Search Clues

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query AOKAY. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query AOKAY. Sort by date Show all posts

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.

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers August 11, 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. Popular tablets 5
2A 6. Big name in food wholesale 5
3A 11. "Exit full screen" key 3
4A 14. Still in bed 5
5A 15. Just peachy 5
6A 16. By way of 3
7A 17. Psychedelic rock band with the 2003 tune "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1," with "the" 11
8A 19. Sam-___ (Seuss character) 3
9A 20. No rookie 6
10A 21. Missions, in brief 3
11A 22. Red denizen of Sesame Street 4
12A 23. Problem for a plumber 4
13A 25. Lollygag 4
14A 27. Against 4
15A 30. German film composer who wrote "Cornfield Chase" and "Time" 10
16A 35. Things to be mowed 5
17A 37. Passage ceremonies 5
18A 38. Word with cutie or sweetie 3
19A 39. Mario's video game brother 5
20A 40. Goat's bleat 3
21A 41. Scold 5
22A 43. Hosp. areas with gurneys 3
23A 44. In a cheery manner 5
24A 46. Tender spots 5
25A 47. Hip-hop group that wrote "C.R.E.A.M." and "Protect Ya Neck" 10
26A 50. Trifling 4
27A 51. "... or ___!" (threat) 4
28A 52. Opinion, informally 4
29A 54. Alternative to truth 4
30A 56. "Abso-freakin-lutely!" 3
31A 59. Big export of Myanmar 6
32A 63. Ingredient in a Dark 'n' Stormy 3
33A 64. First Chinese government to establish a permanent standing navy ... or a hint to 17-, 30- and 47-Across 11
34A 66. Portfolio portion, in brief 3
35A 67. Peripheral 5
36A 68. Religion of the Maldives 5
37A 69. "There, there" accompanier 3
38A 70. Stash away 5
39A 71. Prey for polar bears 5

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Popular tablets"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "6. Big name in food wholesale"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. "Exit full screen" key"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Still in bed"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Just peachy"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. By way of"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Psychedelic rock band with the 2003 tune "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1," with "the""

11 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Sam-___ (Seuss character)"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. No rookie"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Missions, in brief"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "22. Red denizen of Sesame Street"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "23. Problem for a plumber"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape
  • Similar words include: leakage, leak out, making water
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEAK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Lollygag"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling
  • Similar words include: out of work, laze, stagnate
  • Opposite of: busy, work
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IDLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "27. Against"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a person who is opposed (to an action or policy or practice etc.)
  • Opposite of: pro
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANTI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "30. German film composer who wrote "Cornfield Chase" and "Time""

10 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "35. Things to be mowed"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a field of cultivated and mowed grass
  • Similar words include: lawn
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAWNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "37. Passage ceremonies"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an established ceremony prescribed by a religion
  • Similar words include: rite, ritual, religious rite
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RITES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "38. Word with cutie or sweetie"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top
  • Similar words include: Proto-Indo European
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "39. Mario's video game brother"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "40. Goat's bleat"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "41. Scold"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that censure severely or angrily
  • Similar words include: lambaste, berate, chew up
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHIDE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "43. Hosp. areas with gurneys"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a state in northwestern united states on the pacific
  • Similar words include: Oregon, OR, operating theater
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "44. In a cheery manner"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that in a gay manner
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GAILY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "46. Tender spots"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an open skin infection
  • Similar words include: sore
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SORES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. Hip-hop group that wrote "C.R.E.A.M." and "Protect Ya Neck""

10 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "50. Trifling"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a small pond of standing water
  • Similar words include: simple, bare
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MERE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "51. "... or ___!" (threat)"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "52. Opinion, informally"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
  • Similar words include: require, subscribe, have
  • Opposite of: give, abstain
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAKE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "54. Alternative to truth"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
  • Similar words include: daring, make bold, presume
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "56. "Abso-freakin-lutely!""

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the united states federal department charged with conservation and the development of natural resources; created in 1849
  • Similar words include: Department of the Interior, Interior, Interior Department
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "59. Big export of Myanmar"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
  • Similar words include: crimson, ruby, deep red
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUBIES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "63. Ingredient in a Dark 'n' Stormy"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that liquor distilled from fermented molasses
  • Similar words include: curious, odd, funny
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "64. First Chinese government to establish a permanent standing navy ... or a hint to 17-, 30- and 47-Across"

11 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "66. Portfolio portion, in brief"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a militant organization of irish nationalists who used terrorism and guerilla warfare in an effort to drive british forces from northern ireland and achieve a united independent ireland
  • Similar words include: wrath, Provisional Irish Republican Army, individual retirement account
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "67. Peripheral"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that being on the outside or further from a center
  • Similar words include: taboo, stunned, tabu
  • Opposite of: safe, inner
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OUTER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "68. Religion of the Maldives"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the civilization of muslims collectively which is governed by the muslim religion
  • Similar words include: Muhammadanism, Islamism, Muslimism
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ISLAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "69. "There, there" accompanier"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the sound made by a gentle blow
  • Similar words include: chuck, rap, tap
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "70. Stash away"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
  • Similar words include: memory, storage, put in
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "71. Prey for polar bears"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters
  • Similar words include: cachet, sealskin, seal
  • Opposite of: unseal
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEALS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Deets 4
2D 2. Opinion survey 4
3D 3. Ever so slightly 4
4D 4. Bit of Chinese food 8
5D 5. Steeple topper 5
6D 6. Droop 3
7D 7. "This is probably dumb but I'm doing it anyway" hashtag 4
8D 8. Go past 4
9D 9. Flip over, as a boat 7
10D 10. Yiddish laments 3
11D 11. The Soviet Union, to Reagan 10
12D 12. Thailand, before 1939 4
13D 13. Military wear, for short 4
14D 18. Head of a noted animal rescue project 4
15D 22. Stately tree 3
16D 24. Like a comeuppance, perhaps 6
17D 26. LPs and 45s 5
18D 27. "I'll ___ it" 5
19D 28. Island that's the world's third-smallest country, after Vatican City and Monaco 5
20D 29. People hold complicated positions on it 10
21D 31. Singer Horan of One Direction 5
22D 32. Patronize, as a hotel 6
23D 33. Duck down 5
24D 34. Angel ___, holder of the W.N.B.A. single-season record for offensive rebounds 5
25D 36. Stop and Yield 5
26D 42. Headquarters 8
27D 45. Got too old 7
28D 48. Pub drink 3
29D 49. ___ a soul 4
30D 53. Mila of "That '70s Show" 5
31D 54. What icicles do 4
32D 55. Field you can feel, maybe 4
33D 57. "You're ___ something!" 4
34D 58. Longtime Disney boss Bob 4
35D 60. Cuba, por ejemplo 4
36D 61. And other authors: Abbr. 4
37D 62. Jazz singer Sylvia 4
38D 64. Castaway's call 3
39D 65. "Dr." from Compton 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Deets"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Opinion survey"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people
  • Similar words include: pollard, public opinion poll, poll parrot
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POLL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Ever so slightly"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Bit of Chinese food"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that small balls or strips of boiled or steamed dough
  • Similar words include: dumplings
  • Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DUMPLING

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Steeple topper"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
  • Similar words include: steeple
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPIRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Droop"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a shape that sags
  • Similar words include: flag, droop, swag
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. "This is probably dumb but I'm doing it anyway" hashtag"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Go past"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a gait in which steps and hops alternate
  • Similar words include: hop-skip, decamp, bound off
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Flip over, as a boat"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that overturn accidentally
  • Similar words include: turn turtle, turtle
  • Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAPSIZE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Yiddish laments"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. The Soviet Union, to Reagan"

10 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Thailand, before 1939"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a country of southeastern asia that extends southward along the isthmus of kra to the malay peninsula
  • Similar words include: Kingdom of Thailand, Thailand
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Military wear, for short"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that fabric dyed with splotches of green and brown and black and tan; intended to make the wearer of a garment made of this fabric hard to distinguish from the background
  • Similar words include: camouflage
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Head of a noted animal rescue project"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

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!

15D: "22. Stately tree"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. Like a comeuppance, perhaps"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "26. LPs and 45s"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that sound recording consisting of a disk with a continuous groove; used to reproduce music by rotating while a phonograph needle tracks in the groove
  • Similar words include: phonograph recording, phonograph record, disc
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DISCS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "27. "I'll ___ it""

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
  • Similar words include: grant, tolerate, earmark
  • Opposite of: forbid, deny
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALLOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "28. Island that's the world's third-smallest country, after Vatican City and Monaco"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an island republic on nauru island; phosphate exports support the economy
  • Similar words include: Pleasant Island, Republic of Nauru, Nauru Island
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAURU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "29. People hold complicated positions on it"

10 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Singer Horan of One Direction"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "32. Patronize, as a hotel"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "33. Duck down"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that duck of the northern hemisphere much valued for the fine soft down of the females
  • Similar words include: eider duck
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EIDER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "34. Angel ___, holder of the W.N.B.A. single-season record for offensive rebounds"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "36. Stop and Yield"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
  • Similar words include: subscribe, signalise, sign of the zodiac
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIGNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "42. Headquarters"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "45. Got too old"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "48. Pub drink"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the united states an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "49. ___ a soul"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (used with singular count nouns) colloquial for `not a' or `not one' or `never a'
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NARY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "53. Mila of "That '70s Show""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "54. What icicles do"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that flowing in drops; the formation and falling of drops of liquid
  • Similar words include: drip mould, dripping, drip mold
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "55. Field you can feel, maybe"

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "57. "You're ___ something!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "58. Longtime Disney boss Bob"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "60. Cuba, por ejemplo"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "61. And other authors: Abbr."

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "62. Jazz singer Sylvia"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "64. Castaway's call"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "65. "Dr." from Compton"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Expert Solving Strategies

Start Smart

Begin with fill-in-the-blank clues and short 3-4 letter words. These are your foundation.

Decode the Clues

Question marks indicate wordplay or puns. "Maybe" suggests multiple interpretations.

Use Cross-References

Let intersecting letters guide you. One correct answer unlocks several others.

Build Vocabulary

Common crossword words repeat. Learning them speeds up future solving.

Today's Puzzle Stats

39 Across Clues
39 Down Clues
78 Total Clues

More NYT Crossword Help

Looking for more puzzle solutions? Check out our comprehensive archive of NYT crossword hints and answers. We update daily with expert analysis and solving strategies.

Disclaimer: Crossword clues and grid © The New York Times. This site provides hints and educational content for puzzle enthusiasts. XWordHint is not affiliated with The New York Times.

Last updated: August 11, 2026 at 04:45 AM

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Saturday NYT Mini Crossword Answers September 13, 2025 - Quick 5×5 Grid Solutions & Tips

Quick NYT Mini Crossword September 13, 2025 - Mobile-Friendly Solutions & Speed Tips

Quick Summary: Today's NYT Mini Crossword has 20 clues total. We have all the answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!

Popular Puzzles: Xwordhint Crossword Answers June 20 | Monday September 30 2024 NYT Crossword | Ny Times Crossword Answers May 08 2025 |

About Today's Puzzle

NYT Mini Crossword solutions for September 13, 2025
NYT Mini Crossword Grid - Saturday, September 13, 2025
Puzzle Statistics
Detail Information
Date September 13, 2025
Grid Size 5 x 5 squares
Total Clues 20 clues
Across Clues 10 clues
Down Clues 10 clues
Average Solve Time Under 1 minute

Today's NYT Mini Crossword Grid Layout

This puzzle uses a 5 by 5 grid. That means 5 boxes across and 5 boxes down.

5x5 Crossword Grid Pattern
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5
Row 1     
Row 2     
Row 3     
Row 4     
Row 5     

How to Solve This Puzzle Fast

  1. Read all the clues first - your brain will start working on them
  2. Fill in the short words first (3 letters or less)
  3. Use the crossing letters to help with harder words
  4. If a clue has a question mark (?), it's probably a joke or play on words
  5. Common short words: THE, AND, ARE, FOR, NOT

Quick Facts About This Puzzle

  • Total squares in grid: 25 (5 times 5)
  • Average time to solve: Less than 1 minute
  • Best time to play: During a coffee break
  • Difficulty level: Made for everyone to enjoy

Across Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from left to right in the puzzle.

Across Clues List
Number Clue
1 Across 18. Gumbo ingredients
2 Across 40. Origin of "The Tale of Genji," considered by many to be the world's first novel
3 Across 31. MX-5 and CX-50 maker
4 Across 42. Network
5 Across 39. Botanical bristles
6 Across 44. Beer alternative to a 38-Down
7 Across 50. "I mean, duh!"
8 Across 24. Some baseball stats
9 Across 45. Pooped
10 Across 26. Bad way to make a group decision

Hints and Answers for Across Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. Also check out these helpful guides:


1 Across: "18. Gumbo ingredients"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'O' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: O___S

Answer:

Click to reveal OKRAS


2 Across: "40. Origin of "The Tale of Genji," considered by many to be the world's first novel"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'J' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: J___N

Answer:

Click to reveal JAPAN


3 Across: "31. MX-5 and CX-50 maker"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'M' and ends with 'A'
  • Word pattern: M___A

Answer:

Click to reveal MAZDA


4 Across: "42. Network"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'W' and ends with 'B'
  • Another word like this: network

Answer:

Click to reveal WEB


5 Across: "39. Botanical bristles"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: A__S

Answer:

Click to reveal AWNS


6 Across: "44. Beer alternative to a 38-Down"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'L' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: L___R

Answer:

Click to reveal LAGER


7 Across: "50. "I mean, duh!""

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 15 letters
  • It starts with 'W' and ends with 'R'
  • Word pattern: W_____________R

Answer:

Click to reveal WELLITSNOWONDER


8 Across: "24. Some baseball stats"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 4 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: R__S

Answer:

Click to reveal RBIS


9 Across: "45. Pooped"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 15 letters
  • It starts with 'P' and ends with 'T'
  • Word pattern: P_____________T

Answer:

Click to reveal PLUMTUCKEREDOUT


10 Across: "26. Bad way to make a group decision"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: A___E

Answer:

Click to reveal ALONE

Down Clues - 10 Total

These clues go from top to bottom in the puzzle.

Down Clues List
Number Clue
1 Down 8. The solution referred to in Sherlock Holmes's "seven-per-cent solution"
2 Down 2. Actor Kieran of "Succession"
3 Down 37. Like paper napkins
4 Down 26. Fine
5 Down 12. Much of Jupiter
6 Down 46. Chemistry class unit: Abbr.
7 Down 29. Instant ___
8 Down 24. Watermelon detritus
9 Down 3. Found darling
10 Down 48. Unprocessed

Hints and Answers for Down Clues

Need help? Here are hints and answers for each clue above. You might also like:


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

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 7 letters
  • It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: C_____E

Answer:

Click to reveal COCAINE


2 Down: "2. Actor Kieran of "Succession""

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'C' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: C____N

Answer:

Click to reveal CULKIN


3 Down: "37. Like paper napkins"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
  • Word pattern: O____E

Answer:

Click to reveal ONEUSE


4 Down: "26. Fine"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'Y'
  • Word pattern: A___Y

Answer:

Click to reveal AOKAY


5 Down: "12. Much of Jupiter"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'G' and ends with 'S'
  • Another word like this: petrol

Answer:

Click to reveal GAS


6 Down: "46. Chemistry class unit: Abbr."

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'M' and ends with 'L'
  • Another word like this: mole

Answer:

Click to reveal MOL


7 Down: "29. Instant ___"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'N'
  • Word pattern: R___N

Answer:

Click to reveal RAMEN


8 Down: "24. Watermelon detritus"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 5 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'S'
  • Word pattern: R___S

Answer:

Click to reveal RINDS


9 Down: "3. Found darling"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 6 letters
  • It starts with 'A' and ends with 'D'
  • Word pattern: A____D

Answer:

Click to reveal ADORED


10 Down: "48. Unprocessed"

Helpful hints:

  • This word has 3 letters
  • It starts with 'R' and ends with 'W'
  • Another word like this: bleak

Answer:

Click to reveal RAW

How to Solve the NYT Mini Crossword Faster

Here are the best tips from expert solvers:

Step-by-Step Strategy

  1. Quick Scan: Read all clues once. Your brain starts working on them right away.
  2. Easy First: Fill in the shortest words (2-3 letters). These are usually simple words like "IT" or "ON".
  3. Use Crossings: When letters cross, they help you figure out harder words.
  4. Watch for Wordplay: Clues with question marks (?) are jokes or puns.
  5. Common Words: Remember these appear often: ERA, ORE, ATE, ICE.

Letter Tips That Really Help

  • The letter E is the most common in English
  • Words ending in S are often plurals
  • If you see "___" in a clue, the answer fits those blanks exactly
  • Abbreviations in clues mean the answer is also abbreviated

Time Goals to Aim For

Your Time Skill Level What It Means
Under 30 seconds Expert You know the puzzle patterns very well!
30-60 seconds Advanced Great job! You solve quickly.
1-2 minutes Good You're doing well. Keep practicing!
Over 2 minutes Learning You'll get faster with practice.

Puzzle Numbers and Facts

Today's Puzzle by the Numbers
Total Clues: 20 clues to solve
Grid Size: 5 boxes across, 5 boxes down
Total Squares: 25 squares to fill
Average Time: Most people solve in 52 seconds
Difficulty: A bit tricky

Common Questions About NYT Mini Crossword

When can I play the NYT Mini?

The puzzle comes out at 10 PM Eastern Time the night before. So you can play Monday's puzzle starting Sunday at 10 PM.

How fast should I be able to solve it?

Most people solve the Mini in 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Don't worry if you take longer - speed comes with practice!

Do I need to pay to play?

No! The NYT Mini is completely free. You don't need a subscription like the big crossword.

What makes a good Mini solver?

Good Mini solvers know common short words, can spot wordplay quickly, and use crossing letters well. Practice helps a lot!

Are the puzzles harder on certain days?

Unlike the big NYT crossword, the Mini stays about the same difficulty every day. Sometimes Saturday might be a tiny bit harder.


About This Page: We provide hints and answers for the NYT Mini Crossword to help you learn and improve. This site is not connected to The New York Times.

Last Updated: September 13, 2025 at 04:06 AM

Search terms: NYT Mini, Mini crossword, today, answers, hints, September 13 2025 mini crossword