Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.
Quick Navigation - Table of Contents
- Today's Puzzle Difficulty
- Across Clues Table (37 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (33 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: 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. 12-12, say | 4 |
| 2A | 5. Make an all-out effort | 5 |
| 3A | 10. 50, on a table | 3 |
| 4A | 13. Sea creature known to mourn its dead | 4 |
| 5A | 14. Long-stemmed mushroom | 5 |
| 6A | 15. Wow | 3 |
| 7A | 16. Medicare subsection covering ambulance services | 5 |
| 8A | 18. Get to the point? | 5 |
| 9A | 19. Half a chocolate bar | 3 |
| 10A | 20. Settle a bill | 8 |
| 11A | 22. Georgia hometown of R.E.M. and the B-52s | 6 |
| 12A | 24. Small pieces from | 6 |
| 13A | 26. Multitude | 4 |
| 14A | 27. Looks over briefly | 9 |
| 15A | 30. Word after back or snack | 4 |
| 16A | 32. Sticker that usually comes in sets of three or four? | 5 |
| 17A | 33. Did some knifework on | 5 |
| 18A | 35. Solo pilot? | 3 |
| 19A | 36. Worst of all imaginable chronologies | 15 |
| 20A | 39. "What's the issue ...?" | 3 |
| 21A | 40. Start to season, as a skillet | 5 |
| 22A | 41. "Storage Wars" network | 5 |
| 23A | 42. Awaken | 4 |
| 24A | 44. Voting, e.g. | 9 |
| 25A | 46. "Altho ..." | 4 |
| 26A | 48. Set of notes in a seventh chord | 6 |
| 27A | 49. "Stop being such a baby!" | 6 |
| 28A | 51. Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer | 8 |
| 29A | 55. First Super Bowl won by the Kansas City Chiefs in 50 years | 3 |
| 30A | 56. Gal on the screen | 5 |
| 31A | 58. [You're boring me] | 5 |
| 32A | 59. First of all | 3 |
| 33A | 60. Result from | 5 |
| 34A | 61. Chewy Japanese noodle | 4 |
| 35A | 62. "___ supuesto!" ("Of course!," in Spanish) | 3 |
| 36A | 63. Look with a curled lip | 5 |
| 37A | 64. Mizzen, e.g. | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. 12-12, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord
- Similar words include: even, tie, link
- Opposite of: untied, untie
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIED
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2A: "5. Make an all-out effort"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOBIG
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3A: "10. 50, on a table"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
- Similar words include: can, cannister, Sn
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIN
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4A: "13. Sea creature known to mourn its dead"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
- Similar words include: Orcinus orca, killer whale, killer
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORCA
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5A: "14. Long-stemmed mushroom"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENOKI
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6A: "15. Wow"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
- Similar words include: fear, reverence, veneration
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AWE
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7A: "16. Medicare subsection covering ambulance services"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PARTB
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8A: "18. Get to the point?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a convex shape that narrows toward a point
- Similar words include: sharpen, candle, point
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAPER
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9A: "19. Half a chocolate bar"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the leaves of the shrub catha edulis which are chewed like tobacco or used to make tea; has the effect of a euphoric stimulant
- Similar words include: cat, African tea, quat
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KAT
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10A: "20. Settle a bill"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SQUAREUP
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11A: "22. Georgia hometown of R.E.M. and the B-52s"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the capital and largest city of greece; named after athena (its patron goddess)
- Similar words include: capital of Greece, Athinai, Greek capital
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATHENS
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12A: "24. Small pieces from"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BITSOF
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13A: "26. Multitude"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
- Similar words include: horde, legion, boniface
- Opposite of: parasite
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOST
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14A: "27. Looks over briefly"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLANCESAT
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15A: "30. Word after back or snack"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a large indefinite number
- Similar words include: ingroup, tamp, multitude
- Opposite of: unpack
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PACK
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16A: "32. Sticker that usually comes in sets of three or four?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a pointed projection
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PRONG
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17A: "33. Did some knifework on"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that cut into cubes
- Similar words include: cube, dice
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DICED
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18A: "35. Solo pilot?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that imperial dynasty that ruled china (most of the time from 206 bc to ad 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of chinese civilization
- Similar words include: Han dynasty
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAN
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19A: "36. Worst of all imaginable chronologies"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DARKESTTIMELINE
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20A: "39. "What's the issue ...?""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AND
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21A: "40. Start to season, as a skillet"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REOIL
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22A: "41. "Storage Wars" network"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AANDE
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23A: "42. Awaken"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event
- Similar words include: fuss, shake, stimulate
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STIR
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24A: "44. Voting, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CIVICDUTY
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25A: "46. "Altho ...""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OTOH
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26A: "48. Set of notes in a seventh chord"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
- Similar words include: quartet, quaternary, quaternion
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TETRAD
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27A: "49. "Stop being such a baby!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GROWUP
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28A: "51. Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that someone with an aggressively negative attitude
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAYSAYER
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29A: "55. First Super Bowl won by the Kansas City Chiefs in 50 years"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that being four more than fifty
- Similar words include: fifty-four, 54
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIV
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30A: "56. Gal on the screen"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GADOT
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31A: "58. [You're boring me]"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the rattling noise produced when snoring
- Similar words include: saw wood, stertor, saw logs
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SNORE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "59. First of all"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
- Similar words include: unitary, unity, unmatchable
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONE
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33A: "60. Result from"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OWETO
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34A: "61. Chewy Japanese noodle"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UDON
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35A: "62. "___ supuesto!" ("Of course!," in Spanish)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POR
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36A: "63. Look with a curled lip"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls
- Similar words include: leer
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SNEER
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37A: "64. Mizzen, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a vertical spar for supporting sails
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAST
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Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Outperforms | 4 |
| 2D | 2. Modern home of ancient Mesopotamia | 4 |
| 3D | 3. Neutral shade | 4 |
| 4D | 4. Informational repository | 8 |
| 5D | 5. End of a gay pride slogan | 11 |
| 6D | 6. "Bad news aside ..." | 15 |
| 7D | 7. Catchy tune | 3 |
| 8D | 8. Maker of the iconic Billy bookcase | 4 |
| 9D | 9. What's going around? | 5 |
| 10D | 10. Gets the memo | 10 |
| 11D | 11. 2000 song for Aaron Carter about seeking someone "tough but sweet" | 10 |
| 12D | 12. Safety devices for trapeze artists | 4 |
| 13D | 17. "Mars, the ___ of War" (first movement of "The Planets") | 7 |
| 14D | 21. "You get the picture" | 3 |
| 15D | 23. Old-school dance | 3 |
| 16D | 25. Discussion guider | 11 |
| 17D | 27. 2008 Clint Eastwood film centered around an attempted car theft | 10 |
| 18D | 28. Act superior to | 10 |
| 19D | 29. Pro ___ | 3 |
| 20D | 31. Bend it like Beckham! | 4 |
| 21D | 32. BlackBerrys, e.g., for short | 4 |
| 22D | 34. Seriously, in modern slang | 7 |
| 23D | 37. 1/86,400 of a day: Abbr. | 3 |
| 24D | 38. Opium product used by Anna Karenina and Victor Frankenstein | 8 |
| 25D | 43. Big fight | 3 |
| 26D | 45. Exclaim | 3 |
| 27D | 47. High honors in science fiction | 5 |
| 28D | 49. Sludge | 4 |
| 29D | 50. Sacrifice in some chess gambits | 4 |
| 30D | 52. Weird Al Yankovic parody of the Kinks's "Lola" | 4 |
| 31D | 53. Mythical lover | 4 |
| 32D | 54. Monthly expense | 4 |
| 33D | 57. Student center? | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Outperforms"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the upper part of anything
- Similar words include: top, upper side, topnotch
- Opposite of: bottom
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOPS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Modern home of ancient Mesopotamia"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a republic in the middle east in western asia; the ancient civilization of mesopotamia was in the area now known as iraq
- Similar words include: Al-Iraq, Republic of Iraq, Irak
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRAQ
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3D: "3. Neutral shade"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a very light brown
- Similar words include: beige
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ECRU
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4D: "4. Informational repository"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DATABANK
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5D: "5. End of a gay pride slogan"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GETUSEDTOIT
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6D: "6. "Bad news aside ...""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONAPOSITIVENOTE
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7D: "7. Catchy tune"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the law enforcement agency of the justice department that operates a nationwide system of prisons and detention facilities to incarcerate inmates sentenced to imprisonment for federal crimes
- Similar words include: sock, bash, bebop
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOP
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8D: "8. Maker of the iconic Billy bookcase"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IKEA
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9D: "9. What's going around?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the distance around a person's body
- Similar words include: cinch
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GIRTH
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10D: "10. Gets the memo"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAKESAHINT
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11D: "11. 2000 song for Aaron Carter about seeking someone "tough but sweet""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IWANTCANDY
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12D: "12. Safety devices for trapeze artists"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the tcp/ip network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange
- Similar words include: net profit, sack, web
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NETS
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13D: "17. "Mars, the ___ of War" (first movement of "The Planets")"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BRINGER
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14D: "21. "You get the picture""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETC
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15D: "23. Old-school dance"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the act of hopping; jumping upward or forward (especially on one foot)
- Similar words include: hops, record hop, hop-skip
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "25. Discussion guider"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that someone who makes progress easier
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FACILITATOR
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17D: "27. 2008 Clint Eastwood film centered around an attempted car theft"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRANTORINO
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18D: "28. Act superior to"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LORDITOVER
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19D: "29. Pro ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEM
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20D: "31. Bend it like Beckham!"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
- Similar words include: articulatio genus, stifle, human knee
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KNEE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "32. BlackBerrys, e.g., for short"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a lightweight consumer electronic device that looks like a hand-held computer but instead performs specific tasks; can serve as a diary or a personal database or a telephone or an alarm clock etc.
- Similar words include: personal organiser, personal digital assistant, organiser
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PDAS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "34. Seriously, in modern slang"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEADASS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "37. 1/86,400 of a day: Abbr."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the systeme international d'unites
- Similar words include: s, Securities and Exchange Commission, second
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEC
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24D: "38. Opium product used by Anna Karenina and Victor Frankenstein"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that narcotic consisting of an alcohol solution of opium or any preparation in which opium is the main ingredient
- Similar words include: tincture of opium
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAUDANUM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "43. Big fight"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
- Similar words include: words, course, quarrel
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "45. Exclaim"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
- Similar words include: outcry, scream, weep
- Opposite of: laugh
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CRY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "47. High honors in science fiction"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that french poet and novelist and dramatist; leader of the romantic movement in france (1802-1885)
- Similar words include: Victor Hugo, Hugo, Victor-Marie Hugo
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HUGOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "49. Sludge"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any gummy shapeless matter; usually unpleasant
- Similar words include: treacle, slop, mush
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GLOP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "50. Sacrifice in some chess gambits"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an article deposited as security
- Similar words include: instrument, hock, soak
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAWN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "52. Weird Al Yankovic parody of the Kinks's "Lola""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YODA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "53. Mythical lover"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (greek mythology) god of love; son of aphrodite; identified with roman cupid
- Similar words include: sexual desire, physical attraction, concupiscence
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EROS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "54. Monthly expense"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a payment or series of payments made by the lessee to an owner for use of some property, facility, equipment, or service
- Similar words include: lease, snag, split
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RENT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "57. Student center?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEE
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
33 Down Clues
70 Total Clues
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