Master today's NYT crossword with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun. Perfect for crossword lovers who want that satisfying "aha!" moment.
Quick Navigation - Table of Contents
- Today's Puzzle Difficulty
- Across Clues Table (35 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (33 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Moderate
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. Sticks in locks | 4 |
| 2A | 5. Philosopher who championed simple explanations | 5 |
| 3A | 10. CAT or PET follower | 4 |
| 4A | 14. Element between fluorine and sodium | 4 |
| 5A | 15. Spongy exfoliator | 5 |
| 6A | 16. Body-sculpting procedure, informally | 4 |
| 7A | 17. Animals whose Aztec name translates to "turtle-rabbit" | 10 |
| 8A | 19. Talks and talks | 4 |
| 9A | 20. Prepare, in military slang | 11 |
| 10A | 22. It may be bitter | 3 |
| 11A | 23. Some winds | 5 |
| 12A | 24. Holiday that's also a Hebrew letter | 3 |
| 13A | 25. "WandaVision" co-star Elizabeth ___ | 5 |
| 14A | 27. Baguettes, e.g. | 4 |
| 15A | 28. Sign of canine contentment | 3 |
| 16A | 29. Rests on one's laurels | 6 |
| 17A | 30. Storybook, say | 11 |
| 18A | 32. Announcements before giveaways? | 13 |
| 19A | 35. Like some romantic resorts | 11 |
| 20A | 36. Voids | 6 |
| 21A | 37. Authorizes | 3 |
| 22A | 38. Satellite alternative | 4 |
| 23A | 42. Retinue | 5 |
| 24A | 43. Combat sport, for short | 3 |
| 25A | 44. Company whose name comes from a term in the board game Go | 5 |
| 26A | 45. Word with thou | 3 |
| 27A | 46. A craving for snacks | 11 |
| 28A | 49. Dutch for "farmer" | 4 |
| 29A | 51. Eliminates entirely | 10 |
| 30A | 52. Skulk in the shadows | 4 |
| 31A | 53. Myosin's partner protein | 5 |
| 32A | 54. Scruff : cat :: ___ : human | 4 |
| 33A | 55. Big name in petrol | 4 |
| 34A | 56. Angle variable, in math | 5 |
| 35A | 57. ENE and WSW | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Sticks in locks"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an implement used to propel or steer a boat
- Similar words include: oar
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OARS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "5. Philosopher who championed simple explanations"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that english scholastic philosopher and assumed author of occam's razor (1285-1349)
- Similar words include: Ockham, William of Occam, William of Ockham
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCCAM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3A: "10. CAT or PET follower"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the act of scanning; systematic examination of a prescribed region
- Similar words include: rake, skim, read
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCAN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4A: "14. Element between fluorine and sodium"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube; one of the six inert gasses; occurs in the air in small amounts
- Similar words include: Ne, atomic number 10
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEON
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5A: "15. Spongy exfoliator"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the dried fibrous part of the fruit of a plant of the genus luffa; used as a washing sponge or strainer
- Similar words include: loofah, loufah sponge, luffa
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOOFA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6A: "16. Body-sculpting procedure, informally"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LIPO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7A: "17. Animals whose Aztec name translates to "turtle-rabbit""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that burrowing chiefly nocturnal mammal with body covered with strong horny plates
- Similar words include: armadillo
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARMADILLOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8A: "19. Talks and talks"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that informal terms for the mouth
- Similar words include: trap, hole, maw
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YAPS
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9A: "20. Prepare, in military slang"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOCKANDLOAD
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10A: "22. It may be bitter"
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!
11A: "23. Some winds"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece
- Similar words include: oboe, hautboy, hautbois
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBOES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12A: "24. Holiday that's also a Hebrew letter"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the new year in vietnam; observed for three days after the first full moon after january 20th
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13A: "25. "WandaVision" co-star Elizabeth ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OLSEN
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14A: "27. Baguettes, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
- Similar words include: gem, muffin, jewel
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GEMS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15A: "28. Sign of canine contentment"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a witty amusing person who makes jokes
- Similar words include: wit, shake, card
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WAG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16A: "29. Rests on one's laurels"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the shore of a sea or ocean
- Similar words include: glide, seacoast, sea-coast
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COASTS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "30. Storybook, say"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAKEBELIEVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18A: "32. Announcements before giveaways?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPOILERALERTS
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19A: "35. Like some romantic resorts"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COUPLESONLY
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20A: "36. Voids"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that declare invalid
- Similar words include: reverse, nullify, countermand
- Opposite of: validate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANNULS
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21A: "37. Authorizes"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a state in south central united states
- Similar words include: OK, Sooner State, okay
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OKS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "38. Satellite alternative"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMFM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "42. Retinue"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a temporary police force
- Similar words include: posse comitatus
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POSSE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "43. Combat sport, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MMA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25A: "44. Company whose name comes from a term in the board game Go"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATARI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26A: "45. Word with thou"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the products of human creativity; works of art collectively
- Similar words include: fine art, artistic creation, graphics
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ART
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27A: "46. A craving for snacks"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THEMUNCHIES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28A: "49. Dutch for "farmer""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a white native of cape province who is a descendant of dutch settlers and who speaks afrikaans
- Similar words include: Afrikaner, Afrikander
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29A: "51. Eliminates entirely"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that kill in large numbers
- Similar words include: root out, extirpate, annihilate
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERADICATES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30A: "52. Skulk in the shadows"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
- Similar words include: tarry, lallygag, scupper
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LURK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31A: "53. Myosin's partner protein"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that one of the proteins into which actomyosin can be split; can exist in either a globular or a fibrous form
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACTIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32A: "54. Scruff : cat :: ___ : human"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the back side of the neck
- Similar words include: nucha, scruff
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAPE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33A: "55. Big name in petrol"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESSO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34A: "56. Angle variable, in math"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the 8th letter of the greek alphabet
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THETA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35A: "57. ENE and WSW"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DIRS
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Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Bump's place, idiomatically | 6 |
| 2D | 2. Oxygen-dependent micro-organism | 6 |
| 3D | 3. "Crazy Rich Asians," for one | 6 |
| 4D | 4. Backstabbers | 6 |
| 5D | 5. "Hunters" actress Lena | 4 |
| 6D | 6. Uncontroversial opinions | 9 |
| 7D | 7. Dorm buddy | 15 |
| 8D | 8. Underway | 5 |
| 9D | 9. Dough in tamales | 4 |
| 10D | 10. Foxy | 3 |
| 11D | 11. Plant overseas, perhaps | 8 |
| 12D | 12. Devices that come with Siri Remotes | 8 |
| 13D | 13. What a babbler makes | 7 |
| 14D | 18. Court figs. | 3 |
| 15D | 21. "Tom ___" (classic folk song that became a #1 hit in 1958) | 6 |
| 16D | 26. Place to hibernate | 4 |
| 17D | 28. Home of Swansea and Wrexham | 5 |
| 18D | 29. There are approximately 30 trillion of these in the human body | 5 |
| 19D | 30. Gluten-free grain | 6 |
| 20D | 31. Annual F.D.I.C. requirement | 9 |
| 21D | 32. Deep and full | 8 |
| 22D | 33. Lovers of homophones, say | 8 |
| 23D | 34. Impressive work | 4 |
| 24D | 35. Adjective that's synonymous with its last four letters | 7 |
| 25D | 38. Convenient | 6 |
| 26D | 39. Tiki bar staple | 6 |
| 27D | 40. What positive news coverage is for business | 6 |
| 28D | 41. Section of a dress shop | 6 |
| 29D | 43. Swag | 5 |
| 30D | 44. U.N.C.'s athletic org. | 3 |
| 31D | 47. Part of a race | 4 |
| 32D | 48. "Project Runway" judge Garcia | 4 |
| 33D | 50. "King Kong" studio | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Bump's place, idiomatically"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONALOG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Oxygen-dependent micro-organism"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an organism (especially a bacterium) that requires air or free oxygen for life
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AEROBE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. "Crazy Rich Asians," for one"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROMCOM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Backstabbers"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
- Similar words include: ophidian, Hydra, Snake
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SNAKES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. "Hunters" actress Lena"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OLIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Uncontroversial opinions"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COLDTAKES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Dorm buddy"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COLLEGEROOMMATE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Underway"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that traveling by foot
- Similar words include: underway
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AFOOT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Dough in tamales"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an independent group of closely related chadic languages spoken in the area between the biu-mandara and east chadic languages
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MASA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Foxy"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that marked by skill in deception
- Similar words include: foxy, tricksy, tricky
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. Plant overseas, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CIAASSET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Devices that come with Siri Remotes"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APPLETVS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
13D: "13. What a babbler makes"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOSENSE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "18. Court figs."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of several small ungulate mammals of africa and asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes
- Similar words include: district attorney, hyrax, coney
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DAS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
15D: "21. "Tom ___" (classic folk song that became a #1 hit in 1958)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DOOLEY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "26. Place to hibernate"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the habitation of wild animals
- Similar words include: den
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAIR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "28. Home of Swansea and Wrexham"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that one of the four countries that make up the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland; during roman times the region was known as cambria
- Similar words include: welt, Cymru, weal
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WALES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "29. There are approximately 30 trillion of these in the human body"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any small compartment
- Similar words include: cellular telephone, cellular phone, cell
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CELLS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "30. Gluten-free grain"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of various small-grained annual cereal and forage grasses of the genera panicum, echinochloa, setaria, sorghum, and eleusine
- Similar words include: Jean Francois Millet
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MILLET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "31. Annual F.D.I.C. requirement"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BANKAUDIT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "32. Deep and full"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that full and loud and deep
- Similar words include: heavy
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SONOROUS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "33. Lovers of homophones, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that someone overly fond of making puns
- Similar words include: punster
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PUNSTERS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "34. Impressive work"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a musical work that has been created
- Similar words include: piece, musical composition, composition
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPUS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "35. Adjective that's synonymous with its last four letters"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (usually followed by `of') having capacity or ability
- Similar words include: equal to, up to, adequate to
- Opposite of: incapable
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAPABLE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "38. Convenient"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATHAND
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "39. Tiki bar staple"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAITAI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "40. What positive news coverage is for business"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FREEPR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "41. Section of a dress shop"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a young woman
- Similar words include: drop, omit, lack
- Opposite of: attend to, attend
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MISSES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "43. Swag"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MERCH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "44. U.N.C.'s athletic org."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a command that is the primary provider of air combat weapon systems to the united states air force; operates fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, battle-management, and rescue aircraft
- Similar words include: Air Combat Command
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ACC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "47. Part of a race"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
- Similar words include: warmth, estrus, wake
- Opposite of: coldness, anestrus
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "48. "Project Runway" judge Garcia"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the babylonian goddess of the watery deep and daughter of ea
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NINA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "50. "King Kong" studio"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RKO
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
33 Down Clues
68 Total Clues
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