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Tuesday, September 29, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers September 29, 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. Big ones can be difficult to manage 4
2A 5. Urge 4
3A 9. British John 5
4A 14. Nincompoop 4
5A 15. Surrounding glow 4
6A 16. Who "wants to be defeated" in "Beat It" 5
7A 17. Where some monster home runs land 9
8A 19. Language of the Vikings 5
9A 20. Rich deposits of ore 5
10A 21. Home of the Buckeyes, for short 3
11A 23. Muslim holiday, informally 3
12A 24. Scoped out with intent to rob 5
13A 25. Pretty long time, in an idiom 9
14A 28. Battery fill 4
15A 29. Capital of Yemen 5
16A 30. Copied 4
17A 31. "You ___!" ("Absolutely!") 3
18A 32. Terse 4
19A 33. "I ___ U" (candy heart message) 3
20A 35. Another plateful from the buffet, say 13
21A 40. Deposit/withdrawal site, in brief 3
22A 41. Board appointee, for short 4
23A 42. Work unit 3
24A 44. Chief god of Valhalla 4
25A 47. European viper 5
26A 49. Greek goddess of the earth 4
27A 50. Position of Rickey Henderson in M.L.B. 9
28A 52. Storage units 5
29A 53. Dad on "Black-ish" 3
30A 54. Pablo Neruda's "___ to My Socks" 3
31A 55. Indie rock singer ___ O 5
32A 56. Couch 5
33A 58. Wedding officiant's directive ... or what both halves of 17-, 25-, 35- and 50-Across do? 9
34A 62. Unconcealed 5
35A 63. Toll unit on some roads 4
36A 64. Tour de France entry 4
37A 65. "Cooties" 5
38A 66. Hitch up on a farm 4
39A 67. Ice cream brand that's a cousin of Dreyer's 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Big ones can be difficult to manage"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others
  • Similar words include: self-importance, egotism, self
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EGOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Urge"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
  • Similar words include: egg on, goading, poke at
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PROD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. British John"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Nincompoop"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that street names for marijuana
  • Similar words include: cola, pot, sens
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Surrounding glow"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

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: glory, halo, gloriole
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AURA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Who "wants to be defeated" in "Beat It""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Where some monster home runs land"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Language of the Vikings"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an inhabitant of scandinavia
  • Similar words include: Scandinavian language, Norseman, Northman
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NORSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Rich deposits of ore"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a deposit of valuable ore occurring within definite boundaries separating it from surrounding rocks
  • Similar words include: lode, load
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LODES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Home of the Buckeyes, for short"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. Muslim holiday, informally"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. Scoped out with intent to rob"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that look over, usually with the intention to rob
  • Similar words include: encase, incase, incased
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CASED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Pretty long time, in an idiom"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. Battery fill"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of various water-soluble compounds having a sour taste and capable of turning litmus red and reacting with a base to form a salt
  • Similar words include: Zen, acidulent, bitter
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "29. Capital of Yemen"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the capital and largest city of yemen; on the central plateau
  • Similar words include: Sana, Sana'a
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SANAA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "30. Copied"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that imitate uncritically and in every aspect
  • Similar words include: ape, caricature
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "31. "You ___!" ("Absolutely!")"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the money risked on a gamble
  • Similar words include: stake, wager, count
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "32. Terse"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that marked by rude or peremptory shortness
  • Similar words include: terse, crisp, brusque
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CURT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "33. "I ___ U" (candy heart message)"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "35. Another plateful from the buffet, say"

13 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SECONDHELPING

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "40. Deposit/withdrawal site, in brief"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade
  • Similar words include: automatic teller machine, automatic teller, automated teller
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "41. Board appointee, for short"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

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!

23A: "42. Work unit"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cgs unit of work or energy; the work done by a force of one dyne acting over a distance of one centimeter
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "44. Chief god of Valhalla"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (norse mythology) ruler of the aesir; supreme god of war and poetry and knowledge and wisdom (for which he gave an eye) and husband of frigg; identified with the teutonic wotan
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ODIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. European viper"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who adds numbers
  • Similar words include: common viper, Vipera berus
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADDER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "49. Greek goddess of the earth"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (greek mythology) goddess of the earth and mother of cronus and the titans in ancient mythology
  • Similar words include: Ge, Gaia
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GAEA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "50. Position of Rickey Henderson in M.L.B."

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the piece of ground in the outfield on the catcher's left
  • Similar words include: left, left field
  • Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEFTFIELD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "52. Storage units"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit of information
  • Similar words include: byte
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BYTES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "53. Dad on "Black-ish""

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "54. Pablo Neruda's "___ to My Socks""

3 letters Category: Common Word

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!

31A: "55. Indie rock singer ___ O"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the tibeto-burman language spoken in the thailand and burmese borderlands
  • Similar words include: Karenic
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: KAREN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "56. Couch"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long backless sofa (usually with pillows against a wall)
  • Similar words include: diwan
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIVAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "58. Wedding officiant's directive ... or what both halves of 17-, 25-, 35- and 50-Across do?"

9 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "62. Unconcealed"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that open and observable; not secret or hidden
  • Similar words include: open
  • Opposite of: covert
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OVERT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "63. Toll unit on some roads"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shaft on which a wheel rotates
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AXLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "64. Tour de France entry"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
  • Similar words include: team up, squad
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "65. "Cooties""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that anything that provides inspiration for later work
  • Similar words include: germ, source, seed
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GERMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "66. Hitch up on a farm"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fabric comprising a fitted part at the top of a garment
  • Similar words include: coupling, couplet, link
  • Opposite of: unyoke
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YOKE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "67. Ice cream brand that's a cousin of Dreyer's"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Address ending that's not .com, .org or .gov 3
2D 2. Reach great heights in life 8
3D 3. Like black and white 8
4D 4. Numbered in a tournament bracket 6
5D 5. Always at the pharmacy? 4
6D 6. Regret 3
7D 7. Middle-earth foe 3
8D 8. ___ Territory, 1861-89 6
9D 9. Ho-hum feeling 5
10D 10. British john 3
11D 11. Ripped to pieces 6
12D 12. Like not-work-from-home days 6
13D 13. Had to have 6
14D 18. Visibly embarrassed, say 3
15D 22. Like subcompacts vis-à-vis compacts 7
16D 24. What can travel a fare distance? 3
17D 25. Brain-busting 4
18D 26. Just between us 7
19D 27. Blue race in "Avatar" 4
20D 29. Raisin brand whose containers feature a girl in a red bonnet 7
21D 32. Hotel request 3
22D 34. Scanned lines, for short 3
23D 36. "If you ___ stand the heat ..." 4
24D 37. Crossed (out) 4
25D 38. Made nice? 8
26D 39. Band with the 6x platinum album "American Idiot" 8
27D 43. Pit stop refill 3
28D 44. Subject of a saying about new tricks 6
29D 45. Infer (from) 6
30D 46. Perhaps not at all 6
31D 48. Spinner of tunes 6
32D 49. Move like Shakira in her "Hips Don't Lie" video 6
33D 51. Courier and Century Gothic, for two 5
34D 52. "Nuts!" 3
35D 55. Achy joint for a floor installer, perhaps 4
36D 57. Pitcher's asset 3
37D 59. Kitchen brand that could be an unsuccessful tic-tac-toe line 3
38D 60. Sort 3
39D 61. Texting format, for short 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Address ending that's not .com, .org or .gov"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Reach great heights in life"

8 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Like black and white"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other
  • Similar words include: antonym, inverse, paired
  • Opposite of: synonym, alternate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPPOSITE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Numbered in a tournament bracket"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that go to seed; shed seeds
  • Similar words include: seed, sow, sown
  • Opposite of: unseeded
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEEDED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Always at the pharmacy?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge
  • Similar words include: domiciliation, digs, embroider
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PADS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Regret"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

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: repent, regret, ruefulness
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Middle-earth foe"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. ___ Territory, 1861-89"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of the siouan people of the northern mississippi valley; commonly called the sioux
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DAKOTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Ho-hum feeling"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  • Similar words include: boredom, tedium
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENNUI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. British john"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Ripped to pieces"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Like not-work-from-home days"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Had to have"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that require as useful, just, or proper
  • Similar words include: want, require, necessitate
  • Opposite of: obviate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEEDED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Visibly embarrassed, say"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
  • Similar words include: bolshy, violent, red-faced
  • Opposite of: gain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. Like subcompacts vis-à-vis compacts"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that small or little relative to something else
  • Similar words include: humble, littler, pocket-sized
  • Opposite of: large, big
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMALLER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. What can travel a fare distance?"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
  • Similar words include: cabriolet, taxi, taxicab
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Brain-busting"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
  • Similar words include: laborious, grueling, tough
  • Opposite of: easy, voiced
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HARD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. Just between us"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "27. Blue race in "Avatar""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. Raisin brand whose containers feature a girl in a red bonnet"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "32. Hotel request"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "34. Scanned lines, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "36. "If you ___ stand the heat ...""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that stock phrases that have become nonsense through endless repetition
  • Similar words include: bevel, slang, vernacular
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CANT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "37. Crossed (out)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Made nice?"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that put (things or places) in order
  • Similar words include: straighten, square away, neaten
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEATENED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. Band with the 6x platinum album "American Idiot""

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "43. Pit stop refill"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity; relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature; the ability to diffuse readily; and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container
  • Similar words include: gun, bluster, flatulence
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "44. Subject of a saying about new tricks"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "45. Infer (from)"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that reason by deduction; establish by deduction
  • Similar words include: gain, come, descend
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DERIVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "46. Perhaps not at all"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "48. Spinner of tunes"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "49. Move like Shakira in her "Hips Don't Lie" video"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that to wind or move in a spiral course
  • Similar words include: reel, spiral, coil
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GYRATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "51. Courier and Century Gothic, for two"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a specific size and style of type within a type family
  • Similar words include: baptistry, baptismal font, case
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FONTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "52. "Nuts!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "55. Achy joint for a floor installer, perhaps"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "57. Pitcher's asset"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
  • Similar words include: limb, sleeve, fortify
  • Opposite of: disarm
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "59. Kitchen brand that could be an unsuccessful tic-tac-toe line"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "60. Sort"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a kind of person
  • Similar words include: like
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ILK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "61. Texting format, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a grey lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group; is used in special alloys; occurs in monazite and bastnasite
  • Similar words include: SM, atomic number 62, Master of Science
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMS

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.

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Last updated: September 29, 2026 at 09:59 AM

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers August 18, 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. Assistance 4
2A 5. Dickens villain ___ Heep 5
3A 10. Bears' lairs 4
4A 14. Plant with many topical uses 4
5A 15. Downright unpleasant 5
6A 16. Meaning of "vidi," in Caesar's boast 4
7A 17. Classic Beethoven piano piece 15
8A 20. Fed. agency overseeing the stock market 3
9A 21. To blame 7
10A 22. Online Q&A 3
11A 25. ___ ex machina 4
12A 28. Home to Kosovo and Monaco: Abbr. 3
13A 29. Academy Award-winning tune from "La La Land" 11
14A 32. "Chiseled" muscles 3
15A 35. Of yore 5
16A 36. Snippet in a film review show 9
17A 38. "Looper" director Johnson 4
18A 39. Sarcastic title girl of 1990s-2000s MTV 5
19A 40. Utah skiing destination 4
20A 41. Coverers of current events 9
21A 43. Boss (around) 5
22A 44. Phoenix basketball player 3
23A 45. 1983 Eurythmics hit whose full title includes "(Are Made of This)" 11
24A 47. Popular fantasy role-playing game, in brief 3
25A 48. Spies 4
26A 49. "___-haw!" 3
27A 50. It has its x's and y's 7
28A 54. T-shirt or blouse 3
29A 56. Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle 15
30A 62. Story of one's life? 4
31A 63. Beforehand 5
32A 64. Singer Kahan with the 2026 #1 album "The Great Divide" 4
33A 65. Hot 4
34A 66. 17-, 29-, 45- and 56-Across 5
35A 67. Person regularly sought out for advice 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Assistance"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

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: service, serve, assistance
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HELP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Dickens villain ___ Heep"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old testament) the husband of bathsheba and a soldier who was sent to die in battle so that king david could marry his wife (circa 10th century bc)
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: URIAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. Bears' lairs"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the habitation of wild animals
  • Similar words include: hideout, hideaway, den
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DENS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Plant with many topical uses"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that succulent plants having rosettes of leaves usually with fiber like hemp and spikes of showy flowers; found chiefly in africa
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Downright unpleasant"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that offensive or even (of persons) malicious; ; ; ; ; ; - ezra pound
  • Similar words include: tight, awful, smutty
  • Opposite of: nice
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NASTY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. Meaning of "vidi," in Caesar's boast"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Classic Beethoven piano piece"

15 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOONLIGHTSONATA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "20. Fed. agency overseeing the stock market"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the systeme international d'unites
  • Similar words include: secant, unsweet, Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. To blame"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "22. Online Q&A"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "25. ___ ex machina"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "28. Home to Kosovo and Monaco: Abbr."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "29. Academy Award-winning tune from "La La Land""

11 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CITYOFSTARS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "32. "Chiseled" muscles"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of a class of composite plastics used to make car bodies and cases for computers and other appliances
  • Similar words include: Bachelor of Arts, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, group AB
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "35. Of yore"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "36. Snippet in a film review show"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "38. "Looper" director Johnson"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "39. Sarcastic title girl of 1990s-2000s MTV"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "40. Utah skiing destination"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "41. Coverers of current events"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "43. Boss (around)"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
  • Similar words include: Holy Order, tell, regulate
  • Opposite of: disorderliness, disorder
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORDER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "44. Phoenix basketball player"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
  • Similar words include: Lord's Day, sunlight, insolate
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SUN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "45. 1983 Eurythmics hit whose full title includes "(Are Made of This)""

11 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWEETDREAMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "47. Popular fantasy role-playing game, in brief"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "48. Spies"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
  • Similar words include: discover, realize, meet
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "49. "___-haw!""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "50. It has its x's and y's"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the mathematics of generalized arithmetical operations
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALGEBRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "54. T-shirt or blouse"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the upper part of anything
  • Similar words include: tip, pinnacle, circus tent
  • Opposite of: bottom
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "56. Iconic number from "The Phantom of the Opera" ... or an apt title for this puzzle"

15 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MUSICOFTHENIGHT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "62. Story of one's life?"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography
  • Similar words include: necrology, obituary
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "63. Beforehand"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the head of a religious order; in an abbey the prior is next below the abbot
  • Similar words include: anterior
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PRIOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "64. Singer Kahan with the 2026 #1 album "The Great Divide""

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the hebrew patriarch who saved himself and his family and the animals by building an ark in which they survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain; the story of noah and the flood is told in the book of genesis
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "65. Hot"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that marked by or tending to arouse sexual desire or interest
  • Similar words include: aphrodisiac, aphrodisiacal
  • Opposite of: unsexy, anaphrodisiac
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEXY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "66. 17-, 29-, 45- and 56-Across"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a short musical composition with words
  • Similar words include: vocal, birdsong, Sung
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SONGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "67. Person regularly sought out for advice"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Scene stealer 3
2D 2. Eponym of a chess rating system 3
3D 3. British bathroom 3
4D 4. Writes 4
5D 5. International aid org. 6
6D 6. Cloth covered in dust, say 3
7D 7. "... or so" 3
8D 8. Lead-in to "boy!" or "girl!" 4
9D 9. Madness 8
10D 10. Kuwaiti currency 5
11D 11. The elder of a pair of biblical twins 4
12D 12. The "N" of N.A.A.C.P.: Abbr. 4
13D 13. Smack, as flies 4
14D 18. Gave false hopes 5
15D 19. Coming in handy 5
16D 22. Nuts whose shells look like they have little berets 6
17D 23. Environs 6
18D 24. When Hamilton and Burr had their duel 6
19D 26. Manufactured in America 6
20D 27. What gossipers and tall buildings are full of 7
21D 30. Desires 4
22D 31. Fly in the sky 6
23D 32. Like some theme park passes 6
24D 33. "Oh, buzz off" 6
25D 34. Thin on the ground 6
26D 37. Give a hoot 4
27D 39. Morning condensation 8
28D 42. Channel that rebranded with "NOW" in its name in 2025 5
29D 43. "Citizen Kane" director Welles 5
30D 46. Forfends 6
31D 47. Part of a pantheon 5
32D 50. "Famous" cookie baker 4
33D 51. Anti-friction fluid 4
34D 52. High-end private jet, familiarly 4
35D 53. Hairstyle associated with Jimi Hendrix and Angela Davis 4
36D 55. Send an instant message 4
37D 57. Sardine container 3
38D 58. Refuse to share 3
39D 59. Glop 3
40D 60. Mario has a red "M" on his 3
41D 61. Howe'er 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Scene stealer"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)
  • Similar words include: gammon, overplay, jambon
  • Opposite of: underact
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Eponym of a chess rating system"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. British bathroom"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

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!

4D: "4. Writes"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
  • Similar words include: pen, compose, write
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PENS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. International aid org."

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an agency of the united nations responsible for programs to aid education and the health of children and mothers in developing countries
  • Similar words include: United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UNICEF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Cloth covered in dust, say"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small piece of cloth or paper
  • Similar words include: annoy, nettle, bawl out
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. "... or so""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Lead-in to "boy!" or "girl!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Madness"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that state of violent mental agitation
  • Similar words include: hysterical neurosis, fury, craze
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HYSTERIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Kuwaiti currency"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that 100 dinars equal 1 rial in iran
  • Similar words include: Tunisian dinar, Libyan dinar, Yugoslavian dinar
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DINAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. The elder of a pair of biblical twins"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old testament) the eldest son of isaac who would have inherited the covenant that god made with abraham and that abraham passed on to isaac; he traded his birthright to his twin brother jacob for a mess of pottage
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESAU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. The "N" of N.A.A.C.P.: Abbr."

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Smack, as flies"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sharp blow
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Gave false hopes"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "19. Coming in handy"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "22. Nuts whose shells look like they have little berets"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fruit of the oak tree: a smooth thin-walled nut in a woody cup-shaped base
  • Similar words include: acorn
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACORNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "23. Environs"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the environmental condition
  • Similar words include: surroundings
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MILIEU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "24. When Hamilton and Burr had their duel"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "26. Manufactured in America"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "27. What gossipers and tall buildings are full of"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
  • Similar words include: narration, storey, tale
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STORIES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "30. Desires"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a yearning for something or to do something
  • Similar words include: hankering, yen, yearn
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YENS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "31. Fly in the sky"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that operate an airplane
  • Similar words include: pilot, fly
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AVIATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "32. Like some theme park passes"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "33. "Oh, buzz off""

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "34. Thin on the ground"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Similar words include: thin
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPARSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "37. Give a hoot"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
  • Similar words include: maintenance, wish, worry
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "39. Morning condensation"

8 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a drop of dew
  • Similar words include: dewdrop
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEWDROPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "42. Channel that rebranded with "NOW" in its name in 2025"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "43. "Citizen Kane" director Welles"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "46. Forfends"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that try to prevent; show opposition to
  • Similar words include: dissuade, discourage, deter
  • Opposite of: persuade
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DETERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "47. Part of a pantheon"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force
  • Similar words include: immortal, divinity, god
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEITY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "50. "Famous" cookie baker"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hebrew shepherd and minor prophet
  • Similar words include: Book of Amos
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "51. Anti-friction fluid"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
  • Similar words include: lubricating substance, lubricator, lubricate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LUBE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "52. High-end private jet, familiarly"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "53. Hairstyle associated with Jimi Hendrix and Angela Davis"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a rounded thickly curled hairdo
  • Similar words include: Afro hairdo
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFRO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "55. Send an instant message"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a river in western thailand; a major tributary of the chao phraya
  • Similar words include: pink, Ping River, knock
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PING

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "57. Sardine container"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
  • Similar words include: can, atomic number 50, canister
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "58. Refuse to share"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person regarded as greedy and pig-like
  • Similar words include: hogget, grunter, squealer
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "59. Glop"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any thick, viscous matter
  • Similar words include: ooze, gunk, gook
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "60. Mario has a red "M" on his"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
  • Similar words include: chapeau, lid
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "61. Howe'er"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a branch of the tai languages
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THO

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
41 Down Clues
76 Total Clues

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Last updated: August 18, 2026 at 04:03 AM