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Monday, August 10, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers August 10, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Tricky

Pro Tip: Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues - they're usually the easiest entry points!

Across Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1A 1. "Planet of the ___" 4
2A 5. Wood strip found in many Ikea bed supports 4
3A 9. Take pleasure in 5
4A 14. Size opposite of mini- 4
5A 15. Prepares to throw a dart, say 4
6A 16. Crystal-filled rock 5
7A 17. Newspaper opinion piece 4
8A 18. *Title of a 1990s ABC sitcom and a 1990s New Kids on the Block hit 10
9A 20. Cereal often found with pretzels in a party snack mix 8
10A 22. Vertical jumping ability, in basketball lingo 3
11A 23. Sheep's cry 3
12A 24. "___ to Go!," 2024 Chappell Roan hit sometimes compared to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A." 3
13A 25. Attracted to people of any gender, for short 3
14A 28. *Detailed, real-time description of events 10
15A 33. Shape for a red-and-white striped Christmas candy 4
16A 34. Rodeo rope 5
17A 35. Foggy mental state 4
18A 36. Raisins, when on a celery-and-peanut-butter "log" 4
19A 37. Wrinkly citrus fruit 4
20A 38. "What a shame" 5
21A 39. Riverbank deposit 4
22A 40. Prompted, on stage 4
23A 41. Lyft competitor 4
24A 42. Zellweger of "Bridget Jones's Diary" 5
25A 43. Joint sometimes bent in protest 4
26A 44. *How to tackle big writing projects, per a seminal Anne Lamott book 10
27A 46. Go on and on and on 3
28A 47. LAX posting 3
29A 48. Frito-___ 3
30A 49. Not just some or most 3
31A 50. Got off the ground, as a start-up company 8
32A 55. *Many an off-road vehicle ... or a literal description of the answer to each asterisked clue (including this one!) 10
33A 59. Otherworldly glow 4
34A 60. It means slow (not big!) in music 5
35A 61. "Well, ___ that special!" 4
36A 62. Poetry competition 4
37A 63. "See what I'm talkin' 'bout?" 5
38A 64. Brooklyn basketballers ... and what they swish 4
39A 65. Effortlessness 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. "Planet of the ___""

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
  • Similar words include: copycat, aper, ape
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Wood strip found in many Ikea bed supports"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thin strip (wood or metal)
  • Similar words include: spline
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Take pleasure in"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
  • Similar words include: relish, savour, love
  • Opposite of: suffer
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENJOY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Size opposite of mini-"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long skirt ending below the calf
  • Opposite of: mini
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAXI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Prepares to throw a dart, say"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
  • Similar words include: purport, object, calculate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AIMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Crystal-filled rock"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (mineralogy) a hollow rock or nodule with the cavity usually lined with crystals
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GEODE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Newspaper opinion piece"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "18. *Title of a 1990s ABC sitcom and a 1990s New Kids on the Block hit"

10 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEPBYSTEP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Cereal often found with pretzels in a party snack mix"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "22. Vertical jumping ability, in basketball lingo"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Similar words include: up
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. Sheep's cry"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cry made by sheep
  • Similar words include: blat, blate, bleat
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BAA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. "___ to Go!," 2024 Chappell Roan hit sometimes compared to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A.""

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
  • Similar words include: red-hot, blistering, live
  • Opposite of: cold
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Attracted to people of any gender, for short"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cooking utensil consisting of a wide metal vessel
  • Similar words include: pan off, tear apart, pan out
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. *Detailed, real-time description of events"

10 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLAYBYPLAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "33. Shape for a red-and-white striped Christmas candy"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
  • Similar words include: lambaste, lambast, flog
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CANE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "34. Rodeo rope"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that belgian composer (1532-1594)
  • Similar words include: Roland de Lassus, reata, rope
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LASSO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "35. Foggy mental state"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility
  • Similar words include: daze, fog
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAZE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "36. Raisins, when on a celery-and-peanut-butter "log""

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
  • Similar words include: pismire, ant, emmet
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "37. Wrinkly citrus fruit"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin
  • Similar words include: tangelo, ugli fruit
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UGLI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "38. "What a shame""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "39. Riverbank deposit"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake
  • Similar words include: silt up
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SILT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "40. Prompted, on stage"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that assist (somebody acting or reciting) by suggesting the next words of something forgotten or imperfectly learned
  • Similar words include: remind, prompt, cue
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CUED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "41. Lyft competitor"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "42. Zellweger of "Bridget Jones's Diary""

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "43. Joint sometimes bent in protest"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

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: knee joint, genu, articulatio genus
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KNEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "44. *How to tackle big writing projects, per a seminal Anne Lamott book"

10 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BIRDBYBIRD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "46. Go on and on and on"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal terms for the mouth
  • Similar words include: maw, yip, gob
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "47. LAX posting"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

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 Fatherland and Liberty, Euskadi ta Askatasuna, Basque Homeland and Freedom
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "48. Frito-___"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
  • Similar words include: repose, put, pose
  • Opposite of: stand, arise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "49. Not just some or most"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that quantifier; used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
  • Similar words include: totally, whole, entirely
  • Opposite of: partly, some
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "50. Got off the ground, as a start-up company"

8 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that set up or found
  • Similar words include: plunge, set in motion, launch
  • Opposite of: abolish
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAUNCHED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "55. *Many an off-road vehicle ... or a literal description of the answer to each asterisked clue (including this one!)"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FOURBYFOUR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "59. Otherworldly glow"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure
  • Similar words include: gloriole, halo, aureole
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AURA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "60. It means slow (not big!) in music"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (music) a composition or passage that is to be performed in a slow and dignified manner
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LARGO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "61. "Well, ___ that special!""

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "62. Poetry competition"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge
  • Similar words include: jibe, bang, sweep
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "63. "See what I'm talkin' 'bout?""

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "64. Brooklyn basketballers ... and what they swish"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

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: mesh, net income, network
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "65. Effortlessness"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort
  • Similar words include: repose, relief, informality
  • Opposite of: difficulty
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EASE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Spanish love 4
2D 2. Big ___ (nickname of baseball's David Ortiz) 4
3D 3. Company bigwig 4
4D 4. *Next to each other, like many washers and dryers 10
5D 5. Strut down the "RuPaul's Drag Race" runway, say 6
6D 6. Lo-cal 4
7D 7. Visa or Mastercard rival, informally 4
8D 8. Small recipe amt. 3
9D 9. Home of the Great Pyramid 5
10D 10. Loch ___ monster 4
11D 11. Scribble (down) 3
12D 12. Sappho's "___ to Aphrodite" 3
13D 13. Slangy affirmative 3
14D 19. Lifted, as one's spirits 6
15D 21. ___ San Lucas, Mexico 4
16D 24. Venture, as a guess 6
17D 25. Pressed sandwich 6
18D 26. Part of a reindeer's rack 6
19D 27. Prepared one's home for a new arrival 6
20D 28. Spirited and determined 6
21D 29. "___ Beach: The Real Orange County" (MTV reality show of the mid-aughts) 6
22D 30. Catching some Z's 6
23D 31. Irrational fear 6
24D 32. Word before printer or pointer 5
25D 33. *Considered individually 10
26D 38. In a nonobvious way 6
27D 42. "Deadpool" actor Reynolds 4
28D 45. Says out loud without thinking 6
29D 47. Spot for a roller skater's pad 5
30D 49. Best Picture winner found hiding in "and the Oscar goes to ..." 4
31D 50. "Heads, I win. Tails, you ___!" (sneaky coin flip agreement) 4
32D 51. Parent's sister 4
33D 52. Hawaiian storytelling dance 4
34D 53. Times of one's life, say 4
35D 54. Title for Helen Mirren and Emma Thompson 4
36D 55. Take to the sky 3
37D 56. Acorn-bearing tree 3
38D 57. Caterer's coffee dispenser 3
39D 58. Above-water sign of a shark 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Spanish love"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (roman mythology) god of love; counterpart of greek eros
  • Similar words include: Cupid
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Big ___ (nickname of baseball's David Ortiz)"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Company bigwig"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the chief executive department of the united states government
  • Similar words include: White House
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EXEC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. *Next to each other, like many washers and dryers"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIDEBYSIDE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Strut down the "RuPaul's Drag Race" runway, say"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a square dance figure; partners circle each other taking sideways steps
  • Similar words include: jaunt, ruffle, excursion
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SASHAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Lo-cal"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that having relatively few calories
  • Similar words include: light, low-cal, calorie-free
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LITE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Visa or Mastercard rival, informally"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a stock exchange in new york
  • Similar words include: American Stock Exchange, Curb
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMEX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Small recipe amt."

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Home of the Great Pyramid"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a republic in northeastern africa known as the united arab republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 bc
  • Similar words include: United Arab Republic, Egyptian Empire, Arab Republic of Egypt
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EGYPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Loch ___ monster"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a strip of land projecting into a body of water
  • Similar words include: cape
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Scribble (down)"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a brief (and hurriedly handwritten) note
  • Similar words include: touch, hint, pinch
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Sappho's "___ to Aphrodite""

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!

13D: "13. Slangy affirmative"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "19. Lifted, as one's spirits"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that float on the surface of water
  • Similar words include: buoy, buoy up
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BUOYED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "21. ___ San Lucas, Mexico"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. Venture, as a guess"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
  • Similar words include: luck, gamble, run a risk
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAZARD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Pressed sandwich"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that indian grammarian whose grammatical rules for sanskrit are the first known example of descriptive linguistics (circa 400 bc)
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PANINI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. Part of a reindeer's rack"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that deciduous horn of a member of the deer family
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANTLER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "27. Prepared one's home for a new arrival"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that inhabit a nest, usually after building
  • Similar words include: nestle, nuzzle, draw close
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NESTED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "28. Spirited and determined"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited; ; -judith crist
  • Similar words include: spunky, feisty, gutsy
  • Opposite of: gutless
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLUCKY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "29. "___ Beach: The Real Orange County" (MTV reality show of the mid-aughts)"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral
  • Similar words include: lagoon, lagune
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAGUNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "30. Catching some Z's"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that in a state of sleep
  • Similar words include: departed, benumbed, at rest
  • Opposite of: awake
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASLEEP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "31. Irrational fear"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations
  • Similar words include: phobic disorder, phobic neurosis
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PHOBIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "32. Word before printer or pointer"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; an optical device that produces an intense monochromatic beam of coherent light
  • Similar words include: optical maser
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LASER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "33. *Considered individually"

10 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CASEBYCASE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "38. In a nonobvious way"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that in a subtle manner
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SUBTLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "42. "Deadpool" actor Reynolds"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "45. Says out loud without thinking"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that utter impulsively
  • Similar words include: blunder, blurt, blurt out
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLURTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "47. Spot for a roller skater's pad"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
  • Similar words include: human elbow, elbow joint, cubitus
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELBOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "49. Best Picture winner found hiding in "and the Oscar goes to ...""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that formerly a large constellation in the southern hemisphere between canis major and the southern cross; now divided into carina and pyxis and puppis and vela
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARGO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "50. "Heads, I win. Tails, you ___!" (sneaky coin flip agreement)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
  • Similar words include: turn a loss, mislay, fall back
  • Opposite of: profit, win
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "51. Parent's sister"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
  • Similar words include: auntie, aunty
  • Opposite of: uncle
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AUNT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "52. Hawaiian storytelling dance"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a polynesian rain dance performed by a woman
  • Similar words include: hula-hula, Hawaiian dancing
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HULA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "53. Times of one's life, say"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event
  • Similar words include: epoch, geological era, era
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "54. Title for Helen Mirren and Emma Thompson"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that informal terms for a (young) woman
  • Similar words include: wench, bird, doll
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DAME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "55. Take to the sky"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that two-winged insects characterized by active flight
  • Similar words include: take flight, wing, pilot
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "56. Acorn-bearing tree"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
  • Similar words include: oak tree
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OAK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "57. Caterer's coffee dispenser"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a large vase that usually has a pedestal or feet
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: URN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "58. Above-water sign of a shark"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
  • Similar words include: Little Phoebe, V, Phoebe
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FIN

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

39 Across Clues
39 Down Clues
78 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: August 10, 2026 at 05:00 AM

Thursday, July 16, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers July 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

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Moderate

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. Smart 4
2A 5. Sensation 5
3A 10. Acquisition on the big day 5
4A 15. "That's a good one!" 4
5A 16. Galápagos island that was home to Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his subspecies 5
6A 17. Who knows what preceded the Big Bang 5
7A 18. *Yes — three arduous ones 16
8A 21. February 14, informally 4
9A 22. Scratch that! 4
10A 23. El ___ 3
11A 24. Like novices 5
12A 26. Spoil 6
13A 28. Preceder of how, way or where 3
14A 29. *Yes — sometimes more than 1,000 9
15A 31. Patooties 5
16A 33. Little dipper? 3
17A 34. "Tout à fait!" 3
18A 35. Tire 4
19A 37. *Yes — exactly one, in common usage 12
20A 42. First line on many a form 4
21A 43. Common garnish in a chirashi bowl 3
22A 44. Had at present? 3
23A 47. Article of lab wear 5
24A 50. *No — but it does have three feet 9
25A 53. Elizabethan curse 3
26A 54. Country that las islas Canarias are part of 6
27A 57. Important blood line 5
28A 58. "___ is the proper task of life": Nietzsche 3
29A 59. Business whose rewards program gives "Stackholder Perks" 4
30A 60. Raving 4
31A 61. Question during a brainstorming session ... or of the answers to the starred clues 16
32A 67. Popular Japanese brew 5
33A 68. Alcohol, slangily 5
34A 69. Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified" 4
35A 70. Its capital is Sanaa 5
36A 71. Heavens 5
37A 72. Debugging component? 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Smart"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that elegant and fashionable; ; ; ; - julia child
  • Similar words include: classy, swish
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POSH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Sensation"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a vigorous blow
  • Similar words include: break, bash, crush
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMASH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. Acquisition on the big day"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. "That's a good one!""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. Galápagos island that was home to Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his subspecies"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "17. Who knows what preceded the Big Bang"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "18. *Yes — three arduous ones"

16 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRONMANTRIATHLON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "21. February 14, informally"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Scratch that!"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a contagious skin infection caused by the itch mite; characterized by persistent itching and skin irritation
  • Similar words include: urge, spoil, itching
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITCH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. El ___"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the united states army's principal law enforcement agency responsible for the conduct of criminal investigations for all levels of the army anywhere in the world
  • Similar words include: Criminal Investigation Command
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. Like novices"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
  • Similar words include: unripe, common, gullible
  • Opposite of: ripe
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GREEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "26. Spoil"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a narrow pass (especially one between mountains)
  • Similar words include: corrupt, befoul, sully
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEFILE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "28. Preceder of how, way or where"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one or some or every or all without specification
  • Similar words include: whatever, whatsoever
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "29. *Yes — sometimes more than 1,000"

9 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of numerous herbivorous nonpoisonous arthropods having a cylindrical body of 20 to 100 or more segments most with two pairs of legs
  • Similar words include: milliped, millepede
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MILLIPEDE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "31. Patooties"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that thick end of the handle
  • Similar words include: backside, stooge, behind
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BUTTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "33. Little dipper?"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one of the digits of the foot
  • Similar words include: toenail
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "34. "Tout à fait!""

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "35. Tire"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
  • Similar words include: iris, ease up, sag
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "37. *Yes — exactly one, in common usage"

12 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIRECTFLIGHT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "42. First line on many a form"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a language unit by which a person or thing is known
  • Similar words include: figure, public figure, identify
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Common garnish in a chirashi bowl"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fish eggs or egg-filled ovary; having a grainy texture
  • Similar words include: hard roe
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "44. Had at present?"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing; the right ascension for an observer at a particular location and time of day
  • Similar words include: give, experience, throw
  • Opposite of: lack, abstain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "47. Article of lab wear"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a loose coverall (coat or frock) reaching down to the ankles
  • Similar words include: gaberdine, duster, gabardine
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMOCK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "50. *No — but it does have three feet"

9 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a measure or standard used for comparison
  • Similar words include: yard measure
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YARDSTICK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "53. Elizabethan curse"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a common venereal disease caused by the treponema pallidum spirochete; symptoms change through progressive stages; can be congenital (transmitted through the placenta)
  • Similar words include: syphilis, lues, lues venerea
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "54. Country that las islas Canarias are part of"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern europe on the iberian peninsula; a former colonial power
  • Similar words include: Spain, Kingdom of Spain
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESPANA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "57. Important blood line"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the large trunk artery that carries blood from the left ventricle of the heart to branch arteries
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AORTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "58. "___ is the proper task of life": Nietzsche"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the products of human creativity; works of art collectively
  • Similar words include: artistry, artistic production, graphics
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ART

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "59. Business whose rewards program gives "Stackholder Perks""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "60. Raving"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (often followed by `for') ardently or excessively desirous
  • Similar words include: zealous, greedy, esurient
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AVID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "61. Question during a brainstorming session ... or of the answers to the starred clues"

16 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ________________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOESTHISHAVELEGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "67. Popular Japanese brew"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "68. Alcohol, slangily"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that flavorful relish or dressing or topping served as an accompaniment to food
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAUCE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "69. Literary heroine who says "I would always rather be happy than dignified""

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shallow salt lake in south central australia about 35 feet below sea level; the largest lake in the country and the lowest point on the continent
  • Similar words include: Lake Eyre
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EYRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "70. Its capital is Sanaa"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a republic on the southwestern shores of the arabian peninsula on the indian ocean; formed in 1990
  • Similar words include: Republic of Yemen
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YEMEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "71. Heavens"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies
  • Similar words include: aether, ethyl ether, quintessence
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETHER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "72. Debugging component?"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Letter after upsilon 3
2D 2. Trireme tool 3
3D 3. Cleared, as snow 8
4D 4. "Messiah" composer 6
5D 5. Neuter 4
6D 6. What a big hand indicates: Abbr. 3
7D 7. Its colony can be considered one superorganism 3
8D 8. Struggle 6
9D 9. World's most populous Creole-speaking country 5
10D 10. Pretty much assured 8
11D 11. Japanese drama 3
12D 12. Feline in a 2000s meme 6
13D 13. Dub ... or rub 6
14D 14. Fast-food restaurant that sells Frostys 6
15D 19. ___-pedi 4
16D 20. Oft-injured part of the knee, for short 3
17D 24. Clock-setting std. 3
18D 25. ___ Bravo (México/Tejas border) 3
19D 26. Certain tie score 5
20D 27. Mince words? 4
21D 30. Frost piece 4
22D 32. Sound of dissatisfaction 3
23D 35. Botanist's study 5
24D 36. Told stories 4
25D 38. Business ending 3
26D 39. Roll in dough 8
27D 40. Actress/union leader Drescher 4
28D 41. Symbol of spiritual insight, in Hinduism 8
29D 45. Class ___ 3
30D 46. Music genre with "walking" bass lines 3
31D 47. Steamy occasion? 6
32D 48. Lugubrious 6
33D 49. Pioneers' prairie pullers 6
34D 50. Harangues 6
35D 51. Store 4
36D 52. Worked sufferingly 6
37D 55. "Pipe down!" 3
38D 56. Composure 5
39D 60. Attest 4
40D 62. ___-goat 3
41D 63. "Wait ... really?" 3
42D 64. One of a kind 3
43D 65. Test for future Ph.D.s 3
44D 66. Not needing anything else 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Letter after upsilon"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the 21st letter of the greek alphabet
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PHI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Trireme tool"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an implement used to propel or steer a boat
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Cleared, as snow"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that dig with or as if with a shovel
  • Similar words include: shovel
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHOVELED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "Messiah" composer"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a prolific british baroque composer (born in germany) remembered best for his oratorio messiah (1685-1759)
  • Similar words include: George Frideric Handel, George Frederick Handel, Georg Friedrich Handel
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HANDEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Neuter"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that remove the ovaries of
  • Similar words include: alter, neuter, castrate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. What a big hand indicates: Abbr."

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
  • Similar words include: Amoy, Taiwanese, Hokkianese
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Its colony can be considered one superorganism"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
  • Similar words include: pismire, emmet
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Struggle"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lack of agreement or harmony
  • Similar words include: discord
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRIFE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. World's most populous Creole-speaking country"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a republic in the west indies on the western part of the island of hispaniola; achieved independence from france in 1804; the poorest and most illiterate nation in the western hemisphere
  • Similar words include: Republic of Haiti, Hispaniola, Hayti
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAITI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Pretty much assured"

8 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Japanese drama"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Feline in a 2000s meme"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Dub ... or rub"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that choose by or as if by divine intervention
  • Similar words include: embrocate, anele, inunct
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANOINT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. Fast-food restaurant that sells Frostys"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "19. ___-pedi"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "20. Oft-injured part of the knee, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "24. Clock-setting std."

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the local time at the 0 meridian passing through greenwich, england; it is the same everywhere
  • Similar words include: Greenwich Mean Time, UT, Greenwich Time
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GMT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "25. ___ Bravo (México/Tejas border)"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the former capital and 2nd largest city of brazil; chief brazilian port; famous as a tourist attraction
  • Similar words include: Rio de Janeiro
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "26. Certain tie score"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game
  • Similar words include: dickens, two, devil
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEUCE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "27. Mince words?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting
  • Similar words include: edit out, blue-pencil, delete
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EDIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. Frost piece"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
  • Similar words include: verse form
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. Sound of dissatisfaction"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "35. Botanist's study"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that all the plant life in a particular region or period
  • Similar words include: plant life, vegetation, botany
  • Opposite of: fauna
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FLORA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "36. Told stories"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a german art song of the 19th century for voice and piano
  • Similar words include: lie in, dwell, consist
  • Opposite of: stand, arise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Business ending"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a heterogeneous collection of groups united in their opposition to saddam hussein's government of iraq; formed in 1992 it is comprised of sunni and shiite arabs and kurds who hope to build a new government
  • Similar words include: Iraqi National Congress
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. Roll in dough"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "40. Actress/union leader Drescher"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "41. Symbol of spiritual insight, in Hinduism"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "45. Class ___"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body
  • Similar words include: routine, human activity, do
  • Opposite of: refrain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACT

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30D: "46. Music genre with "walking" bass lines"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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31D: "47. Steamy occasion?"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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32D: "48. Lugubrious"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that showing a brooding ill humor; ; ; ; ; ; - bruce bliven
  • Similar words include: glowering, glum, saturnine
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOROSE

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33D: "49. Pioneers' prairie pullers"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

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34D: "50. Harangues"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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35D: "51. Store"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (sports) the act of preventing the opposition from scoring
  • Similar words include: write, keep, make unnecessary
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAVE

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36D: "52. Worked sufferingly"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Similar words include: moil, labor, dig
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOILED

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37D: "55. "Pipe down!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

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38D: "56. Composure"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cgs unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimeter; the viscosity of a fluid in which a force of one dyne per square centimeter maintains a velocity of 1 centimeter per second
  • Similar words include: cool, aplomb, assuredness
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POISE

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39D: "60. Attest"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that report or maintain
  • Similar words include: affirm, assert, say
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AVER

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40D: "62. ___-goat"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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41D: "63. "Wait ... really?""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

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42D: "64. One of a kind"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
  • Similar words include: genius, wiz, wizard
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACE

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43D: "65. Test for future Ph.D.s"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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44D: "66. Not needing anything else"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
  • Similar words include: do, circle, fix
  • Opposite of: rise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SET

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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

37 Across Clues
44 Down Clues
81 Total Clues

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Last updated: July 16, 2026 at 05:58 AM