfare in an effort to drive british forces from northern ireland and achieve a united independent ireland
  • Similar words include: wrath, anger, ire
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "34. A.I. that has been trained with massive amounts of text, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an advanced law degree
  • Similar words include: Master of Laws
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LLM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "36. Something to jump on"

9 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a popular trend that attracts growing support
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BANDWAGON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "37. Many a sleepless night"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old testament) adam's wife in judeo-christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; god created eve from adam's rib and placed adam and eve in the garden of eden
  • Similar words include: evening, eventide, even
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "38. Untapped, as talent"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal terms for nakedness
  • Similar words include: new, bare-assed, naked as a jaybird
  • Opposite of: cooked
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "40. Casual gaming site?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an upholstered seat for more than one person
  • Similar words include: lounge, couch
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOFA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "42. Drains the life out of"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a watery solution of sugars, salts, and minerals that circulates through the vascular system of a plant
  • Similar words include: saphead, sap, muggins
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "45. Overwhelming stream"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the rapid and continuous delivery of linguistic communication (spoken or written)
  • Similar words include: bombardment, shelling, battery
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BARRAGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "47. Compactness"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the amount per unit size
  • Similar words include: concentration, compactness, denseness
  • Opposite of: distribution
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DENSITY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "50. Ran amok"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that take part in a riot; disturb the public peace by engaging in a riot
  • Similar words include: riot, roister, carouse
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIOTED

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30D: "52. Lunchtime, say"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the middle of the day
  • Similar words include: noontide, noonday, midday
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOON

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31D: "53. Monastic superior"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the superior of an abbey of monks
  • Similar words include: archimandrite
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABBOT

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32D: "54. Website that describes itself as "a place to share knowledge and better understand the world""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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33D: "55. Allow to post on a forum again, e.g."

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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34D: "56. Uses caution while in public during flu season, say"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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35D: "58. Go off with a bang"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that start abruptly
  • Similar words include: come out, belch, ignite
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERUPT

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36D: "59. Consideration when diving"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the extent downward or backward or inward
  • Similar words include: astuteness, profoundness, profundity
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEPTH

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37D: "62. El ___"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

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38D: "65. Channel that pioneered 24-hour TV reporting"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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39D: "67. Grape whose "white" wine is actually pink, informally"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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Expert Solving Strategies

Start Smart

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

Decode the Clues

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

Use Cross-References

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

Build Vocabulary

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

Today's Puzzle Stats

39 Across Clues
39 Down Clues
78 Total Clues

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Last updated: August 13, 2026 at 05:14 AM