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Friday, October 16, 2026

Trivia Week 3 October 16, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints

Today's Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini Crossword October 16, 2026 Answers

Here's today's NYT Mini — 20 clues in total, and we've got hints plus answers for every one of them.

Popular Puzzles: Quick NYT Mini Crossword November 27 | August 22 2019 NYT Clues Solutions | February 08 2021 NYT Clues Solutions |

About Today's Puzzle

NYT Mini Crossword solutions for October 16, 2026
NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Friday, October 16, 2026
Puzzle Statistics
Detail Information
Date October 16, 2026
Grid Size 5 x 5 squares
Total Clues 20 clues
Across Clues 10 clues
Down Clues 10 clues
Average Solve Time Under 1 minute

Today's Trivia Week 3 NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout

Today's layout is the usual 5x5: five columns, five rows.

5x5 Crossword Grid Pattern
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5
Row 1          
Row 2          
Row 3          
Row 4          
Row 5          

How to Solve This One Fast

  1. Skim every clue once before you write anything — your brain keeps chewing on the ones you don't solve right away.
  2. Knock out the short answers (3 letters or under) first.
  3. Lean on the crossing letters once a couple of words are in.
  4. A question mark in a clue usually means there's a pun coming.
  5. THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT — these little words show up constantly, keep them in your back pocket.

Quick Facts

  • Squares in the grid: 25
  • How long it takes: usually under a minute once you're warmed up
  • Best moment for it: any short break
  • Overall difficulty: easy-going by design

Across Clues - 10 Total

These run left to right across the grid.

Across Clues List
Number Clue
1 Across 23. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff
2 Across 21. Former home of Mr. and Mrs. Met
3 Across 1. Word with strip or skirt
4 Across 19. "Hah!"
5 Across 34. High concept?
6 Across 39. Comic strip sound of impact
7 Across 40. Infant discomfort
8 Across 43. Predicated
9 Across 25. Spiller of tea
10 Across 49. Rocky openings?

Hints and Answers for Across Clues

Stuck on one? Hints and answers for each clue are below. A few other guides worth a look:

1 Across: "23. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff"

Hints:

  • First letter's a 'R', last letter's a 'A'.
  • Pattern-wise it looks like: R___A
  • This one runs 5 letters long.

Answer:

Click to reveal RHODA

2 Across: "21. Former home of Mr. and Mrs. Met"

Hints:

  • It's a 4-letter word.
  • This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
  • Starts with 'S', ends with 'A'.

Answer:

Click to reveal SHEA

3 Across: "1. Word with strip or skirt"

Hints:

  • Pattern-wise it looks like: S___K
  • Count on 5 letters here.
  • Kicks off with 'S' and wraps up with 'K'.

Answer:

Click to reveal STEAK

4 Across: "19. "Hah!""

Hints:

  • If that helps, the shape is: S_____E
  • Count on 7 letters here.
  • First letter's a 'S', last letter's a 'E'.

Answer:

Click to reveal SOTHERE

5 Across: "34. High concept?"

Hints:

  • If that helps, the shape is: C_______E
  • You're looking for 9 letters.
  • Starts with 'C', ends with 'E'.

Answer:

Click to reveal CLOUDNINE

6 Across: "39. Comic strip sound of impact"

Hints:

  • Count on 5 letters here.
  • First letter's a 'K', last letter's a 'W'.
  • If that helps, the shape is: K___W

Answer:

Click to reveal KAPOW

7 Across: "40. Infant discomfort"

Hints:

  • Blank it out and you get: C___C
  • Close enough in meaning: griping.
  • Basically, acute abdominal pain (especially in infants).

Answer:

Click to reveal COLIC

8 Across: "43. Predicated"

Hints:

  • 'found' points in the same direction.
  • Starts with 'B', ends with 'D'.
  • Basically, use as a basis for; found on.

Answer:

Click to reveal BASED

9 Across: "25. Spiller of tea"

Hints:

  • Kicks off with 'Y' and wraps up with 'A'.
  • Blank it out and you get: Y___A
  • You're looking for 5 letters.

Answer:

Click to reveal YENTA

10 Across: "49. Rocky openings?"

Hints:

  • Short form / acronym territory here.
  • This one runs 3 letters long.
  • Starts with 'Y', ends with 'S'.

Answer:

Click to reveal YOS

Down Clues - 10 Total

These run top to bottom in the grid.

Down Clues List
Number Clue
1 Down 5. Some emergency resources
2 Down 51. Outdoor item with flaps
3 Down 8. Done to death
4 Down 47. Art movement proclaimed in a 1916 manifesto
5 Down 24. One struggling to make ends meet
6 Down 30. "___ Share of Night" (acclaimed 2019 Mariana Enríquez book)
7 Down 9. Flow down the neck
8 Down 10. Past word
9 Down 37. Sparkly bits in a school art project
10 Down 26. Grant

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

Same deal here — hints then answers. You might also like:

1 Down: "5. Some emergency resources"

Hints:

  • Starts with 'K', ends with 'S'.
  • You could also think of it as "outfit."
  • If that helps, the shape is: K__S

Answer:

Click to reveal KITS

2 Down: "51. Outdoor item with flaps"

Hints:

  • 'encamp' points in the same direction.
  • Short form / acronym territory here.
  • Count on 4 letters here.

Answer:

Click to reveal TENT

3 Down: "8. Done to death"

Hints:

  • First letter's a 'T', last letter's a 'D'.
  • 'pall' points in the same direction.
  • Count on 5 letters here.

Answer:

Click to reveal TIRED

4 Down: "47. Art movement proclaimed in a 1916 manifesto"

Hints:

  • This one runs 4 letters long.
  • Kicks off with 'D' and wraps up with 'A'.
  • You could also think of it as "papa."

Answer:

Click to reveal DADA

5 Down: "24. One struggling to make ends meet"

Hints:

  • Kicks off with 'H' and wraps up with 'T'.
  • You're looking for 7 letters.
  • If that helps, the shape is: H_____T

Answer:

Click to reveal HAVENOT

6 Down: "30. "___ Share of Night" (acclaimed 2019 Mariana Enríquez book)"

Hints:

  • This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
  • Count on 3 letters here.
  • Kicks off with 'O' and wraps up with 'R'.

Answer:

Click to reveal OUR

7 Down: "9. Flow down the neck"

Hints:

  • Short form / acronym territory here.
  • Blank it out and you get: M__E
  • It's a 4-letter word.

Answer:

Click to reveal MANE

8 Down: "10. Past word"

Hints:

  • This is more of an abbreviation than a regular word.
  • 'agone' points in the same direction.
  • In plain terms: gone by; or in the past.

Answer:

Click to reveal AGO

9 Down: "37. Sparkly bits in a school art project"

Hints:

  • Starts with 'G', ends with 'R'.
  • 'shine' points in the same direction.
  • You're looking for 7 letters.

Answer:

Click to reveal GLITTER

10 Down: "26. Grant"

Hints:

  • Kicks off with 'A' and wraps up with 'W'.
  • It's a 5-letter word.
  • Close enough in meaning: leave.

Answer:

Click to reveal ALLOW

How to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster

Here's what tends to work if you solve these regularly:

Step-by-Step Strategy

  1. Read it all first: Go through every clue once before writing anything down — it primes your brain even on the ones you skip.
  2. Grab the short ones: Two and three letter answers (things like "IT" or "ON") are usually the easiest place to start.
  3. Use the crossings: Once a couple of words are in, the crossing letters do a lot of the work for you on the harder ones.
  4. Watch for question marks: A "?" at the end of a clue almost always signals a pun rather than a literal answer.
  5. Keep the regulars in mind: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE — these turn up often enough that it's worth remembering them.

Letter Tips That Really Help

  • E is the most common letter in English, so it's worth guessing early.
  • Words ending in S are usually plurals.
  • Blanks ("___") in a clue mean the answer fits exactly into those spaces.
  • An abbreviation in the clue is a signal the answer's abbreviated too.

Time Goals to Aim For

Your Time Skill Level What It Means
Under 30 seconds Expert You've clearly got the puzzle's patterns down.
30-60 seconds Advanced Solid pace — you're solving quickly.
1-2 minutes Good Right where most regular solvers land.
Over 2 minutes Learning Totally fine — speed comes with reps.

Puzzle Numbers and Facts

Today's Puzzle by the Numbers
Total Clues: 20
Grid Size: 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down
Total Squares: 25
Average Time: 52 seconds
Difficulty: Easy

More Puzzle Help

If today's Mini hit the spot, here are a few more you might enjoy:

Common Questions About Trivia Week 3

When does the Trivia Week 3 Mini go live?

It usually goes live around 10 PM Eastern the night before.

How long should Trivia Week 3 take me?

Most people land somewhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Slower than that is completely normal too — it gets faster with practice.

Is Trivia Week 3 free to play?

Nope, it's free — no subscription needed like the full-size crossword.

What actually makes someone good at Trivia Week 3?

Knowing the common short words, spotting wordplay quickly, and reading crossing letters well — that combination gets you most of the way there.

Does Trivia Week 3 get harder as the week goes on?

It varies day to day — Saturdays tend to be the toughest, Mondays the easiest.

About This Page: We put together hints and answers for the NYT Mini to help you learn the ropes and get faster over time. This site isn't affiliated with The New York Times.

Last Updated: October 16, 2026 at 08:21 AM

Search terms: NYT Mini Trivia Week, Trivia Week {week_num}, Mini crossword Trivia Week, Trivia Week answers, NYT Trivia Week, October 16 2026 mini crossword

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XWordHint Crossword Answers October 16, 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

October 16, 2026 NYT Crossword Solutions

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. Word with strip or skirt 5
2A 6. Conniption 3
3A 9. Cuban poet/philosopher José 5
4A 14. 2000 hit song with the lyric "But to lose all my senses / That is just so typically me" 15
5A 17. Mail-centric fiction? 15
6A 18. Virginia is in it, in brief 3
7A 19. "Hah!" 7
8A 20. "___ had it!" 3
9A 21. Former home of Mr. and Mrs. Met 4
10A 23. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff 5
11A 24. Riot 4
12A 25. Spiller of tea 5
13A 27. Smelling things? 5
14A 28. Date night viewing, often 13
15A 34. High concept? 9
16A 35. They explain what's in the cards 13
17A 39. Comic strip sound of impact 5
18A 40. Infant discomfort 5
19A 42. Battery-powered string instrument player 4
20A 43. Predicated 5
21A 48. It has its highs and lows 4
22A 49. Rocky openings? 3
23A 50. Burrowing animal whose name is made up of two other animals 7
24A 52. It may begin with a +1: Abbr. 3
25A 53. Idolizes 15
26A 56. Indiana Jones or Rocky Balboa, e.g. 15
27A 57. Losing causes? 5
28A 58. Yoga ___ 3
29A 59. The 22nd Amendment limits them 5

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Word with strip or skirt"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a slice of meat cut from the fleshy part of an animal or large fish
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEAK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "6. Conniption"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a display of bad temper
  • Similar words include: meet, gibe, jibe
  • Opposite of: unfit, disagree
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Cuban poet/philosopher José"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cuban poet and revolutionary who fought for cuban independence from spain (1853-1895)
  • Similar words include: Jose Julian Marti
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MARTI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. 2000 hit song with the lyric "But to lose all my senses / That is just so typically me""

15 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "17. Mail-centric fiction?"

15 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. Virginia is in it, in brief"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a command that is the primary provider of air combat weapon systems to the united states air force; operates fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, battle-management, and rescue aircraft
  • Similar words include: Air Combat Command
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "19. "Hah!""

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. "___ had it!""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. Former home of Mr. and Mrs. Met"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. Riot"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a loud raucous cry (as of an owl)
  • Similar words include: boo, darn, razz
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "25. Spiller of tea"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (yiddish) a vulgar shrew; a shallow coarse termagant
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YENTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "27. Smelling things?"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
  • Similar words include: common salt, salt, table salt
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. Date night viewing, often"

13 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FEELGOODMOVIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "34. High concept?"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "35. They explain what's in the cards"

13 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAROTREADINGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "39. Comic strip sound of impact"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "40. Infant discomfort"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that acute abdominal pain (especially in infants)
  • Similar words include: intestinal colic, gripes, griping
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COLIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "42. Battery-powered string instrument player"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "43. Predicated"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that use as a basis for; found on
  • Similar words include: free-base, found, establish
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "48. It has its highs and lows"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
  • Similar words include: lunar time period, surge
  • Opposite of: ebb
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIDE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "49. Rocky openings?"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "50. Burrowing animal whose name is made up of two other animals"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "52. It may begin with a +1: Abbr."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "53. Idolizes"

15 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "56. Indiana Jones or Rocky Balboa, e.g."

15 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "57. Losing causes?"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a prescribed selection of foods
  • Similar words include: dieting, diet
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "58. Yoga ___"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
  • Similar words include: snarl, lustrelessness, matting
  • Opposite of: unsnarl, disentangle
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "59. The 22nd Amendment limits them"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that status with respect to the relations between people or groups
  • Similar words include: full term, price, damage
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TERMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. "Piece of cake!" 6
2D 2. Reality show whose contestants report to the Judge's Table 7
3D 3. Not gendered 7
4D 4. Dope 3
5D 5. Some emergency resources 4
6D 6. Serious dirt 5
7D 7. State whose official fruit is the huckleberry 5
8D 8. Done to death 5
9D 9. Flow down the neck 4
10D 10. Past word 3
11D 11. Hot pockets? 7
12D 12. 20-20, e.g. 7
13D 13. Small sounds 6
14D 15. One of 412 in the White House 4
15D 16. Supermodel Banks 4
16D 22. Took back one's words 7
17D 24. One struggling to make ends meet 7
18D 26. Grant 5
19D 27. Foe of Dr. Eggman, in video games 5
20D 29. Procured 3
21D 30. "___ Share of Night" (acclaimed 2019 Mariana Enríquez book) 3
22D 31. Complimentary lines 3
23D 32. Tool for tracing family trees 3
24D 33. Prefix with the name of any month 3
25D 35. Mideast salad, in one spelling 7
26D 36. Simon the Zealot, e.g. 7
27D 37. Sparkly bits in a school art project 7
28D 38. Like some deliveries 7
29D 39. Holder of all the digits, from 1 to 0 6
30D 41. Stage-left orchestra section 6
31D 43. Coccyx or phalange, e.g. 4
32D 44. Unwelcome sound during a dream 5
33D 45. Brown tint 5
34D 46. Construct 5
35D 47. Art movement proclaimed in a 1916 manifesto 4
36D 50. May honorees 4
37D 51. Outdoor item with flaps 4
38D 54. Took a load off 3
39D 55. 2011 platinum single by Tyler, the Creator 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. "Piece of cake!""

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Reality show whose contestants report to the Judge's Table"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Not gendered"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made
  • Similar words include: bisexual, sissy, epicene person
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EPICENE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Dope"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
  • Similar words include: can, screw, behind
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Some emergency resources"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a case for containing a set of articles
  • Similar words include: outfit, kit up, kit
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KITS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Serious dirt"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any substance considered disgustingly foul or unpleasant
  • Similar words include: soil, dirt, dirty word
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FILTH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. State whose official fruit is the huckleberry"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state in the rocky mountains
  • Similar words include: ID, Gem State
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IDAHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Done to death"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lose interest or become bored with something or somebody
  • Similar words include: well-worn, exhaust, outwear
  • Opposite of: interest, refresh
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIRED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Flow down the neck"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

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!

10D: "10. Past word"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

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!

11D: "11. Hot pockets?"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that small circular or square cases of dough with savory fillings
  • Similar words include: cappelletti
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAVIOLI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. 20-20, e.g."

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Small sounds"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "15. One of 412 in the White House"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
  • Similar words include: doorway, room access, threshold
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "16. Supermodel Banks"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "22. Took back one's words"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "24. One struggling to make ends meet"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. Grant"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
  • Similar words include: earmark, let, set aside
  • Opposite of: forbid, prevent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALLOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "27. Foe of Dr. Eggman, in video games"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (of speed) having or caused by speed approximately equal to that of sound in air at sea level
  • Similar words include: transonic
  • Opposite of: subsonic
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SONIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Procured"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
  • Similar words include: flummox, drive, aim
  • Opposite of: leave, take away
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. "___ Share of Night" (acclaimed 2019 Mariana Enríquez book)"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "31. Complimentary lines"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ODE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "32. Tool for tracing family trees"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (biochemistry) a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information
  • Similar words include: deoxyribonucleic acid, desoxyribonucleic acid
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "33. Prefix with the name of any month"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "35. Mideast salad, in one spelling"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "36. Simon the Zealot, e.g."

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform
  • Similar words include: Apostelic Father
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APOSTLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "37. Sparkly bits in a school art project"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the quality of shining with a bright reflected light
  • Similar words include: coruscation, scintillation, glisten
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLITTER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "38. Like some deliveries"

7 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (of pitches) made with the arm moving parallel to the ground
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIDEARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "39. Holder of all the digits, from 1 to 0"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a keyboard that is a data input device for computers; arrangement of keys is modelled after the typewriter keyboard
  • Similar words include: computer keyboard
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KEYPAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "41. Stage-left orchestra section"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large stringed instrument; seated player holds it upright while playing
  • Similar words include: violoncello, cello
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CELLOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "43. Coccyx or phalange, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
  • Similar words include: swot, swot up, ivory
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "44. Unwelcome sound during a dream"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fear resulting from the awareness of danger
  • Similar words include: warning device, appal, appall
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "45. Brown tint"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shade of brown with a tinge of red
  • Similar words include: mahogany, genus Sepia, Venetian red
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEPIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "46. Construct"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that construct, build, or erect
  • Similar words include: set up, raise, vertical
  • Opposite of: unerect, level
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERECT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "47. Art movement proclaimed in a 1916 manifesto"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
  • Similar words include: pa, pop, daddy
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DADA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "50. May honorees"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "51. Outdoor item with flaps"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
  • Similar words include: collapsible shelter, bivouac, encamp
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "54. Took a load off"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the sabbath by jews and some christians
  • Similar words include: posture, sit, Saturday
  • Opposite of: arise, stand
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "55. 2011 platinum single by Tyler, the Creator"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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

29 Across Clues
39 Down Clues
68 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 16, 2026 at 08:20 AM

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Saturday, September 26, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers September 26, 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

September 26, 2026 NYT Crossword Solutions

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. Prepares, as shumai 6
2A 7. Paste commonly simulated by a blend of horseradish, mustard and green dye 6
3A 13. Rounded, say 7
4A 15. Late hour 6
5A 16. Pair's reassurance 8
6A 18. N.F.C. West team, informally 6
7A 19. "Go right ahead ..." 9
8A 21. Pecan, but not pumpkin 4
9A 22. Selena Gomez or Beyoncé, by birth 5
10A 23. Runaround? 3
11A 24. John ___, singer with the hit albums "Perfectly Good Guitar" and "Mystic Pinball" 5
12A 25. Withdraw (from) 4
13A 26. Part of an asymmetrical hairstyle 9
14A 28. Early giant in punch-card tabulating systems 3
15A 29. Giggle 9
16A 30. Element of economic globalization 9
17A 31. Desserts that may feature frangipane 9
18A 32. Part of what makes you you 3
19A 35. Online show pieces 9
20A 36. Result of a shopping spree 4
21A 37. Kite feature 5
22A 38. The Marlins, on scoreboards 3
23A 39. ___-corner 5
24A 40. Assert 4
25A 41. STEM field concern 9
26A 43. It's in the eye of the beholder 6
27A 45. Pull it together 8
28A 47. Rang 6
29A 48. Camp distribution 7
30A 49. Toasts 6
31A 50. Verse from Emily Dickinson or Emma Lazarus 6

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Prepares, as shumai"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "7. Paste commonly simulated by a blend of horseradish, mustard and green dye"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a japanese plant of the family cruciferae with a thick green root
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WASABI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "13. Rounded, say"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that having a well-proportioned and pleasing shape
  • Opposite of: unshapely
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHAPELY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. Late hour"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
  • Similar words include: 11, football team, XI
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELEVEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. Pair's reassurance"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. N.F.C. West team, informally"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
  • Similar words include: 9, IX, ennead
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NINERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "19. "Go right ahead ...""

9 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "21. Pecan, but not pumpkin"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
  • Similar words include: Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, shoetree, corner
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TREE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Selena Gomez or Beyoncé, by birth"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a native or resident of texas
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEXAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. Runaround?"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the upper side of the thighs of a seated person
  • Similar words include: circle, lick, swoosh
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. John ___, singer with the hit albums "Perfectly Good Guitar" and "Mystic Pinball""

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "25. Withdraw (from)"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that gradually deprive (infants and young mammals) of mother's milk
  • Similar words include: ablactate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WEAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "26. Part of an asymmetrical hairstyle"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. Early giant in punch-card tabulating systems"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "29. Giggle"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "30. Element of economic globalization"

9 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "31. Desserts that may feature frangipane"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "32. Part of what makes you you"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (biochemistry) a long linear polymer found in the nucleus of a cell and formed from nucleotides and shaped like a double helix; associated with the transmission of genetic information
  • Similar words include: desoxyribonucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "35. Online show pieces"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "36. Result of a shopping spree"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the act of drawing or hauling something
  • Similar words include: hale, drag, cart
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAUL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "37. Kite feature"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TALON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "38. The Marlins, on scoreboards"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "39. ___-corner"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of various units of weight used in southeastern asia (especially a chinese measure equal to 500 grams)
  • Similar words include: bitchy, cattie, cattish
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CATTY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "40. Assert"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  • Similar words include: swan, avouch, verify
  • Opposite of: disavow
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AVOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "41. STEM field concern"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "43. It's in the eye of the beholder"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the innermost light-sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is continuous with the optic nerve
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RETINA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "45. Pull it together"

8 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "47. Rang"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that get or try to get into communication (with someone) by telephone
  • Similar words include: phone, call, ring
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PHONED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "48. Camp distribution"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel)
  • Similar words include: ration out, ration
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RATIONS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "49. Toasts"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a surface burn
  • Similar words include: whistle, sear, singe
  • Opposite of: keep quiet
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SINGES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "50. Verse from Emily Dickinson or Emma Lazarus"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
  • Similar words include: sise, sextet, hexad
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SESTET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Duluth-to-Minneapolis dir. 3
2D 2. Broadcaster with a onetime coat-of-arms logo, informally 7
3D 3. Otoscopy, e.g. 7
4D 4. Anthropopithecus, e.g. 6
5D 5. Actress Price of the 2000s sitcom "Grounded for Life" 5
6D 6. Labor 4
7D 7. Took a turn 4
8D 8. Subject of the 1996 documentary "When We Were Kings" 3
9D 9. Watch party? 8
10D 10. Mean 7
11D 11. Some Basque headwear 6
12D 12. Exclave's spot in an atlas, often 5
13D 14. Critical response concerning a piece of fiction? 11
14D 17. Riding free as an employee, in airline lingo 11
15D 20. Real page-turner? 11
16D 22. Lead-in to light 3
17D 24. Gag reflexes? 5
18D 26. Scorches 5
19D 27. Roots for vegan burgers 5
20D 29. Part of a bridal outfit 5
21D 30. Signature QB move included as a feature in 2012's Madden NFL 13 video game 8
22D 31. Main pack in a bicycle race 7
23D 32. A bit corrupt, perhaps? 7
24D 33. Evergreen whose cones bear edible seeds 7
25D 34. Olympic gymnast Raisman 3
26D 35. Silently greet someone 6
27D 36. Pudding typically served with "neeps and tatties" 6
28D 37. Highly prized rewards on "Survivor" 5
29D 39. "This Side Up" container 5
30D 41. Roves 4
31D 42. HHH 4
32D 44. Once called 3
33D 46. Lake Tahoe winter hrs. 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Duluth-to-Minneapolis dir."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the compass point midway between south and southwest
  • Similar words include: south southwest, sou'-sou'-west
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SSW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Broadcaster with a onetime coat-of-arms logo, informally"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Otoscopy, e.g."

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Anthropopithecus, e.g."

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Actress Price of the 2000s sitcom "Grounded for Life""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Labor"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that work doggedly or persistently
  • Similar words include: footslog, trudge, peg away
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLOG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Took a turn"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
  • Similar words include: get going, go bad, depart
  • Opposite of: come, be born
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Subject of the 1996 documentary "When We Were Kings""

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942)
  • Similar words include: Muhammad Ali, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Cassius Clay
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Watch party?"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
  • Similar words include: lookout, spotter, scout
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SENTINEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Mean"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a statistic describing the location of a distribution
  • Similar words include: median, intermediate, norm
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AVERAGE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Some Basque headwear"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cap with no brim or bill; made of soft cloth
  • Similar words include: beret
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BERETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Exclave's spot in an atlas, often"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small picture inserted within the bounds or a larger one
  • Similar words include: gusset, insert
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INSET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "14. Critical response concerning a piece of fiction?"

11 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "17. Riding free as an employee, in airline lingo"

11 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "20. Real page-turner?"

11 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "22. Lead-in to light"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "24. Gag reflexes?"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. Scorches"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make very hot and dry
  • Similar words include: sear, singe, parch
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEARS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "27. Roots for vegan burgers"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that biennial eurasian plant usually having a swollen edible root; widely cultivated as a food crop
  • Similar words include: beetroot, common beet, beet
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Part of a bridal outfit"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that public transport provided by a line of railway cars coupled together and drawn by a locomotive
  • Similar words include: take, string, civilise
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRAIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. Signature QB move included as a feature in 2012's Madden NFL 13 video game"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "31. Main pack in a bicycle race"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "32. A bit corrupt, perhaps?"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "33. Evergreen whose cones bear edible seeds"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "34. Olympic gymnast Raisman"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "35. Silently greet someone"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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27D: "36. Pudding typically served with "neeps and tatties""

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that made of sheep's or calf's viscera minced with oatmeal and suet and onions and boiled in the animal's stomach
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAGGIS

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28D: "37. Highly prized rewards on "Survivor""

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that waterproofed canvas
  • Similar words include: tarp, tarpaulin
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TARPS

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29D: "39. "This Side Up" container"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a rugged box (usually made of wood); used for shipping
  • Similar words include: crateful
  • Opposite of: uncrate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRATE

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30D: "41. Roves"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic free-floating anxiety and such symptoms as tension or sweating or trembling or lightheadedness or irritability etc that has lasted for more than six months
  • Similar words include: generalized anxiety disorder, GAD, gallivant
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GADS

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31D: "42. HHH"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a terrorist organization organized in 1959 by student activists who were dissatisfied with the moderate nationalism of the traditional basque party; want to create an independent homeland in spain's western pyrenees
  • Similar words include: Basque Homeland and Freedom, Basque Fatherland and Liberty, ETA
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETAS

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32D: "44. Once called"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (meaning literally `born') used to indicate the maiden or family name of a married woman
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEE

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33D: "46. Lake Tahoe winter hrs."

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that standard time in the 8th time zone west of greenwich, reckoned at the 120th meridian west; used in far western states of the united states
  • Similar words include: Pacific Standard Time, Pacific Time
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PST

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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

31 Across Clues
33 Down Clues
64 Total Clues

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Last updated: September 26, 2026 at 08:43 AM

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