Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.
Quick Navigation - Table of Contents
- Today's Puzzle Difficulty
- Across Clues Table (33 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (35 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Challenging
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. Havanese greeting | 3 |
| 2A | 4. Tolstoy book whose title asks a question | 9 |
| 3A | 13. Reluctantly stoop | 5 |
| 4A | 16. They rate up to 350,000 on the Scoville scale | 9 |
| 5A | 17. H.S. class for tough life lessons? | 5 |
| 6A | 18. "Just tell me when it's over" | 9 |
| 7A | 19. Dance move also known as a backslide | 8 |
| 8A | 21. Skims, as soup stock | 6 |
| 9A | 22. Fig. that cannot start with 9 | 3 |
| 10A | 23. Org. for The Rock and Brock Lesnar | 3 |
| 11A | 24. Tunnel-making machine | 5 |
| 12A | 25. Not many | 4 |
| 13A | 27. Windfalls | 5 |
| 14A | 28. Keep coming up | 5 |
| 15A | 30. One might lead to pay back | 9 |
| 16A | 34. Make some introductions, say | 5 |
| 17A | 35. The Cowboys of the N.C.A.A. | 3 |
| 18A | 36. Word from the Lakota for "they dwell" | 5 |
| 19A | 37. Emotional manipulation tactic | 9 |
| 20A | 39. Meaty meal | 5 |
| 21A | 40. Attraction on the western side of Carson Range | 5 |
| 22A | 41. "Oof!" | 4 |
| 23A | 42. Seems less impressive, so to speak | 5 |
| 24A | 43. Spray in the kitchen | 3 |
| 25A | 44. German stock market index | 3 |
| 26A | 47. Cumbrous | 6 |
| 27A | 49. One-to-one relationship | 8 |
| 28A | 51. Exchanges blows? | 9 |
| 29A | 53. Up to | 5 |
| 30A | 54. Eggless bread spread | 9 |
| 31A | 55. "A-a-a-and ___!" (improv show ender) | 5 |
| 32A | 56. High-carb snack | 9 |
| 33A | 57. May day celebrant | 3 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Havanese greeting"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARF
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "4. Tolstoy book whose title asks a question"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHATISART
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3A: "13. Reluctantly stoop"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
- Similar words include: descend, condescend
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEIGN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4A: "16. They rate up to 350,000 on the Scoville scale"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HABANEROS
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5A: "17. H.S. class for tough life lessons?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APBIO
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6A: "18. "Just tell me when it's over""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ICANTLOOK
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7A: "19. Dance move also known as a backslide"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a kind of dance step in which the dancer seems to be sliding on the spot
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOONWALK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8A: "21. Skims, as soup stock"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that remove the fat from
- Similar words include: defat
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEFATS
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9A: "22. Fig. that cannot start with 9"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SSN
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10A: "23. Org. for The Rock and Brock Lesnar"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WWE
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11A: "24. Tunnel-making machine"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a drill for penetrating rock
- Similar words include: woodborer, rock drill, stone drill
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BORER
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12A: "25. Not many"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFEW
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13A: "27. Windfalls"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a desirable state
- Similar words include: blessing, boon
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOONS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14A: "28. Keep coming up"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that happen or occur again
- Similar words include: repeat, fall back, resort
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RECUR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "30. One might lead to pay back"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAXRETURN
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16A: "34. Make some introductions, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person who acts as host at formal occasions (makes an introductory speech and introduces other speakers)
- Similar words include: compere, master of ceremonies, host
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMCEE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "35. The Cowboys of the N.C.A.A."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OSU
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "36. Word from the Lakota for "they dwell""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a native american tent; usually of conical shape
- Similar words include: teepee, tipi
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEPEE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19A: "37. Emotional manipulation tactic"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GUILTTRIP
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20A: "39. Meaty meal"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a ceremonial dinner party for many people
- Similar words include: junket, fete, spread
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FEAST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "40. Attraction on the western side of Carson Range"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAHOE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "41. "Oof!""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that something of little value
- Similar words include: darn, bedamn, darned
- Opposite of: bless
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DAMN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "42. Seems less impressive, so to speak"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a wooden strip forming part of a fence
- Similar words include: pale, picket, pal
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PALES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "43. Spray in the kitchen"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "44. German stock market index"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DAX
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26A: "47. Cumbrous"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that lacking grace in movement or posture
- Similar words include: clumsy, ungainly, gawky
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLUNKY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "49. One-to-one relationship"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that having only one spouse at a time
- Similar words include: monogamousness
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MONOGAMY
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28A: "51. Exchanges blows?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AIRKISSES
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29A: "53. Up to"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNTIL
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30A: "54. Eggless bread spread"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VEGENAISE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31A: "55. "A-a-a-and ___!" (improv show ender)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the place where some action occurs
- Similar words include: shot, tantrum, prospect
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCENE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "56. High-carb snack"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENERGYBAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "57. May day celebrant"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that informal terms for a mother
- Similar words include: mammy, momma, mummy
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. President who wrote "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it" | 5 |
| 2D | 2. Default outcomes, perhaps | 5 |
| 3D | 3. Kind of sequence that that proceeds 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ... | 9 |
| 4D | 4. Duration | 5 |
| 5D | 5. Modern security threat | 4 |
| 6D | 6. Org. with the Rule of Law Initiative | 3 |
| 7D | 7. Cylindrical oven | 7 |
| 8D | 8. Extremely well-liked? | 14 |
| 9D | 9. Personal opinion? | 10 |
| 10D | 10. Hooting and hollering | 5 |
| 11D | 11. Part of an underground network | 4 |
| 12D | 12. Pithy put-downs | 4 |
| 13D | 14. Main ingredient in an aviation cocktail | 3 |
| 14D | 15. "I like the sound of that!" | 14 |
| 15D | 20. "So adorable!" | 3 |
| 16D | 24. Prepare to ship, say | 5 |
| 17D | 26. Delivery means to a gas station | 10 |
| 18D | 27. Count in the Blues Hall of Fame | 5 |
| 19D | 28. On the ___ (frequently, informally) | 3 |
| 20D | 29. Bird whose eggs are sometimes a canvas for Aboriginal art | 3 |
| 21D | 30. Capotes are flapped at them | 5 |
| 22D | 31. "Let's go, sleepyhead!" | 9 |
| 23D | 32. Booking, for short | 3 |
| 24D | 33. Server's obstacle | 3 |
| 25D | 38. "Word on the street is ..." | 7 |
| 26D | 41. ___ Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code" | 3 |
| 27D | 42. Night of lawlessness in a long-running horror franchise, with "the" | 5 |
| 28D | 43. Try-hard | 5 |
| 29D | 45. Kind of acid | 5 |
| 30D | 46. Stem component | 5 |
| 31D | 47. Capitulate | 4 |
| 32D | 48. Lender's security | 4 |
| 33D | 49. Table outside | 4 |
| 34D | 50. Big purveyor of health supplements | 3 |
| 35D | 52. Gender-neutral term in a family | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. President who wrote "Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that american revolutionary leader and patriot; an organizer of the boston tea party and signer of the declaration of independence (1722-1803)
- Similar words include: John Adams, Mount Adams, disco biscuit
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADAMS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Default outcomes, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REPOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Kind of sequence that that proceeds 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ..."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIBONACCI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Duration"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition
- Similar words include: patch, piece, spell
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WHILE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Modern security threat"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that one who works hard at boring tasks
- Similar words include: chop, taxi, political hack
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HACK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Org. with the Rule of Law Initiative"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth; worn by arabs
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Cylindrical oven"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a clay oven used in northern india and pakistan
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TANDOOR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Extremely well-liked?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INTERNETFAMOUS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Personal opinion?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SELFESTEEM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Hooting and hollering"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AROAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. Part of an underground network"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
- Similar words include: tooth root, ancestor, source
- Opposite of: descendant
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROOT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Pithy put-downs"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that utter `tsk,' `tut,' or `tut-tut,' as in disapproval
- Similar words include: tut-tut, tsk, tut
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TSKS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "14. Main ingredient in an aviation cocktail"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that strong liquor flavored with juniper berries
- Similar words include: snare, noose, knock rummy
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "15. "I like the sound of that!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOWWERETALKING
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "20. "So adorable!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AWW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "24. Prepare to ship, say"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOXUP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "26. Delivery means to a gas station"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FUELTANKER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "27. Count in the Blues Hall of Fame"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASIE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "28. On the ___ (frequently, informally)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "29. Bird whose eggs are sometimes a canvas for Aboriginal art"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of various systems of units for measuring electricity and magnetism
- Similar words include: Dromaius novaehollandiae, electromagnetic unit, Emu novaehollandiae
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EMU
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "30. Capotes are flapped at them"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOROS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "31. "Let's go, sleepyhead!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UPANDATEM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "32. Booking, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a widely distributed system consisting of all the cells able to ingest bacteria or colloidal particles etc, except for certain white blood cells
- Similar words include: re, Re, rhenium
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "33. Server's obstacle"
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: network, profit, web
- Opposite of: gross
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "38. "Word on the street is ...""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THEYSAY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "41. ___ Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "42. Night of lawlessness in a long-running horror franchise, with "the""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge
- Similar words include: be sick, disgorge, regorge
- Opposite of: keep down, rehabilitate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PURGE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "43. Try-hard"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
- Similar words include: stumper, toughie, model
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POSER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "45. Kind of acid"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the radical -nh2
- Similar words include: amino group, aminic
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMINO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "46. Stem component"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the woody part of plants: the supporting and water-conducting tissue, consisting primarily of tracheids and vessels
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: XYLEM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "47. Capitulate"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
- Similar words include: undermine, spelunk
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "48. Lender's security"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the right to take another's property if an obligation is not discharged
- Similar words include: spleen
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "49. Table outside"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that flat tableland with steep edges
- Similar words include: table
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MESA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "50. Big purveyor of health supplements"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GNC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "52. Gender-neutral term in a family"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person's brother or sister
- Similar words include: blood relative, cognate, sibling
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIB
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Expert Solving Strategies
Start Smart
Begin with fill-in-the-blank clues and short 3-4 letter words. These are your foundation.
Decode the Clues
Question marks indicate wordplay or puns. "Maybe" suggests multiple interpretations.
Use Cross-References
Let intersecting letters guide you. One correct answer unlocks several others.
Build Vocabulary
Common crossword words repeat. Learning them speeds up future solving.
Today's Puzzle Stats
33 Across Clues
35 Down Clues
68 Total Clues
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