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

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

XWordHint Crossword Answers August 12, 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: 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. Mentions by username, on social media 4
2A 5. High range 6
3A 11. Hits up on Insta, say 3
4A 14. ___ vez (again, in Spanish) 4
5A 15. Torment 6
6A 16. On the sea, it's akin to "Sí" 3
7A 17. Where Docs and Sheets are stored 11
8A 19. Jordan joined it in 1984, for short 3
9A 20. Pal 5
10A 21. Only number that appears twice in the Fibonacci sequence 3
11A 22. Rip-off 4
12A 23. Measurements of Wi-Fi performance 13
13A 27. Didn't have a match in Go Fish, say 4
14A 28. Feeling little to no amorous attraction, in L.G.B.T.Q.+ lingo 3
15A 29. Identity prefix 3
16A 32. Baldwin with a record 17 appearances as "Saturday Night Live" host 4
17A 35. Unwanted divisions 5
18A 38. Web volume measured in hits ... or a hint to 17-, 23-, 49- and 61-Across 15
19A 42. 2024 film that won Best Picture 5
20A 43. Boba tea flavor 4
21A 44. Word with run or resort 3
22A 45. Throw, for instance 3
23A 46. Buddhist leader 4
24A 49. Major consequence of a virus, perhaps 13
25A 55. Extreme craving 4
26A 56. "OK," in Osaka 3
27A 57. "Like ___!" ("Whatever!") 5
28A 60. "Sorry, it's ___ from me" 3
29A 61. Cause of some slow data transfers 11
30A 64. Highly monitored area, for short 3
31A 65. Flowery 6
32A 66. Affinity for something, so to speak 4
33A 67. Home of Emanuel Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware," with "the" 3
34A 68. Snipes of "White Men Can't Jump" 6
35A 69. Baking amts. 4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Mentions by username, on social media"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a label written or printed on paper, cardboard, or plastic that is attached to something to indicate its owner, nature, price, etc.
  • Similar words include: tail, go after, ticket
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. High range"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the pitch range of the highest female voice
  • Similar words include: threefold, three-fold, double
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TREBLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. Hits up on Insta, say"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that diabetes caused by a relative or absolute deficiency of insulin and characterized by polyuria
  • Similar words include: DM, dm, decimeter
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. ___ vez (again, in Spanish)"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Torment"

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a cultivator that pulverizes or smooths the soil
  • Similar words include: disk
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HARROW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. On the sea, it's akin to "Sí""

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Where Docs and Sheets are stored"

11 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Jordan joined it in 1984, for short"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Pal"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a friend or comrade
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AMIGO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Only number that appears twice in the Fibonacci sequence"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
  • Similar words include: 1, peerless, nonpareil
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "22. Rip-off"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a fraudulent business scheme
  • Similar words include: defraud, gyp, con
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "23. Measurements of Wi-Fi performance"

13 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "27. Didn't have a match in Go Fish, say"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that united states actor (born in ireland); father of georgiana emma barrymore (1827-1862)
  • Similar words include: thread, trace, pass
  • Opposite of: repel, deposit
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DREW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "28. Feeling little to no amorous attraction, in L.G.B.T.Q.+ lingo"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "29. Identity prefix"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an alliance made up of states that had been soviet socialist republics in the soviet union prior to its dissolution in dec 1991
  • Similar words include: Commonwealth of Independent States, Ci, curie
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CIS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "32. Baldwin with a record 17 appearances as "Saturday Night Live" host"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "35. Unwanted divisions"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a gap between cloud masses
  • Similar words include: breach, rift, falling out
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIFTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "38. Web volume measured in hits ... or a hint to 17-, 23-, 49- and 61-Across"

15 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "42. 2024 film that won Best Picture"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "43. Boba tea flavor"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants
  • Similar words include: dasheen, taro root, edda
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TARO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "44. Word with run or resort"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that narrow wood or metal or plastic runners used in pairs for gliding over snow
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "45. Throw, for instance"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
  • Similar words include: carpet, carpeting
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RUG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "46. Buddhist leader"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a tibetan or mongolian priest of lamaism
  • Similar words include: genus Lama
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAMA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "49. Major consequence of a virus, perhaps"

13 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "55. Extreme craving"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a strong sexual desire
  • Similar words include: hunger, lecherousness, crave
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LUST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "56. "OK," in Osaka"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "57. "Like ___!" ("Whatever!")"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "60. "Sorry, it's ___ from me""

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a palestinian international terrorist organization that split from the plo in 1974; has conducted terrorist attacks in 20 countries
  • Similar words include: Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims, Abu Nidal Organization, Black September
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "61. Cause of some slow data transfers"

11 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "64. Highly monitored area, for short"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hospital unit staffed and equipped to provide intensive care
  • Similar words include: intensive care unit
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ICU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "65. Flowery"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that marked by elaborate rhetoric and elaborated with decorative details; ; -john milton
  • Similar words include: flowery
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORNATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "66. Affinity for something, so to speak"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
  • Similar words include: wind, poke, olfactory organ
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NOSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "67. Home of Emanuel Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware," with "the""

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that come together
  • Similar words include: fill, receive, run across
  • Opposite of: diverge
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "68. Snipes of "White Men Can't Jump""

6 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that english clergyman and brother of john wesley who wrote many hymns (1707-1788)
  • Similar words include: John Wesley, Charles Wesley
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WESLEY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "69. Baking amts."

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No. Clue Letters
1D 1. Party wrap 4
2D 2. Bit of chemistry 4
3D 3. Bad thing to pull while running 5
4D 4. Failed under pressure, in a way 6
5D 5. Hot French beverage 3
6D 6. "Sick, dude!" 3
7D 7. What a bug may cause 5
8D 8. Cusp 5
9D 9. Is gaga for 5
10D 10. Farm female 3
11D 11. "Battles" of those busting moves 9
12D 12. "I messed up" 5
13D 13. Lines in mines 5
14D 18. Tolkien fantasy series inits. 4
15D 22. Little flourish on a letter 5
16D 24. Break off gradually 4
17D 25. Barn nestling 5
18D 26. Lawyer's aide, informally 4
19D 29. Org. in the Jack Ryan movies 3
20D 30. Tabard ___, locale in "The Canterbury Tales" 3
21D 31. Leaves in a huff 9
22D 33. Greek letter representing elasticity in economics 3
23D 34. PC "copy" shortcut 5
24D 36. ___Tok 3
25D 37. STEM part: Abbr. 3
26D 39. Go ballistic 5
27D 40. Big name in pasta sauce 4
28D 41. Pride sound 4
29D 47. ___ Marian (English folklore heroine) 4
30D 48. It's on the up and up 6
31D 49. Fraud victim's filing 5
32D 50. Perfumery unit 5
33D 51. "And ... voilà!" 5
34D 52. Comes to deserve 5
35D 53. Measure up to, as in competition 5
36D 54. Nickname for M.L.B.'s Angels 5
37D 58. Feature of one's voice following a loud concert, say 4
38D 59. Potato discards 4
39D 61. Farm female 3
40D 62. It ends in septembre 3
41D 63. Singer Lana Del ___ 3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Party wrap"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a one-piece cloak worn by men in ancient rome
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOGA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Bit of chemistry"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
  • Similar words include: speck, molecule, corpuscle
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATOM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Bad thing to pull while running"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the crease at the junction of the inner part of the thigh with the trunk together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals
  • Similar words include: breakwater, seawall, bulwark
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GROIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Failed under pressure, in a way"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness
  • Similar words include: droop, flag, sag down
  • Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAGGED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Hot French beverage"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. "Sick, dude!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material
  • Similar words include: radian
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. What a bug may cause"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
  • Similar words include: fault, misplay, erroneous belief
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERROR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Cusp"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a region marking a boundary
  • Similar words include: verge, threshold
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BRINK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Is gaga for"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
  • Similar words include: roll in the hay, hump, fuck
  • Opposite of: hate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LOVES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Farm female"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a member of a people living in southern benin and togo and southeastern ghana
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EWE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. "Battles" of those busting moves"

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. "I messed up""

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Lines in mines"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces
  • Similar words include: wrinkle, bed, seam
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEAMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. Tolkien fantasy series inits."

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. Little flourish on a letter"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a short line at the end of the main strokes of a character
  • Similar words include: seriph
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SERIF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. Break off gradually"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that gradually deprive (infants and young mammals) of mother's milk
  • Similar words include: ablactate
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: WEAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Barn nestling"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "26. Lawyer's aide, informally"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that (obstetrics) the number of liveborn children a woman has delivered
  • Similar words include: Feliz Lusitania, paratrooper, Belem
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PARA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "29. Org. in the Jack Ryan movies"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an independent agency of the united states government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest; headed by the director of central intelligence under the supervision of the president and national security council
  • Similar words include: Central Intelligence Agency
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "30. Tabard ___, locale in "The Canterbury Tales""

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
  • Similar words include: hostel, lodge, auberge
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "31. Leaves in a huff"

9 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "33. Greek letter representing elasticity in economics"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a terrorist organization organized in 1959 by student activists who were dissatisfied with the moderate nationalism of the traditional basque party; want to create an independent homeland in spain's western pyrenees
  • Similar words include: Euskadi ta Askatasuna, Basque Homeland and Freedom, Basque Fatherland and Liberty
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "34. PC "copy" shortcut"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "36. ___Tok"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "37. STEM part: Abbr."

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "39. Go ballistic"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that start abruptly
  • Similar words include: flare up, break, break through
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERUPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "40. Big name in pasta sauce"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "41. Pride sound"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a deep prolonged loud noise
  • Similar words include: holler, bellow, hollo
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ROAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "47. ___ Marian (English folklore heroine)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a female domestic
  • Similar words include: maiden, maidservant, housemaid
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAID

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "48. It's on the up and up"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
  • Similar words include: upgrade, climb, rising
  • Opposite of: fall, descent
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASCENT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "49. Fraud victim's filing"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
  • Similar words include: take, call, arrogate
  • Opposite of: forfeit, disclaim
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLAIM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "50. Perfumery unit"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a unit of apothecary weight equal to 480 grains or one twelfth of a pound
  • Similar words include: oz., snow leopard, troy ounce
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OUNCE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "51. "And ... voilà!""

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that a location other than here; that place
  • Similar words include: at that place, in that respect, in that location
  • Opposite of: here
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THERE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "52. Comes to deserve"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
  • Similar words include: realise, bring in, garner
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EARNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "53. Measure up to, as in competition"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that the contestant you hope to defeat
  • Similar words include: equal, competition, challenger
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RIVAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "54. Nickname for M.L.B.'s Angels"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
  • Similar words include: aura, glory, aureole
  • Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HALOS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "58. Feature of one's voice following a loud concert, say"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that uttering in an irritated tone
  • Similar words include: rasping, wood file
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RASP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "59. Potato discards"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that opinion or judgment
  • Similar words include: heart, optic, oculus
  • Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EYES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "61. Farm female"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

  • Think of something that an adult female hog
  • Similar words include: seed, inseminate, sow in
  • Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

40D: "62. It ends in septembre"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Remember this word for future puzzles!

41D: "63. Singer Lana Del ___"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

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

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

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Today's Puzzle Stats

35 Across Clues
41 Down Clues
76 Total Clues

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Last updated: August 12, 2026 at 05:10 AM

Thursday, December 12, 2024

27425 Thu Dec 12, 2024 NYT by Daniel Bodily

Across Clues :

1. Strike one!, 5. Word with slow or strawberry, 8. "___ gusto" ("Nice to meet you," in Spanish), 13. Can, 14. Spanish article, 15. Paella base, 16. Domino pip, e.g., 17. Party crashers, perhaps, 19. Part of a bat that produces the best contact, 21. Small nail, 22. Express publicly, 23. Saint, in Rio, 25. "A Beautiful Mind" director Howard, 27. Balayage providers, 32. ___ Swiatek, four-time French Open winner, 33. Cake part, 35. Fresh, 36. Get serious hang time, as a skateboarder, 40. Times for holiday parties, 41. Boomer in a band, 42. It makes Max profits, 43. Italian dynasty that produced four popes, 46. Bit of kitchenware, 47. "Cleopatra With the ___" (Reni painting), 48. Hosp. staffers, 50. Branch of a sort, 52. Three-digit numbers in parentheses, 57. Low-key place for gnocchi, 58. Toon with a monkey named Boots, 60. Matcha ___ (tea-based beverage), 61. Human thing to do, 62. Waze figs., 63. Easy to understand, 64. Hits up on Instagram, for short, 65. Meeting, informally

Down Clues :

1. A family might have matching ones, for short, 2. "D'oh!", 3. Strutted one's stuff, 4. Maze prompt, 5. Line below a swoosh, 6. Pantry problem, 7. "I Feel Pretty" singer in "West Side Story", 8. Mind repeating that?, 9. "Irresistible" feeling, 10. Language from which we get "Manitoba" and "Saskatchewan", 11. Motorist's warning, 12. The "40" in a malt liquor 40: Abbr., 18. x, y or z, 20. The world at your feet?, 23. Order to an attack dog, 24. Plant used in xeriscaping because of its tolerance to drought, 26. Hogwarts exam after the O.W.L., 28. Nonexpert, 29. "While we're discussing it ...", 30. Novice gamers, informally, 31. Word after one fell?, 34. Extend, as a contract, 37. Show with a "Cyber" spinoff, 38. Suns that shine?, 39. Roger B. ___, justice who infamously authored the Dred Scott decision (1857), 44. Sign of impact, 45. Deets, 49. Begat, 51. Writes in C or R, say, 52. Kazakhstan's ___ Sea, 53. Quoted figure, 54. Pioneering blues guitarist Baker, 55. Unyielding, 56. ___ Tour, pop culture phenomenon of 2023-24, 57. Pampering, for short, 59. Tree with so-called helicopter seeds

Break down the NYT Crosswords: December 12, 2024

Let's go into the puzzle, starting with the across clues and answers, followed by the down clues and answers.

New York Times, Thursday, December 12, 2024
New York Times, Thursday, December 12, 2024


Across Clues with Answers:
  • The clue is 1. Strike one!. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: POSE

    Possible Answer : bewilder, baffle, beat, airs, affectedness, put, affectation, perplex, sit, set, place, stick, mannerism, dumbfound, puzzle, present, get, gravel, posture, impersonate, position, mystify, flummox, stupefy, model, amaze, personate, vex, pose, lay, nonplus


  • The clue is 5. Word with slow or strawberry. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: JAM

    Possible Answer : jam, chock_up, jamming, wad, ram, obstruct, throng, mess, cram, kettle_of_fish, impede, press, block, pickle, mob, fix, jampack, occlude, obturate, muddle, crush, electronic_jamming, pack, pile, hole, close_up

    Possible Opposite Answer : free


  • The clue is 8. "___ gusto" ("Nice to meet you," in Spanish). Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: MUCHO


  • The clue is 13. Can. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: JOHN

    Possible Answer : lavatory, Saint_John_the_Apostle, John_the_Evangelist, Gospel_According_to_John, whoremaster, privy, trick, whoremonger, St._John, lav, Saint_John, John_Lackland, John_the_Divine, toilet, St._John_the_Apostle, bathroom, john, John, can, King_John


  • The clue is 14. Spanish article. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: UNA


  • The clue is 15. Paella base. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: ARROZ


  • The clue is 16. Domino pip, e.g.. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: SPOT

    Possible Answer : tell_apart, post, topographic_point, spot, situation, spotlight, recognize, patch, make_out, pick_out, smear, smudge, discern, speckle, place, blob, descry, berth, spy, slur, espy, blot, daub, distinguish, touch, fleck, position, point, dapple, pip, maculation, office, stain, bit, smirch, blemish, recognise, billet


  • The clue is 17. Party crashers, perhaps. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

    The answer: STRANGERS

    Possible Answer : unknown, stranger, alien

    Possible Opposite Answer : acquaintance


  • The clue is 19. Part of a bat that produces the best contact. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

    The answer: SWEETSPOT


  • The clue is 21. Small nail. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: BRAD

    Possible Answer : brad


  • The clue is 22. Express publicly. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: AIR

    Possible Answer : melodic_line, transmit, aerate, aura, air_travel, line, tune, gentle_wind, send, melodic_phrase, breeze, strain, beam, aviation, vent, ventilate, atmosphere, publicize, broadcast, bare, air_out, air, publicise, melody, airwave, zephyr


  • The clue is 23. Saint, in Rio. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: SAO


  • The clue is 25. "A Beautiful Mind" director Howard. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: RON

    Possible Answer : Bokkos, Daffo, Ron


  • The clue is 27. Balayage providers. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

    The answer: SALONS

    Possible Answer : salon, beauty_shop, beauty_parlor, beauty_parlour, beauty_salon


  • The clue is 32. ___ Swiatek, four-time French Open winner. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: IGA

    Possible Answer : immunoglobulin_A, IgA


  • The clue is 33. Cake part. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: TIER

    Possible Answer : tier_up, grade, level, tier


  • The clue is 35. Fresh. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: ANEW

    Possible Answer : anew, afresh


  • The clue is 36. Get serious hang time, as a skateboarder. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (8 letters)

    The answer: CATCHAIR


  • The clue is 40. Times for holiday parties. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: EVES

    Possible Answer : eventide, evening, Eve, eve, even


  • The clue is 41. Boomer in a band. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: TUBA

    Possible Answer : tuba, sousaphone, bass_horn


  • The clue is 42. It makes Max profits. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: HBO


  • The clue is 43. Italian dynasty that produced four popes. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

    The answer: MEDICI

    Possible Answer : Medici


  • The clue is 46. Bit of kitchenware. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: PAN

    Possible Answer : goat_god, Pan, pan_out, trash, cooking_pan, genus_Pan, pan_off, tear_apart, pan


  • The clue is 47. "Cleopatra With the ___" (Reni painting). Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: ASP

    Possible Answer : Naja_haje, asp, Egyptian_cobra, Vipera_aspis, asp_viper


  • The clue is 48. Hosp. staffers. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: RNS

    Possible Answer : radon, registered_nurse, atomic_number_86, RN, Rn


  • The clue is 50. Branch of a sort. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: SECT

    Possible Answer : sect, faction, religious_sect, religious_order


  • The clue is 52. Three-digit numbers in parentheses. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

    The answer: AREACODES


  • The clue is 57. Low-key place for gnocchi. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

    The answer: TRATTORIA


  • The clue is 58. Toon with a monkey named Boots. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: DORA


  • The clue is 60. Matcha ___ (tea-based beverage). Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: LATTE

    Possible Answer : latte, caffe_latte


  • The clue is 61. Human thing to do. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: ERR

    Possible Answer : err, stray, drift, slip, mistake


  • The clue is 62. Waze figs.. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: ETAS

    Possible Answer : Basque_Fatherland_and_Liberty, eta, Basque_Homeland_and_Freedom, Euskadi_ta_Askatasuna, ETA


  • The clue is 63. Easy to understand. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: CLEAR

    Possible Answer : top, exculpated, exonerated, realise, take_in, clean, earn, illuminate, unclutter, unmortgaged, clearly, crystallise, crystalise, exonerate, sack_up, clean-cut, straighten_out, clear_up, solve, readable, pull_in, brighten, acquit, light, decipherable, net, light_up, absolved, shed_light_on, authorise, make, authorize, realize, open, exculpate, crystallize, all_the_way, percipient, elucidate, gain, bring_in, pass, vindicated, crystalize, clear-cut, enlighten, sort_out, sack, clear, unclouded, discharge, well-defined, cleared, assoil

    Possible Opposite Answer : ill-defined, cloudy, clutter, opaque, convict, bounce, unclear, overcast


  • The clue is 64. Hits up on Instagram, for short. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: DMS

    Possible Answer : decimetre, dm, diabetes_mellitus, DM, decimeter


  • The clue is 65. Meeting, informally. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: SESH


Down Clues and Answers:
  • The clue is 1. A family might have matching ones, for short. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: PJS

  • The clue is 2. "D'oh!". Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: OOPS

  • The clue is 3. Strutted one's stuff. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (10 letters)

    The answer: SHOWBOATED

  • The clue is 4. Maze prompt. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: ENTER

    Possible Answer: move_into, recruit, enroll, accede, figure, go_in, participate, embark, enter, get_into, record, put_down, inscribe, infix, go_into, get_in, enrol, insert, come_in, introduce

    Possible Opposite Answer : exit, drop_out

  • The clue is 5. Line below a swoosh. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (8 letters)

    The answer: JUSTDOIT

  • The clue is 6. Pantry problem. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: ANTS

    Possible Answer: ant, pismire, emmet

  • The clue is 7. "I Feel Pretty" singer in "West Side Story". Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: MARIA

    Possible Answer: Maria, maria, mare, Calophyllum_longifolium

  • The clue is 8. Mind repeating that?. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

    The answer: MANTRA

    Possible Answer: mantra

  • The clue is 9. "Irresistible" feeling. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: URGE

    Possible Answer: root_on, urge, inspire, recommend, exhort, advocate, urge_on, itch, cheer, impulse, pep_up, barrack, press

  • The clue is 10. Language from which we get "Manitoba" and "Saskatchewan". Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: CREE

    Possible Answer: Cree

  • The clue is 11. Motorist's warning. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: HORN

    Possible Answer: French_horn, saddle_horn, tusk, horn, trumpet, automobile_horn, car_horn, trump, hooter, motor_horn, cornet

  • The clue is 12. The "40" in a malt liquor 40: Abbr.. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: OZS

  • The clue is 18. x, y or z. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: AXIS

    Possible Answer: Axis, axis, axis_of_rotation, bloc, axis_vertebra

  • The clue is 20. The world at your feet?. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: EARTH

    Possible Answer: solid_ground, earthly_concern, world, earth, ground, dry_land, globe, Earth, worldly_concern, land, terra_firma

  • The clue is 23. Order to an attack dog. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: SICEM

  • The clue is 24. Plant used in xeriscaping because of its tolerance to drought. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: AGAVE

    Possible Answer: American_aloe, century_plant, agave

  • The clue is 26. Hogwarts exam after the O.W.L.. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: NEWT

    Possible Answer: triton, newt

  • The clue is 28. Nonexpert. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: LAY

    Possible Answer: rest, put_down, set, ballad, secular, place, position, lie, put, pose, lay, lie_in, laic, dwell, lie_down, repose, consist

    Possible Opposite Answer : arise, stand

  • The clue is 29. "While we're discussing it ...". Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (10 letters)

    The answer: ONTHATNOTE

  • The clue is 30. Novice gamers, informally. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: NEWBS

  • The clue is 31. Word after one fell?. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: SWOOP

    Possible Answer: swoop, swoop_up, pounce, slide

  • The clue is 34. Extend, as a contract. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: REUP

  • The clue is 37. Show with a "Cyber" spinoff. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: CSI

  • The clue is 38. Suns that shine?. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (8 letters)

    The answer: NBASTARS

  • The clue is 39. Roger B. ___, justice who infamously authored the Dred Scott decision (1857). Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: TANEY

    Possible Answer: Roger_Brooke_Taney, Taney, Roger_Taney

  • The clue is 44. Sign of impact. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

    The answer: CRATER

    Possible Answer: crater, Crater, volcanic_crater

  • The clue is 45. Deets. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: INFO

    Possible Answer: info, information

  • The clue is 49. Begat. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: SIRED

    Possible Answer: engender, sire, generate, get, mother, beget, bring_forth, father

  • The clue is 51. Writes in C or R, say. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

    The answer: CODES

    Possible Answer: take_in, rag, put_one_over, tease, write_in_code, razz, codification, tantalize, put_on, twit, encipher, inscribe, fool, taunt, slang, cipher, computer_code, dupe, befool, bait, ride, cod, tantalise, code, encrypt, put_one_across, gull, cypher, rally

  • The clue is 52. Kazakhstan's ___ Sea. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: ARAL

  • The clue is 53. Quoted figure. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: RATE

    Possible Answer: rate, range, order, place, value, grade, charge_per_unit, rank, pace

  • The clue is 54. Pioneering blues guitarist Baker. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: ETTA

  • The clue is 55. Unyielding. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: FIRM

    Possible Answer: unfaltering, immobile, unfluctuating, solid, unshakable, truehearted, unwavering, house, steadfastly, fast, unbendable, stiff, tauten, steady, unwaveringly, strong, steadfast, loyal, firmly, business_firm, firm

  • The clue is 56. ___ Tour, pop culture phenomenon of 2023-24. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

    The answer: ERAS

    Possible Answer: era, ERA, earned_run_average, epoch, geological_era

  • The clue is 57. Pampering, for short. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: TLC

    Possible Answer: TLC, tender_loving_care

  • The clue is 59. Tree with so-called helicopter seeds. Can you find the Answer?

    Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

    The answer: ASH

    Possible Answer: ash, ash_tree