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Wednesday, June 17, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers June 17, 2026 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

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

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Medium

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

Across Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1A 1. Like Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, some say 7
2A 8. App brought back by Microsoft in 2024 3
3A 11. Swear 4
4A 15. Disney film set in a fictional Colombian village 7
5A 16. BEFORE (Deck 1): Slackers 8
6A 18. Celebrity 7
7A 19. Fast-paced scam, such as the shell game 8
8A 20. BEFORE (Deck 2): PlayStation and Switch 8
9A 22. Laterite, for example 3
10A 23. Folkie DiFranco 3
11A 24. Chills 5
12A 26. "___ Recall" (1990 sci-fi film) 5
13A 31. Jay who hosted the 2020s revival of "You Bet Your Life" 4
14A 33. Wild European rabbit in Australia, e.g. 4
15A 36. Beer buy 4
16A 37. Join tightly 4
17A 41. BEFORE (Deck 3): Quarry 8
18A 43. Casino maneuvers carried out three times in this puzzle? 14
19A 46. AFTER (Deck 3): Crucial moment in a tennis match 8
20A 47. Osso ___ (veal dish) 4
21A 48. "The Emperor's New Groove" setting 4
22A 49. Blond, but not really 4
23A 51. Many a discovery in the Valley of the Kings 4
24A 55. Visit by plane 5
25A 57. ___ With Friends 5
26A 61. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" 3
27A 62. Telepathy, e.g. 3
28A 65. AFTER (Deck 2): Noted quality of the Fonz 8
29A 67. Geraldo Rivera uncovered his "vaults" on live TV 8
30A 72. "___ the Day" (Thomas Pynchon's longest novel) 7
31A 73. AFTER (Deck 1): Slackers 8
32A 74. Was up the river 7
33A 75. Awards achievement reached in 2026 by Steven Spielberg 4
34A 76. Outdo 3
35A 77. Rival of a Raven 7

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Like Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, some say"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cast an actor, singer, or dancer in an unsuitable role
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MISCAST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "8. App brought back by Microsoft in 2024"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. Swear"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a persistently annoying person
  • Similar words include: pest, feller, swearword
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CUSS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. Disney film set in a fictional Colombian village"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. BEFORE (Deck 1): Slackers"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. Celebrity"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the status of being acknowledged as a star
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STARDOM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "19. Fast-paced scam, such as the shell game"

8 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. BEFORE (Deck 2): PlayStation and Switch"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small table fixed to a wall or designed to stand against a wall
  • Similar words include: cabinet, solace, console table
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CONSOLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Laterite, for example"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. Folkie DiFranco"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that black tropical american cuckoo
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "24. Chills"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that something left after other parts have been taken away
  • Similar words include: roost, residue, stay
  • Opposite of: change, be active
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RESTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "26. "___ Recall" (1990 sci-fi film)"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the whole amount
  • Similar words include: summate, add together, tot
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOTAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "31. Jay who hosted the 2020s revival of "You Bet Your Life""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "33. Wild European rabbit in Australia, e.g."

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
  • Similar words include: plague, cuss, blighter
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "36. Beer buy"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an occurrence of something
  • Similar words include: compositor's case, type, pillowcase
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CASE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "37. Join tightly"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an electrical device that can interrupt the flow of electrical current when it is overloaded
  • Similar words include: commingle, flux, fuze
  • Opposite of: defuse
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FUSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "41. BEFORE (Deck 3): Quarry"

8 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "43. Casino maneuvers carried out three times in this puzzle?"

14 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIFFLESHUFFLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "46. AFTER (Deck 3): Crucial moment in a tennis match"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "47. Osso ___ (veal dish)"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "48. "The Emperor's New Groove" setting"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a republic in western south america; achieved independence from spain in 1821; was the heart of the inca empire from the 12th to 16th centuries
  • Similar words include: Republic of Peru
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PERU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "49. Blond, but not really"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that color with dye
  • Similar words include: bleached, colored, dye
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DYED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "51. Many a discovery in the Valley of the Kings"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
  • Similar words include: grave
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOMB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "55. Visit by plane"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "57. ___ With Friends"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the words that are spoken
  • Similar words include: quarrel, password, give-and-take
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WORDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "61. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "62. Telepathy, e.g."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of pressure
  • Similar words include: pounds per square inch
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PSI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "65. AFTER (Deck 2): Noted quality of the Fonz"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that calm and unruffled self-assurance
  • Similar words include: iciness, imperturbableness, chilliness
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COOLNESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "67. Geraldo Rivera uncovered his "vaults" on live TV"

8 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "72. "___ the Day" (Thomas Pynchon's longest novel)"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "73. AFTER (Deck 1): Slackers"

8 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "74. Was up the river"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "75. Awards achievement reached in 2026 by Steven Spielberg"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "76. Outdo"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the upper part of anything
  • Similar words include: summit, meridian, spinning top
  • Opposite of: bottom
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "77. Rival of a Raven"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Paul who played William Shakespeare in "Hamnet" 6
2D 2. Vocalize 6
3D 3. Digitize, as a document 6
4D 4. "Just What I Needed" band, with "the" 4
5D 5. Disney+ series whose name sounds like a compound conjunction 5
6D 6. Got via the "five-finger discount" 5
7D 7. "The Complete Works of ..." books, say 5
8D 8. Booker T.'s backing band 3
9D 9. Neighborhood mentioned in "Werewolves of London" 4
10D 10. Former queen of Jordan 4
11D 11. Portable bed 3
12D 12. Mixed martial arts org. 3
13D 13. Bay Area airport code 3
14D 14. ID thief's target: Abbr. 3
15D 17. Instrument ridge 4
16D 21. Valvoline rival 3
17D 25. Gathering, informally 4
18D 27. Cat that's spotted in South America 6
19D 28. It's on a roll 4
20D 29. Sale caveat 4
21D 30. Permitted to 3
22D 32. Repelled 6
23D 34. Scrapbook keepsake 4
24D 35. Popcorn ___ (fried vegan treat) 4
25D 38. Subject of a declassified Pentagon document, in brief 3
26D 39. Averted a tag, maybe 4
27D 40. Start of a counting-out rhyme 4
28D 42. Lions and Bears are in it, in brief 3
29D 43. Stagger 4
30D 44. "Hey, doing my best" 4
31D 45. Goulash, e.g. 4
32D 46. UV blockage fig. 3
33D 50. Medical moniker 3
34D 52. Final score of at least 10% of professional soccer matches 6
35D 53. "Glad I'm back?" 6
36D 54. Thanksgiving kitchen tool 6
37D 56. Research for a political hit, slangily 4
38D 58. Map lines 5
39D 59. Give minimum effort 5
40D 60. British glam rock band of the 1970s 5
41D 63. Lenient 4
42D 64. 411 4
43D 66. TV's Nick at ___ 4
44D 67. Gray, say 3
45D 68. Record 3
46D 69. Bill's partner 3
47D 70. Back at sea 3
48D 71. "Ability" that's hard to believe, for short 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Paul who played William Shakespeare in "Hamnet""

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small spineless globe-shaped cactus; source of mescal buttons
  • Similar words include: peyote, mezcal, Lophophora williamsii
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MESCAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Vocalize"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically
  • Similar words include: cantillate, intonate, chant
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INTONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Digitize, as a document"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "Just What I Needed" band, with "the""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
  • Similar words include: motorcar, elevator car, railcar
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Disney+ series whose name sounds like a compound conjunction"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Got via the "five-finger discount""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
  • Similar words include: steal, slip
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STOLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. "The Complete Works of ..." books, say"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a (usually) large and scholarly book
  • Similar words include: tome
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOMES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Booker T.'s backing band"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one thousandth (1/1,000) gram
  • Similar words include: milligram, magnesium, Mg
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Neighborhood mentioned in "Werewolves of London""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a district in southwestern manhattan noted for its shops and restaurants and galleries and artist's lofts
  • Similar words include: South of Houston
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Former queen of Jordan"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Portable bed"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sheath worn to protect a finger
  • Similar words include: fingerstall, camp bed, crib
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Mixed martial arts org."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Bay Area airport code"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. ID thief's target: Abbr."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "17. Instrument ridge"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that agitation resulting from active worry
  • Similar words include: Greek key, stew, choke
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FRET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "21. Valvoline rival"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that standard temperature and pressure
  • Similar words include: s.t.p.
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Gathering, informally"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. Cat that's spotted in South America"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that nocturnal wildcat of central america and south america having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat
  • Similar words include: Felis pardalis, panther cat
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCELOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. It's on a roll"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
  • Similar words include: videotape, tapeline, taping
  • Opposite of: erase
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Sale caveat"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. Permitted to"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a brutal terrorist group active in kashmir; fights against india with the goal of restoring islamic rule of india
  • Similar words include: allow, countenance, get
  • Opposite of: disallow, prevent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. Repelled"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "34. Scrapbook keepsake"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a short piece remaining on a trunk or stem where a branch is lost
  • Similar words include: ticket stub, nub, check stub
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STUB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "35. Popcorn ___ (fried vegan treat)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cheeselike food made of curdled soybean milk
  • Similar words include: bean curd
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOFU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Subject of a declassified Pentagon document, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an (apparently) flying object whose nature is unknown; especially those considered to have extraterrestrial origins
  • Similar words include: flying saucer, unidentified flying object
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UFO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. Averted a tag, maybe"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
  • Similar words include: slew, slue, slither
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "40. Start of a counting-out rhyme"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "42. Lions and Bears are in it, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "43. Stagger"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a roll of photographic film holding a series of frames to be projected by a movie projector
  • Similar words include: stagger, whirl, swag
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "44. "Hey, doing my best""

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "45. Goulash, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that agitation resulting from active worry
  • Similar words include: swither, fret, sweat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "46. UV blockage fig."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the degree to which a sunscreen protects the skin from the direct rays of the sun
  • Similar words include: sun protection factor
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "50. Medical moniker"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a licensed medical practitioner
  • Similar words include: MD, Commerce, medico
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "52. Final score of at least 10% of professional soccer matches"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "53. "Glad I'm back?""

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "54. Thanksgiving kitchen tool"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cook who bastes roasting meat with melted fat or gravy
  • Similar words include: tacker
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASTER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "56. Research for a political hit, slangily"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "58. Map lines"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a partly sheltered anchorage
  • Similar words include: road, route, roadstead
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROADS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "59. Give minimum effort"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "60. British glam rock band of the 1970s"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "63. Lenient"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that yielding readily to pressure or weight
  • Similar words include: diffused, easy, gentle
  • Opposite of: hard, forte
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOFT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

42D: "64. 411"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a message received and understood
  • Similar words include: information
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INFO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

43D: "66. TV's Nick at ___"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

44D: "67. Gray, say"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

45D: "68. Record"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
  • Similar words include: lumber, logarithm
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

46D: "69. Bill's partner"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sound made by a pigeon
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

47D: "70. Back at sea"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (nautical, aeronautical) situated at or toward the stern or tail
  • Similar words include: abaft, astern
  • Opposite of: fore
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

48D: "71. "Ability" that's hard to believe, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses
  • Similar words include: clairvoyance, extrasensory perception, E.S.P.
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESP

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

35 Across Clues
48 Down Clues
83 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: June 17, 2026 at 08:40 AM

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers March 03, 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: 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. Garam ___ (South Asian spice blend) 6
2A 7. Historic tree in Boston Common 3
3A 10. Stinging, as an odor 5
4A 15. Notices 6
5A 16. Not worth a ___ 3
6A 17. He-Man's superheroine twin sister 5
7A 18. Intentionally cause drama 10
8A 20. Classical Indian stringed instrument 5
9A 21. Painting and sculpture 4
10A 22. Actor McKellen who played Magneto 3
11A 23. "Don't you agree with me?," informally 7
12A 25. "Come to our rescue!" 3
13A 26. Learn all the latest info 12
14A 28. Image problem? 4
15A 30. "Say it ___ so!" 4
16A 31. Is awesome, in slang 5
17A 33. Online connection 4
18A 34. Tie-dyed bit of attire, often 3
19A 37. "Before we discuss other matters ..." or a hint to the starts of 18-, 26-, 47- and 60-Across 16
20A 42. Word after photo or covert 3
21A 43. Regrets 4
22A 44. Defeats going away 5
23A 45. Cheeky attitude 4
24A 46. Southern cornbread 4
25A 47. Promgoers' luxurious rides 12
26A 53. Kind of oil extracted from hemp, for short 3
27A 56. "They already left" 7
28A 57. Scorching 3
29A 58. Black bits in cookies and cream 4
30A 59. Beneath 5
31A 60. Present for an expectant mom or bride-to-be 10
32A 63. Brother's daughter 5
33A 64. Caller of balls and strikes 3
34A 65. Person with mainstream likes, pejoratively 6
35A 66. Residents of Edinburgh and Glasgow 5
36A 67. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author 3
37A 68. Sounds from baby robins 6

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Garam ___ (South Asian spice blend)"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "7. Historic tree in Boston Common"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of various trees of the genus ulmus: important timber or shade trees
  • Similar words include: elm tree, elmwood
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. Stinging, as an odor"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that strong and sharp
  • Similar words include: acid, blistering, virulent
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACRID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. Notices"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that catch sight of
  • Similar words include: descry, spy, spot
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESPIES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. Not worth a ___"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a former french coin of low denomination; often used of any small amount of money
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "17. He-Man's superheroine twin sister"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "18. Intentionally cause drama"

10 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. Classical Indian stringed instrument"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a stringed instrument of india; has a long neck and movable frets; has 6 or 7 metal strings for playing and usually 13 resonating strings
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SITAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. Painting and sculpture"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
  • Similar words include: artistry, fine art, artistic creation
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "22. Actor McKellen who played Magneto"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. "Don't you agree with me?," informally"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "25. "Come to our rescue!""

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an internationally recognized distress signal in radio code
  • Similar words include: so, sol, soh
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "26. Learn all the latest info"

12 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. Image problem?"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hazy or indistinct representation
  • Similar words include: glaze over, confuse, obnubilate
  • Opposite of: focus
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BLUR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "30. "Say it ___ so!""

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "31. Is awesome, in slang"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a blow from a flat object (as an open hand)
  • Similar words include: smacking, slap, smack
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLAPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "33. Online connection"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the means of connection between things linked in series
  • Similar words include: linkup, nexus, link up
  • Opposite of: disconnectedness, disconnect
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LINK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "34. Tie-dyed bit of attire, often"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the starting place for each hole on a golf course
  • Similar words include: football tee, tee up, teeing ground
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "37. "Before we discuss other matters ..." or a hint to the starts of 18-, 26-, 47- and 60-Across"

16 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "42. Word after photo or covert"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (roman mythology) goddess of abundance and fertility; wife of saturn; counterpart of greek rhea and cybele of ancient asia minor
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Regrets"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that european strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy
  • Similar words include: ruefulness, repent, Ruta graveolens
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "44. Defeats going away"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a disorderly crowd of people
  • Similar words include: rout, gouge, rabble
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROUTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "45. Cheeky attitude"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an impudent or insolent rejoinder
  • Similar words include: back talk, sassing, lip
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "46. Southern cornbread"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that cornbread often made without milk or eggs and baked or fried (southern)
  • Similar words include: cornpone
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. Promgoers' luxurious rides"

12 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "53. Kind of oil extracted from hemp, for short"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "56. "They already left""

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "57. Scorching"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

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: raging, blistering, red-hot
  • Opposite of: cold
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "58. Black bits in cookies and cream"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that chocolate cookie with white cream filling
  • Similar words include: oreo cookie
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OREO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "59. Beneath"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that located below or beneath something else
  • Similar words include: below, nether
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNDER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "60. Present for an expectant mom or bride-to-be"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "63. Brother's daughter"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a daughter of your brother or sister
  • Opposite of: nephew
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIECE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "64. Caller of balls and strikes"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an official at a baseball game
  • Similar words include: umpire
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UMP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "65. Person with mainstream likes, pejoratively"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "66. Residents of Edinburgh and Glasgow"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the dialect of english used in scotland
  • Similar words include: Scotch, Scottish, Scotsman
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCOTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "67. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states writer and poet (1809-1849)
  • Similar words include: Edgar Allan Poe
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "68. Sounds from baby robins"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a weak chirping sound as of a small bird
  • Similar words include: twirp, twinge, tweet
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TWEETS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Flat-topped hills 5
2D 2. Houston ballplayer 5
3D 3. Raps freestyle, in slang 9
4D 4. Broadcasts 4
5D 5. Allow to 3
6D 6. Less rosy-cheeked 6
7D 7. Channel for collegiate sports fans 5
8D 8. Where to go in the U.K.? 3
9D 9. Changing genetically 8
10D 10. Basketball datum 6
11D 11. Cricket's call 5
12D 12. Knot again 5
13D 13. Absolutely steaming 5
14D 14. Showed some courage 5
15D 19. Have a meal 3
16D 24. Abbey residents 5
17D 26. Sudden burst of wind 4
18D 27. Advil targets 5
19D 29. Vinyl records, familiarly 3
20D 31. Where to catch a Bay Area flight 3
21D 32. Stiff upper ___ 3
22D 33. Eldest von Trapp daughter in "The Sound of Music" 5
23D 34. Genre for wannabe sleuths 9
24D 35. Winter setting in D.C. 3
25D 36. Sci-fi space travelers 3
26D 38. Plot of land 5
27D 39. Keeps from being publicly known 8
28D 40. Some natural hairstyles, informally 4
29D 41. + or – particle 3
30D 45. Looks slack-jawed (at) 6
31D 46. Like a cocktail with an extra shot 6
32D 47. Leaves shocked 5
33D 48. What accompanies gin and a lime wedge 5
34D 49. Event with cowboys and clowns 5
35D 50. Vote into office 5
36D 51. "With any luck ..." 5
37D 52. Cut the grass 3
38D 54. Prove appropriate for 5
39D 55. Lavishes love (on) 5
40D 58. Shrek, e.g. 4
41D 61. Type of medical network, for short 3
42D 62. Part of a seat assignment 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Flat-topped hills"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that flat tableland with steep edges
  • Similar words include: mesa, table, Mesa
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MESAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Houston ballplayer"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Raps freestyle, in slang"

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Broadcasts"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that affected manners intended to impress others
  • Similar words include: publicise, send, aura
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AIRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Allow to"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a brutal terrorist group active in kashmir; fights against india with the goal of restoring islamic rule of india
  • Similar words include: Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, get, net ball
  • Opposite of: prevent, disallow
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Less rosy-cheeked"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that of a light grey
  • Similar words include: ash-gray, ashy, ash-grey
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASHIER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Channel for collegiate sports fans"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Where to go in the U.K.?"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a toilet in britain
  • Similar words include: W.C., closet, water closet
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Changing genetically"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that undergo mutation
  • Similar words include: mutate
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MUTATING

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Basketball datum"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
  • Similar words include: serve, assistance, help
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASSIST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Cricket's call"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sharp sound made by small birds or insects
  • Similar words include: tweedle, chirrup, cheep
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHIRP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Knot again"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that tie again or anew
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RETIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Absolutely steaming"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that feeling or showing extreme anger
  • Similar words include: ireful
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. Showed some courage"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
  • Similar words include: make bold, presume, dare
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DARED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "19. Have a meal"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that take in solid food
  • Similar words include: consume, run through, corrode
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. Abbey residents"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work
  • Similar words include: Thelonious Sphere Monk, monastic, Thelonious Monk
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MONKS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "26. Sudden burst of wind"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a strong current of air
  • Similar words include: blow, blast
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GUST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. Advil targets"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an effortful attempt to attain a goal
  • Similar words include: trouble, pain in the neck, anguish
  • Opposite of: pleasure
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAINS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "29. Vinyl records, familiarly"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long-playing phonograph record; designed to be played at 33.3 rpm
  • Similar words include: LP, L-P
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "31. Where to catch a Bay Area flight"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "32. Stiff upper ___"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
  • Similar words include: back talk, sassing, backtalk
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "33. Eldest von Trapp daughter in "The Sound of Music""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "34. Genre for wannabe sleuths"

9 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "35. Winter setting in D.C."

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "36. Sci-fi space travelers"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "38. Plot of land"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an extended area of land
  • Similar words include: nerve tract, parcel, nerve pathway
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRACT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "39. Keeps from being publicly known"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "40. Some natural hairstyles, informally"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "41. + or – particle"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ION

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "45. Looks slack-jawed (at)"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fixed look with eyes open wide
  • Similar words include: gaze, stare, asterisk
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STARES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "46. Like a cocktail with an extra shot"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that having great influence
  • Similar words include: virile, strong, stiff
  • Opposite of: impotent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POTENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "47. Leaves shocked"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow
  • Similar words include: sandbag, stupefy, stun
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STUNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "48. What accompanies gin and a lime wedge"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that lime- or lemon-flavored carbonated water containing quinine
  • Similar words include: brisk, pop, quinine water
  • Opposite of: atonic
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TONIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "49. Event with cowboys and clowns"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an exhibition of cowboy skills
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RODEO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "50. Vote into office"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an exclusive group of people
  • Similar words include: elite, chosen
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELECT

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36D: "51. "With any luck ...""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

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37D: "52. Cut the grass"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a loft in a barn where hay is stored
  • Similar words include: haymow, hayloft, cut down
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOW

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38D: "54. Prove appropriate for"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that accord or comport with
  • Similar words include: suit, beseem
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEFIT

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39D: "55. Lavishes love (on)"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be foolish or senile due to old age
  • Similar words include: dust, disperse, dot
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOTES

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40D: "58. Shrek, e.g."

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cruel wicked and inhuman person
  • Similar words include: fiend, monster, devil
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OGRE

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41D: "61. Type of medical network, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that group insurance that entitles members to services of participating hospitals and clinics and physicians
  • Similar words include: health maintenance organization
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HMO

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42D: "62. Part of a seat assignment"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line
  • Similar words include: words, rowing, quarrel
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROW

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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
42 Down Clues
79 Total Clues

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Last updated: March 03, 2026 at 04:59 AM