Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.
Quick Navigation - Table of Contents
- Today's Puzzle Difficulty
- Across Clues Table (35 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (35 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: 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. To the ___ (as much as possible) | 4 |
| 2A | 5. Electrifying people, so to speak | 9 |
| 3A | 14. Dog howling at night, maybe | 4 |
| 4A | 15. Vintage bike feature | 10 |
| 5A | 16. Good name for a yoga instructor? | 4 |
| 6A | 17. Hairy get-up | 10 |
| 7A | 18. Wych ___ (tree type) | 3 |
| 8A | 19. Miss Doolittle of "Pygmalion" | 5 |
| 9A | 20. Civil rights activist Williams, an associate of Martin Luther King Jr. | 5 |
| 10A | 21. Splits apart | 7 |
| 11A | 23. Annual coll. basketball competition | 3 |
| 12A | 25. Class for some aspiring bilinguals, in brief | 3 |
| 13A | 26. Led | 6 |
| 14A | 27. Play casually, say | 5 |
| 15A | 29. Like some kitchens | 5 |
| 16A | 30. Harps on | 8 |
| 17A | 33. MacMurray of "Double Indemnity" | 4 |
| 18A | 34. Throw in at the end | 5 |
| 19A | 35. Pulls off | 4 |
| 20A | 37. Jarring film transition to a new scene | 8 |
| 21A | 39. Sired | 5 |
| 22A | 40. Give a hand? | 5 |
| 23A | 41. Language of southern India | 6 |
| 24A | 42. Sierra, e.g. | 3 |
| 25A | 45. "Nasty!" | 3 |
| 26A | 46. Rainwater reservoir | 7 |
| 27A | 47. Duane ___ (New York-based pharmacy chain) | 5 |
| 28A | 49. Figures in "Puss in Boots" and "Hop-o'-My-Thumb" | 5 |
| 29A | 51. Sickly-looking | 3 |
| 30A | 52. "I don't care either way" | 10 |
| 31A | 54. Magician's accessory | 4 |
| 32A | 55. Use of a popular song to make a scene iconic, in film-speak | 10 |
| 33A | 56. "Your turn to speak" | 4 |
| 34A | 57. Difficult time for farmers | 9 |
| 35A | 58. Hot ___ | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. To the ___ (as much as possible)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the handle of a sword or dagger
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HILT
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2A: "5. Electrifying people, so to speak"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIVEWIRES
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3A: "14. Dog howling at night, maybe"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sign of something about to happen
- Similar words include: Muscat and Oman, prognostication, portend
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OMEN
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4A: "15. Vintage bike feature"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BANANASEAT
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5A: "16. Good name for a yoga instructor?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
- Similar words include: matte, flat, mat
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MATT
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6A: "17. Hairy get-up"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APECOSTUME
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7A: "18. Wych ___ (tree type)"
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
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8A: "19. Miss Doolittle of "Pygmalion""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELIZA
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9A: "20. Civil rights activist Williams, an associate of Martin Luther King Jr."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a minor hebrew prophet (8th century bc)
- Similar words include: Book of Hosea
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOSEA
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10A: "21. Splits apart"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument
- Similar words include: rive, adhere, cling
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLEAVES
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11A: "23. Annual coll. basketball competition"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a luminance unit equal to 1 candle per square meter measured perpendicular to the rays from the source
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NIT
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12A: "25. Class for some aspiring bilinguals, in brief"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESL
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13A: "26. Led"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that to go or travel towards
- Similar words include: lead, maneuver, guide
- Opposite of: unheaded, headless
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEADED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14A: "27. Play casually, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that sound of strumming
- Similar words include: thrum
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STRUM
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15A: "29. Like some kitchens"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EATIN
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16A: "30. Harps on"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that to work at or to absurd length
- Similar words include: belabour, belabor
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BELABORS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "33. MacMurray of "Double Indemnity""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FRED
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18A: "34. Throw in at the end"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAGON
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19A: "35. Pulls off"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the united states; created in 1977
- Similar words include: answer, serve, doe
- Opposite of: unmake
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOES
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20A: "37. Jarring film transition to a new scene"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMASHCUT
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21A: "39. Sired"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that make children
- Similar words include: father, get, engender
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEGAT
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22A: "40. Give a hand?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that building material used as siding or roofing
- Similar words include: shake up, sway, waggle
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHAKE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "41. Language of southern India"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a member of the people in southeastern india (andhra pradesh) who speak the telugu language
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TELUGU
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24A: "42. Sierra, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GMC
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25A: "45. "Nasty!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EWW
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26A: "46. Rainwater reservoir"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sac or cavity containing fluid especially lymph or cerebrospinal fluid
- Similar words include: water tank, cisterna
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CISTERN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "47. Duane ___ (New York-based pharmacy chain)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: READE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "49. Figures in "Puss in Boots" and "Hop-o'-My-Thumb""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a cruel wicked and inhuman person
- Similar words include: fiend, devil, ogre
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OGRES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "51. Sickly-looking"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a computer network that spans a wider area than does a local area network
- Similar words include: sick, pallid, wide area network
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "52. "I don't care either way""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITSUPTOYOU
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31A: "54. Magician's accessory"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a strip of land projecting into a body of water
- Similar words include: ness, mantle
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAPE
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32A: "55. Use of a popular song to make a scene iconic, in film-speak"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEEDLEDROP
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33A: "56. "Your turn to speak""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch
- Similar words include: terminated, all over, o'er
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVER
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34A: "57. Difficult time for farmers"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRYSEASON
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35A: "58. Hot ___"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a state of confusion and disorderliness
- Similar words include: kettle of fish, raft, mint
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MESS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Big name in meal prep kits | 8 |
| 2D | 2. "Tell me!" | 9 |
| 3D | 3. Line of attack? | 9 |
| 4D | 4. Cause of a boom | 3 |
| 5D | 5. Material for the blue eyebrows on the mask of Tutankhamen, in brief | 5 |
| 6D | 6. Mother of Don Juan | 4 |
| 7D | 7. Here goes nothing! | 9 |
| 8D | 8. Brian of ambient music | 3 |
| 9D | 9. Part of a bass in a jug band | 7 |
| 10D | 10. : | 4 |
| 11D | 11. Get new life out of | 5 |
| 12D | 12. Eponym for a lounge chair | 5 |
| 13D | 13. "I can't believe that price" bargain | 5 |
| 14D | 15. Made hay? | 5 |
| 15D | 19. Uniform | 4 |
| 16D | 22. Puma rival | 6 |
| 17D | 24. Setting for the graphic novel series "Persepolis" | 4 |
| 18D | 27. Transition | 5 |
| 19D | 28. Competitor of the early Chevrolet 490 | 6 |
| 20D | 30. "Sticks" | 9 |
| 21D | 31. Dangerous ocean phenomenon | 9 |
| 22D | 32. Edible algae dubbed "green caviar" | 9 |
| 23D | 34. Break the ice? | 4 |
| 24D | 36. Knockouts | 8 |
| 25D | 38. Blind followers, informally | 7 |
| 26D | 39. Friend of Nancy Drew | 4 |
| 27D | 41. Moor | 5 |
| 28D | 42. Daily ___ | 5 |
| 29D | 43. Element of a poetry analysis, maybe | 5 |
| 30D | 44. Baseball's Stengel | 5 |
| 31D | 46. Sing like Michael Bublé | 5 |
| 32D | 48. Threads | 4 |
| 33D | 50. Food item whose name comes from the Greek for "turn" | 4 |
| 34D | 53. Occasion that may involve fine china | 3 |
| 35D | 54. Common end to an address | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Big name in meal prep kits"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOMECHEF
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. "Tell me!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMALLEARS
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3D: "3. Line of attack?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LETMEATEM
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4D: "4. Cause of a boom"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that explosive consisting of a yellow crystalline compound that is a flammable toxic derivative of toluene
- Similar words include: trinitrotoluene
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TNT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Material for the blue eyebrows on the mask of Tutankhamen, in brief"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAPIS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Mother of Don Juan"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INEZ
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Here goes nothing!"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VACANTLOT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Brian of ambient music"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENO
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9D: "9. Part of a bass in a jug band"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a tub in which clothes or linens can be washed
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WASHTUB
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. :"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISTO
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11D: "11. Get new life out of"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that use again after processing
- Similar words include: reprocess, recycle
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REUSE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Eponym for a lounge chair"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states designer noted for an innovative series of chairs (1907-1978)
- Similar words include: Charles Eames
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EAMES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "13. "I can't believe that price" bargain"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an advantageous purchase
- Similar words include: bargain, slip, buy
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEAL
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "15. Made hay?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that make into a bale
- Similar words include: bale
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BALED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "19. Uniform"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
- Similar words include: evening, even out, yet
- Opposite of: uneven, odd
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVEN
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16D: "22. Puma rival"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADIDAS
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17D: "24. Setting for the graphic novel series "Persepolis""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a theocratic islamic republic in the middle east in western asia; iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as persia until 1935; rich in oil
- Similar words include: Persia, Islamic Republic of Iran
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRAN
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18D: "27. Transition"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the act of changing smoothly from one state or situation to another
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEGUE
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19D: "28. Competitor of the early Chevrolet 490"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MODELT
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20D: "30. "Sticks""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a remote and undeveloped area
- Similar words include: back country, boondocks, hinterland
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BACKWOODS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "31. Dangerous ocean phenomenon"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROGUEWAVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "32. Edible algae dubbed "green caviar""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEAGRAPES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "34. Break the ice?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid
- Similar words include: melting, thawing, melt
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THAW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "36. Knockouts"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a very attractive or seductive looking woman
- Similar words include: mantrap, knockout, beauty
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STUNNERS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "38. Blind followers, informally"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SHEEPLE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "39. Friend of Nancy Drew"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BESS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "41. Moor"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIEUP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "42. Daily ___"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious
- Similar words include: cranch, travail, moil
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRIND
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "43. Element of a poetry analysis, maybe"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the basic unit of length adopted under the systeme international d'unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
- Similar words include: time, metre, beat
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: METER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "44. Baseball's Stengel"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CASEY
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31D: "46. Sing like Michael Bublé"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that sing softly
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CROON
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "48. Threads"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that informal terms for clothing
- Similar words include: threads, togs, dud
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DUDS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "50. Food item whose name comes from the Greek for "turn""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a greek sandwich: sliced roast lamb with onion and tomato stuffed into pita bread
- Similar words include: gyroscope
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GYRO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "53. Occasion that may involve fine china"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
- Similar words include: afternoon tea, Camellia sinensis, teatime
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "54. Common end to an address"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COM
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
35 Down Clues
70 Total Clues
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