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 (37 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (34 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. Fruit preserves | 3 |
| 2A | 4. Bottled water brand | 6 |
| 3A | 10. Status ___ | 3 |
| 4A | 13. "Long, long ___ ..." | 3 |
| 5A | 14. High school assessment scored from 1 to 5 | 6 |
| 6A | 15. Address starting "http" | 3 |
| 7A | 16. Pearl or peridot | 3 |
| 8A | 17. Despise | 6 |
| 9A | 18. Conclusion | 3 |
| 10A | 19. Quick punches | 4 |
| 11A | 21. "You," archaically | 4 |
| 12A | 23. One taking office dictation | 5 |
| 13A | 25. Blunder | 5 |
| 14A | 28. Concert pianos | 6 |
| 15A | 30. Like haunted houses and lifelike dolls | 6 |
| 16A | 31. Sardine container | 3 |
| 17A | 32. Accede to an agreement without getting everything one wants | 6 |
| 18A | 35. "___-haw!" | 3 |
| 19A | 36. Dominican slugger Sammy | 4 |
| 20A | 38. Coolness, in Gen Alpha slang | 4 |
| 21A | 39. Roosters' mates | 4 |
| 22A | 40. Nightmare scenario | 8 |
| 23A | 43. Emerged victorious ... or what this puzzle's constructor did, as indicated by the shaded squares | 12 |
| 24A | 47. Smokey Robinson's record label | 6 |
| 25A | 48. Capital of Oman | 6 |
| 26A | 50. North Carolina university | 4 |
| 27A | 51. Leo XIV, for one | 4 |
| 28A | 54. Jingle or ditty | 4 |
| 29A | 55. Filing job, for short? | 4 |
| 30A | 56. Touch | 4 |
| 31A | 57. ___ Menken, composer of "Little Shop of Horrors" | 4 |
| 32A | 58. Poems of praise | 4 |
| 33A | 59. More than a few, but less than a lot | 4 |
| 34A | 60. A village in Wales has one with 58 letters — the world's longest | 4 |
| 35A | 61. It might read "Miss Universe" | 4 |
| 36A | 62. Burn the surface of | 4 |
| 37A | 63. "Curses!" | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Fruit preserves"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that preserve of crushed fruit
- Similar words include: kettle of fish, mob, chock up
- Opposite of: free
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JAM
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2A: "4. Bottled water brand"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DASANI
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3A: "10. Status ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: QUO
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4A: "13. "Long, long ___ ...""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that gone by; or in the past
- Similar words include: agone
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGO
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5A: "14. High school assessment scored from 1 to 5"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APEXAM
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6A: "15. Address starting "http""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the address of a web page on the world wide web
- Similar words include: universal resource locator, uniform resource locator
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: URL
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7A: "16. Pearl or peridot"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
- Similar words include: stone, jewel, treasure
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GEM
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8A: "17. Despise"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards
- Similar words include: hate
- Opposite of: love
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DETEST
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9A: "18. Conclusion"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that either extremity of something that has length
- Similar words include: destruction, final stage, conclusion
- Opposite of: begin, beginning
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: END
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10A: "19. Quick punches"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
- Similar words include: stab, dig, thrusting
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JABS
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11A: "21. "You," archaically"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THEE
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12A: "23. One taking office dictation"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STENO
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13A: "25. Blunder"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
- Similar words include: mistake, computer error, fault
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERROR
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14A: "28. Concert pianos"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
- Similar words include: M, one thousand, thousand
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRANDS
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15A: "30. Like haunted houses and lifelike dolls"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that annoying and unpleasant
- Similar words include: creepy-crawly
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CREEPY
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16A: "31. Sardine container"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
- Similar words include: can, put up, Sn
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TIN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17A: "32. Accede to an agreement without getting everything one wants"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a long wooden bench with a back
- Similar words include: reconcile, go down, square off
- Opposite of: float
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SETTLE
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18A: "35. "___-haw!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YEE
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19A: "36. Dominican slugger Sammy"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOSA
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20A: "38. Coolness, in Gen Alpha slang"
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: atmosphere, gloriole, glory
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AURA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21A: "39. Roosters' mates"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that adult female chicken
- Similar words include: hen, biddy
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HENS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22A: "40. Nightmare scenario"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that state in which the conditions of life are extremely bad as from deprivation or oppression or terror
- Opposite of: utopia
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DYSTOPIA
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23A: "43. Emerged victorious ... or what this puzzle's constructor did, as indicated by the shaded squares"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAMEOUTONTOP
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24A: "47. Smokey Robinson's record label"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the largest city in michigan and a major great lakes port; center of the united states automobile industry; located in southeastern michigan on the detroit river across from windsor
- Similar words include: Detroit, Motor City
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOTOWN
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25A: "48. Capital of Oman"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of several cultivated grapevines that produce sweet white grapes
- Similar words include: Masqat, capital of Oman, muscadel
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MUSCAT
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26A: "50. North Carolina university"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELON
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27A: "51. Leo XIV, for one"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the head of the roman catholic church
- Similar words include: pontiff, Catholic Pope, Vicar of Christ
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: POPE
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28A: "54. Jingle or ditty"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
- Similar words include: tune up, melodic line, melodic phrase
- Opposite of: untune
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TUNE
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29A: "55. Filing job, for short?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MANI
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30A: "56. Touch"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that lie adjacent to another or share a boundary
- Similar words include: march, edge, border
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ABUT
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31A: "57. ___ Menken, composer of "Little Shop of Horrors""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALAN
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32A: "58. Poems of praise"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
- Similar words include: ode
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ODES
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33A: "59. More than a few, but less than a lot"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that quantifier; used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
- Similar words include: approximately, around, roughly
- Opposite of: no
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOME
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34A: "60. A village in Wales has one with 58 letters — the world's longest"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a language unit by which a person or thing is known
- Similar words include: gens, key, distinguish
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAME
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35A: "61. It might read "Miss Universe""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a framework that holds the panes of a window in the window frame
- Similar words include: waistcloth, girdle, window sash
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SASH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
36A: "62. Burn the surface of"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that make very hot and dry
- Similar words include: scorch, withered, singe
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
37A: "63. "Curses!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Spree | 3 |
| 2D | 2. What the number of candles on a birthday cake signifies | 3 |
| 3D | 3. High-waisted fashion trend of the 1990s | 8 |
| 4D | 4. Physiques that aren't quite perfect | 7 |
| 5D | 5. Copies | 4 |
| 6D | 6. Actor's workplace | 3 |
| 7D | 7. Cut out | 3 |
| 8D | 8. Thomas ___, early political cartoonist and critic of Boss Tweed | 4 |
| 9D | 9. "Sign me up!" | 7 |
| 10D | 10. Reality show starring the "Fab Five" | 8 |
| 11D | 11. Big coffee holder | 3 |
| 12D | 12. Dated | 3 |
| 13D | 20. Newswoman Curry | 3 |
| 14D | 22. Before, to Shakespeare | 3 |
| 15D | 23. Certain members of a police dept. | 4 |
| 16D | 24. Musical threesome | 4 |
| 17D | 26. Go on before the main show, say | 4 |
| 18D | 27. Liquors that go in Manhattans | 4 |
| 19D | 29. Superfan's ticket purchase | 10 |
| 20D | 30. It measures audience feedback | 10 |
| 21D | 33. Ballerina's skirt | 4 |
| 22D | 34. Gait faster than a walk | 4 |
| 23D | 37. Give a tut-tut, e.g. | 8 |
| 24D | 39. Place to hang a fedora | 8 |
| 25D | 41. Classic archery wood | 3 |
| 26D | 42. Shiba ___ (Japanese hunting dog) | 3 |
| 27D | 43. Piña ___ | 6 |
| 28D | 44. Makes up (for) | 6 |
| 29D | 45. Sight-related | 6 |
| 30D | 46. Southernmost country in Central America | 6 |
| 31D | 47. Short office messages | 5 |
| 32D | 49. Core belief | 5 |
| 33D | 52. Thin woodwind | 4 |
| 34D | 53. Pouncing predator | 4 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Spree"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sharp projection on an edge or surface
- Similar words include: dag
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: JAG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. What the number of candles on a birthday cake signifies"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that how long something has existed
- Similar words include: old age, mature, maturate
- Opposite of: rejuvenate
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AGE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. High-waisted fashion trend of the 1990s"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MOMJEANS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Physiques that aren't quite perfect"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DADBODS
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5D: "5. Copies"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
- Similar words include: aper, imitator, ape
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. Actor's workplace"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
- Similar words include: circle, localise, fit
- Opposite of: rise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Cut out"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
- Similar words include: ax
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AXE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Thomas ___, early political cartoonist and critic of Boss Tweed"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states political cartoonist (1840-1902)
- Similar words include: Thomas Nast
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. "Sign me up!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: IMTHERE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Reality show starring the "Fab Five""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: QUEEREYE
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11D: "11. Big coffee holder"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a large vase that usually has a pedestal or feet
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: URN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. Dated"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that past times (especially in the phrase `in days of old')
- Similar words include: sometime, onetime, erstwhile
- Opposite of: new, young
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OLD
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13D: "20. Newswoman Curry"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "22. Before, to Shakespeare"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERE
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15D: "23. Certain members of a police dept."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SGTS
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16D: "24. Musical threesome"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
- Similar words include: ternary, tercet, troika
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TRIO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "26. Go on before the main show, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water
- Similar words include: undecided, outdoors, unfastened
- Opposite of: fold, covert
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OPEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "27. Liquors that go in Manhattans"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the seed of the cereal grass
- Similar words include: rye, Secale cereale, rye whiskey
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RYES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "29. Superfan's ticket purchase"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEASONPASS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
20D: "30. It measures audience feedback"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CLAPOMETER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "33. Ballerina's skirt"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that south african prelate and leader of the antiapartheid struggle (born in 1931)
- Similar words include: ballet skirt, Desmond Tutu
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TUTU
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "34. Gait faster than a walk"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a slow pace of running
- Similar words include: jog, lope, clip
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TROT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "37. Give a tut-tut, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior
- Similar words include: monish, caution, warn
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADMONISH
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "39. Place to hang a fedora"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HATSTAND
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "41. Classic archery wood"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that wood of a yew; especially the durable fine-grained light brown or red wood of the english yew valued for cabinetwork and archery bows
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YEW
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "42. Shiba ___ (Japanese hunting dog)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: INU
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "43. Piña ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COLADA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "44. Makes up (for)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that make amends for
- Similar words include: repent, aby, abye
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ATONES
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "45. Sight-related"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that combination of lenses at the viewing end of optical instruments
- Similar words include: optical, visual, opthalmic
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCULAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "46. Southernmost country in Central America"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a republic on the isthmus of panama; achieved independence from colombia in 1903
- Similar words include: leghorn, Republic of Panama, Panama hat
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PANAMA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "47. Short office messages"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a written proposal or reminder
- Similar words include: memoranda, memo, memorandum
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MEMOS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "49. Core belief"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof
- Similar words include: dogma
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TENET
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "52. Thin woodwind"
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: hautbois, hautboy
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBOE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "53. Pouncing predator"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that large american feline resembling a lion
- Similar words include: panther, cougar, painter
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PUMA
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
37 Across Clues
34 Down Clues
71 Total Clues
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