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Saturday, September 13, 2025

NYT Down Clues - September 13, 2025 - All Vertical Solutions

NYT Vertical Clues September 13, 2025 - All 38 Down Solutions with Detailed Hints

Welcome to today's complete NYT Down clues guide for September 13, 2025. We have all 38 vertical clues solved with detailed hints and explanations. Down clues run from top to bottom in the crossword grid.

Quick Navigation

Today's Crossword Resources

Looking for more crossword help? Check out our complete puzzle archive or visit our crossword solving guide for expert tips.

Down Clues - 38 Total Vertical Clues

Here are all the Down clues for today's NYT crossword puzzle. These clues run vertically from top to bottom in the grid.

Number Clue
1D Hollow, of a sort
2D Actor Kieran of "Succession"
3D Found darling
4D South Asian crepes
5D What are ahead of their times?
6D Prefix with point
7D Much of a comet, typically
8D The solution referred to in Sherlock Holmes's "seven-per-cent solution"
9D You and me both!
10D Stops lying, say
11D Jet-black stone
12D Much of Jupiter
13D Vegetable also called a Swedish turnip
14D DNA compound whose name includes the letters D, N and A
15D Pink-flowered tree
22D Basketball Hall-of-Famer Baylor
23D Who you would be in France?
24D Watermelon detritus
26D Fine
27D Out of it
28D Octet on a chessboard
29D Instant ___
30D Former Australian prime minister Malcolm
31D Home to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, in brief
32D "What's the alternative?"
33D Like about 4% of the citizens of Kansas
34D Soft, yellow fruit
35D Salsas, e.g.
36D "No acting up!"
37D Like paper napkins
38D Beer alternative to a 44-Across
40D Tilt
41D ___ test (home inspection component)
43D Yours, in Tours
44D Whose business is just around the block?
46D Chemistry class unit: Abbr.
47D "___ Beso"
48D Unprocessed

Complete Down Solutions with Hints

Below are all the answers for today's Down clues, along with helpful hints to understand each solution better.

1 Down: Hollow, of a sort

Answer: ALCOVE

  • Could mean: a small recess opening off a larger room
  • Similar to: bay

2 Down: Actor Kieran of "Succession"

Answer: CULKIN

  • Think about words related to culkin

3 Down: Found darling

Answer: ADORED

  • Could mean: love intensely
  • Similar to: adore
  • Example: he just adored his wife

4 Down: South Asian crepes

Answer: DOSAS

  • Think about words related to dosas

5 Down: What are ahead of their times?

Answer: EVES

  • Could mean: (Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
  • Similar to: Eve
  • Could mean: the day before

6 Down: Prefix with point

Answer: MID

  • Could mean: used in combination to denote the middle
  • Example: midmorning

Find more clues like this in our crossword collection.

7 Down: Much of a comet, typically

Answer: ICE

  • Could mean: water frozen in the solid state
  • Similar to: water ice
  • Example: Americans like ice in their drinks

8 Down: The solution referred to in Sherlock Holmes's "seven-per-cent solution"

Answer: COCAINE

  • Could mean: a narcotic (alkaloid) extracted from coca leaves; used as a surface anesthetic or taken for pleasure; can become powerfully addictive
  • Similar to: cocain

9 Down: You and me both!

Answer: PEOPLE

  • Could mean: (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
  • Example: old people
  • Could mean: the body of citizens of a state or country

10 Down: Stops lying, say

Answer: RISES

  • Could mean: a growth in strength or number or importance
  • Similar to: rise
  • Could mean: the act of changing location in an upward direction

11 Down: Jet-black stone

Answer: ONYX

  • Could mean: a chalcedony with alternating black and white bands; used in making cameos

12 Down: Much of Jupiter

Answer: GAS

  • Could mean: 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 to: gaseous state
  • Could mean: a fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely

13 Down: Vegetable also called a Swedish turnip

Answer: RUTABAGA

  • Could mean: the large yellow root of a rutabaga plant used as food
  • Similar to: swede
  • Similar to: swedish turnip

14 Down: DNA compound whose name includes the letters D, N and A

Answer: ADENINE

  • Could mean: (biochemistry) purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA
  • Similar to: A

Find more clues like this in our crossword collection.

15 Down: Pink-flowered tree

Answer: MIMOSA

  • Could mean: evergreen Australasian tree having white or silvery bark and young leaves and yellow flowers
  • Similar to: silver wattle
  • Similar to: Acacia dealbata

22 Down: Basketball Hall-of-Famer Baylor

Answer: ELGIN

  • Think about words related to elgin

23 Down: Who you would be in France?

Answer: VOUS

  • Think about words related to vous

Find more clues like this in our crossword collection.

24 Down: Watermelon detritus

Answer: RINDS

  • Could mean: the natural outer covering of food (usually removed before eating)
  • Similar to: rind

26 Down: Fine

Answer: AOKAY

  • Think about words related to aokay

27 Down: Out of it

Answer: DAZED

  • Could mean: to cause someone to lose clear vision, especially from intense light
  • Similar to: dazzle
  • Similar to: bedazzle

28 Down: Octet on a chessboard

Answer: RANKS

  • Could mean: a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
  • Similar to: rank
  • Example: the entrance was guarded by ranks of policemen

29 Down: Instant ___

Answer: RAMEN

  • Think about words related to ramen

30 Down: Former Australian prime minister Malcolm

Answer: TURNBULL

  • Think about words related to turnbull

31 Down: Home to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, in brief

Answer: MOMA

  • Think about words related to moma

32 Down: "What's the alternative?"

Answer: HOWELSE

  • Think about words related to howelse

33 Down: Like about 4% of the citizens of Kansas

Answer: TOPEKAN

  • Think about words related to topekan

Find more clues like this in our crossword collection.

34 Down: Soft, yellow fruit

Answer: PAWPAW

  • Could mean: tropical American shrub or small tree having huge deeply palmately cleft leaves and large oblong yellow fruit
  • Similar to: papaya
  • Similar to: papaia

35 Down: Salsas, e.g.

Answer: DANCES

  • Could mean: an artistic form of nonverbal communication
  • Similar to: dance
  • Could mean: a party of people assembled for dancing

36 Down: "No acting up!"

Answer: BEGOOD

  • Think about words related to begood

37 Down: Like paper napkins

Answer: ONEUSE

  • Think about words related to oneuse

38 Down: Beer alternative to a 44-Across

Answer: PORTER

  • Could mean: a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
  • Could mean: someone who guards an entrance
  • Similar to: doorkeeper

40 Down: Tilt

Answer: JOUST

  • Could mean: a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances
  • Similar to: tilt
  • Could mean: joust against somebody in a tournament by fighting on horseback

41 Down: ___ test (home inspection component)

Answer: RADON

  • Could mean: a radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium; the heaviest of the inert gasses; occurs naturally (especially in areas over granite) and is considered a hazard to health
  • Similar to: Rn
  • Similar to: atomic number 86

43 Down: Yours, in Tours

Answer: ATOI

  • Think about words related to atoi

44 Down: Whose business is just around the block?

Answer: LEGO

  • Could mean: (trademark) a child's plastic construction set for making mechanical models
  • Similar to: Lego set

46 Down: Chemistry class unit: Abbr.

Answer: MOL

  • Could mean: the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
  • Similar to: gram molecule
  • Similar to: mole

Find more clues like this in our crossword collection.

47 Down: "___ Beso"

Answer: ESO

  • Think about words related to eso

48 Down: Unprocessed

Answer: RAW

  • Could mean: informal terms for nakedness
  • Similar to: altogether
  • Similar to: birthday suit

Tips for Solving Down Clues

  1. Start with shorter words: 3-letter and 4-letter Down clues are often easier to solve first
  2. Use crossing letters: Down clues intersect with Across clues, giving you helpful letters
  3. Look for patterns: Common endings like -ING, -ED, or -ER can help with vertical words
  4. Consider word breaks: Vertical phrases might break naturally at certain points
  5. Check theme connections: Down clues often relate to the puzzle's overall theme

Master Your Crossword Skills

Improve your solving speed with our advanced solving techniques. For beginners, start with our crossword basics guide.

Today's Down Clues Statistics

  • Total Down clues: 38
  • Puzzle date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
  • Difficulty: Standard NYT level
  • Grid orientation: Vertical (top to bottom)

Continue improving your crossword skills with these resources:

About Today's Down Clues

NYT Down clues solutions for September 13, 2025
Today's NYT Down Clues - All 38 Vertical Solutions

This complete guide to NYT Down clues for September 13, 2025 includes all 38 vertical answers. Down clues are an essential part of the crossword grid, running from top to bottom and intersecting with Across clues to create the complete puzzle solution.

Remember, solving Down clues becomes easier when you work them together with Across clues, as the intersecting letters provide valuable hints for both directions.

Explore more puzzles in our complete archive or check tomorrow's puzzle preview.

Friday, December 5, 2025

XWordHint Crossword Answers December 05, 2025 | 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. Home to Kotoka International Airport 5
2A 6. Many a wearer of a long robe called a thawb 5
3A 11. Can't-miss purchases? 13
4A 14. Words of caution 15
5A 16. Threshold 3
6A 17. Ties up 7
7A 18. Coastal waterway 3
8A 19. Up 5
9A 21. Subject of the Bouguereau painting "The Abduction of Psyche" 4
10A 22. Colombian city of 2+ million 4
11A 23. Dutch artist Jan van der ___ 4
12A 24. Curtail 4
13A 25. Stick in an orchestra 5
14A 26. Spot likely to smear 8
15A 28. They aren't party people 6
16A 29. Cut, as with a box cutter 4
17A 30. "Fun-size" 4
18A 31. Film with the tagline "Someone has taken their love for scary movies one step too far" 6
19A 34. Words of retaliation 8
20A 38. Word with fire or false 5
21A 39. Hotel listing 4
22A 40. One and the other 4
23A 41. Big name in chip production 4
24A 42. Bundle 4
25A 43. Sauce whose name derives from the Italian word for "crush" 5
26A 44. Refuge 3
27A 45. Where much of "Brokeback Mountain" was filmed 7
28A 47. It's perfect 3
29A 48. "Might as well give it a shot ..." 15
30A 51. Age at which you just learned something you should have realized before, facetiously 13
31A 52. Something blocked by censors 5
32A 53. 1944 Pacific battle site 5

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Home to Kotoka International Airport"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a republic in west africa on the gulf of guinea
  • Similar words include: Republic of Ghana, Gold Coast
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GHANA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "6. Many a wearer of a long robe called a thawb"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a native or inhabitant of saudi arabia
  • Similar words include: Saudi Arabian, Saudi-Arabian
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAUDI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. Can't-miss purchases?"

13 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Words of caution"

15 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. Threshold"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (old testament) adam's wife in judeo-christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; god created eve from adam's rib and placed adam and eve in the garden of eden
  • Similar words include: eventide, even, evening
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "17. Ties up"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that spin,wind, or twist together
  • Similar words include: enlace, lace, twine
  • Opposite of: untwine
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ENLACES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "18. Coastal waterway"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Up"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that move upward
  • Similar words include: jump, originate, go up
  • Opposite of: turn in, fall
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RISEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "21. Subject of the Bouguereau painting "The Abduction of Psyche""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (greek mythology) god of love; son of aphrodite; identified with roman cupid
  • Similar words include: sexual desire, physical attraction, concupiscence
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EROS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "22. Colombian city of 2+ million"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that city in southwestern colombia in a rich agricultural area
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CALI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. Dutch artist Jan van der ___"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. Curtail"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
  • Similar words include: root, stalk, stem turn
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Stick in an orchestra"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thin tapered rod used by a conductor to lead an orchestra or choir
  • Similar words include: nightstick, billy, billystick
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BATON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "26. Spot likely to smear"

8 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "28. They aren't party people"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who avoids the company or assistance of others
  • Similar words include: lone wolf, loner, lone hand
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LONERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "29. Cut, as with a box cutter"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a long narrow opening
  • Similar words include: incision, puss, twat
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLIT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "30. "Fun-size""

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a very short skirt
  • Similar words include: miniskirt
  • Opposite of: midi
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MINI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "31. Film with the tagline "Someone has taken their love for scary movies one step too far""

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sharp piercing cry
  • Similar words include: screech, screaming, call
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCREAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "34. Words of retaliation"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "38. Word with fire or false"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fear resulting from the awareness of danger
  • Similar words include: alarm clock, horrify, warning device
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALARM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "39. Hotel listing"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
  • Similar words include: grade, rank, range
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "40. One and the other"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (used with count nouns) two considered together; the two
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOTH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "41. Big name in chip production"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
  • Similar words include: ballad, pose, put down
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAYS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "42. Bundle"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a collection of objects laid on top of each other
  • Similar words include: cumulus, down, deal
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PILE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "43. Sauce whose name derives from the Italian word for "crush""

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a sauce typically served with pasta; contains crushed basil leaves and garlic and pine nuts and parmesan cheese in olive oil
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PESTO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "44. Refuge"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (judaism) sacred chest where the ancient hebrews kept the two tablets containing the ten commandments
  • Similar words include: Ark of the Covenant
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "45. Where much of "Brokeback Mountain" was filmed"

7 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that one of the three prairie provinces in western canada; rich in oil and natural gas and minerals
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALBERTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "47. It's perfect"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
  • Similar words include: x, decade, tenner
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "48. "Might as well give it a shot ...""

15 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "51. Age at which you just learned something you should have realized before, facetiously"

13 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "52. Something blocked by censors"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
  • Similar words include: torment, expletive, anathemise
  • Opposite of: bless, communicate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CURSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "53. 1944 Pacific battle site"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a battle in world war ii; the return of united states troops to the philippines began with landings on leyte island in october 1944; the battle marked first use of kamikaze aircraft by the japanese
  • Similar words include: Leyte invasion, Leyte Island
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEYTE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. What clones share 7
2D 2. It might be on a rack 3
3D 3. Ski town that shares its name with a tree 5
4D 4. "High" time 4
5D 5. Image that's just over a foot, informally 8
6D 6. "Arrested Development," e.g. 6
7D 7. Pines 5
8D 8. Relatives of banjoleles 4
9D 9. Nebraska senator Fischer 3
10D 10. Repeat 7
11D 11. Council, in Russian 6
12D 12. Got misty 6
13D 13. Sea shanty singer 6
14D 14. Skin layer with hair follicles 5
15D 15. Show stoppers, sometimes 5
16D 20. Items on many a back-to-school supply list 7
17D 22. "Is this possible?!?" 7
18D 24. Take a little off the top 4
19D 25. Dog treat 4
20D 27. Silent sort 4
21D 28. Fancy 4
22D 30. Kind of instinct 8
23D 31. Mohamed ___, Egyptian soccer star 5
24D 32. Shade of red 6
25D 33. Big name in fast food 7
26D 34. "Honor Thy Father" writer, 1971 6
27D 35. Argumentative 7
28D 36. Get to 6
29D 37. Minimal coverage provider? 5
30D 39. Hearty steakhouse serving 6
31D 42. Tricks 5
32D 43. Unwitting mark 5
33D 45. Thickening agent found in many vegan recipes 4
34D 46. Raced 4
35D 49. Dot follower in academia 3
36D 50. Spicy 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. What clones share"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. It might be on a rack"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

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!

3D: "3. Ski town that shares its name with a tree"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any of several trees of the genus populus having leaves on flattened stalks so that they flutter in the lightest wind
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASPEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. "High" time"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the middle of the day
  • Similar words include: twelve noon, noonday, high noon
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Image that's just over a foot, informally"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. "Arrested Development," e.g."

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a humorous drama based on situations that might arise in day-to-day life
  • Similar words include: situation comedy
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SITCOM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Pines"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain
  • Similar words include: hurt, suffer, yearn
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACHES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Relatives of banjoleles"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small guitar having four strings
  • Similar words include: ukulele, uke
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UKES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Nebraska senator Fischer"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a young woman making her debut into society
  • Similar words include: debutante
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Repeat"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that to say, state, or perform again
  • Similar words include: reiterate, restate, repeat
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITERATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Council, in Russian"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an elected governmental council in a communist country (especially one that is a member of the union of soviet socialist republics)
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOVIET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Got misty"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that separate or cause to separate abruptly
  • Similar words include: tear, bust, displume
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEARED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Sea shanty singer"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any member of a ship's crew
  • Similar words include: leghorn, crewman, boater
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAILOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "14. Skin layer with hair follicles"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the deep vascular inner layer of the skin
  • Similar words include: corium, dermis
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DERMA

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15D: "15. Show stoppers, sometimes"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
  • Similar words include: rain, pelting, rain down
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAINS

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16D: "20. Items on many a back-to-school supply list"

7 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an implement used to erase something
  • Similar words include: eraser
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERASERS

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17D: "22. "Is this possible?!?""

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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18D: "24. Take a little off the top"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a thin layer covering the surface of a liquid
  • Similar words include: cream off, run down, skim off
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKIM

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19D: "25. Dog treat"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
  • Similar words include: swot, get up, drum
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BONE

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20D: "27. Silent sort"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that burrowing marine mollusk living on sand or mud; the shell closes with viselike firmness
  • Similar words include: one dollar bill, buck, dollar
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLAM

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21D: "28. Fancy"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a similar kind; ,
  • Similar words include: corresponding, comparable, same
  • Opposite of: dislike, unalike
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIKE

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22D: "30. Kind of instinct"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that characteristic of a mother; - dorothy sayers
  • Similar words include: enatic, parental, paternal
  • Opposite of: filial, paternal
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MATERNAL

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23D: "31. Mohamed ___, Egyptian soccer star"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the second pillar of islam is prayer; a prescribed liturgy performed five times a day (preferably in a mosque) and oriented toward mecca
  • Similar words include: salaah, salat, salaat
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SALAH

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24D: "32. Shade of red"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a dark purplish-red color
  • Similar words include: red Bordeaux
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLARET

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25D: "33. Big name in fast food"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

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26D: "34. "Honor Thy Father" writer, 1971"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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27D: "35. Argumentative"

7 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that troops belonging to the enemy's military forces
  • Similar words include: uncongenial, unfriendly
  • Opposite of: amicable, friendly
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HOSTILE

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28D: "36. Get to"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
  • Similar words include: serve, see, go to
  • Opposite of: miss
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATTEND

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29D: "37. Minimal coverage provider?"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that leather strip that forms the flexible part of a whip
  • Similar words include: G-string, lash, flip-flop
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THONG

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30D: "39. Hearty steakhouse serving"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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31D: "42. Tricks"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker
  • Similar words include: stratagem, ploy, gambit
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PLOYS

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32D: "43. Unwitting mark"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
  • Similar words include: fall guy, soft touch, mug
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PATSY

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33D: "45. Thickening agent found in many vegan recipes"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent
  • Similar words include: nutrient agar, agar-agar
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGAR

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34D: "46. Raced"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
  • Similar words include: torus, tear, bust
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TORE

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35D: "49. Dot follower in academia"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

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36D: "50. Spicy"

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

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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

32 Across Clues
36 Down Clues
68 Total Clues

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Last updated: December 05, 2025 at 04:03 AM