Master the NYT crossword from January 27, 1990 with our expert hint system. We provide synonyms, antonyms, and strategic clues to help you solve without spoiling the fun.
Puzzle Difficulty: Challenging
Pro Tip: Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues - they're usually the easiest entry points!
Across Clues - Strategic Hints (33 clues)
1A: "1. Author of "The Republic""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that ancient athenian philosopher; pupil of socrates; teacher of aristotle (428-347 bc)
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PLATO
2A: "6. Schusser's need"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an elevated geological formation
- Similar words include: incline, gradient, side
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SLOPE
3A: "11. Language spoken by Jesus"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a semitic language originally of the ancient arameans but still spoken by other people in southwestern asia
- Similar words include: Aramaic script
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ARAMAIC
4A: "13. Small cylindrical structure"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small tube
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TUBULE
5A: "15. Explorer Sieur de ___"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that french explorer who claimed louisiana for france (1643-1687)
- Similar words include: Sieur de LaSalle, Rene-Robert Cavelier
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LASALLE
6A: "16. Jill or John of films"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a republic consisting of 26 of 32 counties comprising the island of ireland; achieved independence from the united kingdom in 1921
- Similar words include: Eire, Hibernia, Republic of Ireland
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: IRELAND
7A: "18. Milk, in Madrid"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LECHE
8A: "19. Youngest major general in U.S. history"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that french soldier who served under george washington in the american revolution (1757-1834)
- Similar words include: La Fayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LAFAYETTE
9A: "21. Etc.'s cousin"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ETAL
10A: "22. Kind of column"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that support column consisting of a steel cylinder filled with concrete
- Similar words include: lally column
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LALLY
11A: "23. George's lyricist"
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: Provisional IRA, Provisional Irish Republican Army, ire
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: IRA
12A: "24. Roman sun god"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid
- Similar words include: colloidal suspension, soh, so
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SOL
13A: "25. Move obliquely"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that move unobtrusively or furtively
- Similar words include: sashay
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SIDLE
14A: "26. Select a jury"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
- Similar words include: gore, instrument panel, control panel
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PANEL
15A: "28. D. H. Lawrence work, with "The""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: RAINBOW
16A: "30. Projections"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
- Similar words include: shelf, ledge
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LEDGES
17A: "31. An ore of uranium"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a yellow radioactive mineral; an ore of uranium and radium and vanadium
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: CARNOTITE
18A: "33. Italian liqueur"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: STREGA
19A: "36. Site of Dante's tomb"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a battle between the french and an alliance of spaniards and swiss and venetians in 1512
- Similar words include: Battle of Ravenna
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: RAVENNA
20A: "39. Yorkshire city"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a city on the river aire in west yorkshire in northern england; a center of the clothing industry
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LEEDS
21A: "40. Web-footed mammal"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the fur of an otter
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: OTTER
22A: "41. Room in a harem"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ODA
23A: "43. Place to write S.W.A.K."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ENV
24A: "44. "The Land of Smiles" composer"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that hungarian composer of light operas (1870-1948)
- Similar words include: Franz Lehar
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LEHAR
25A: "45. Distort"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that turn or place at an angle
- Similar words include: skewed
- Opposite of: align
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SKEW
26A: "46. John le Carré, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a fictitious name used when the person performs a particular social role
- Similar words include: nom de guerre, anonym
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PSEUDONYM
27A: "49. ___ Gay, W.W. II bomber"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ENOLA
28A: "50. Whirlwind"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground
- Similar words include: crack, twister, crack cocaine
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TORNADO
29A: "51. Calendar originating in 622"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that of or relating to or supporting islamism
- Similar words include: Muslim, Moslem
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ISLAMIC
30A: "53. Flush"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
- Similar words include: blush, flush, crimson
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: REDDEN
31A: "54. Finch-family members"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that small yellow-and-black eurasian finch with a sharp beak
- Similar words include: Carduelis spinus, siskin
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SISKINS
32A: "55. Blackmore's Lorna"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DOONE
33A: "56. Bel ___ (Italian cheese)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PAESE
Down Clues - Strategic Hints (35 clues)
1D: "1. Roman magistrate"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an annually elected magistrate of the ancient roman republic
- Similar words include: pretor
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PRAETOR
2D: "2. Milano opera house"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LASCALA
3D: "3. Menotti hero"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AMAHL
4D: "4. Full amount"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
- Similar words include: fib, narration, taradiddle
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TALE
5D: "5. Kind of palm or pan"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water
- Similar words include: anoint, rock oil, crude oil
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: OIL
6D: "6. Suppress"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that joint between the femur and tibia in a quadruped; corresponds to the human knee
- Similar words include: strangle, muffle, suffocate
- Opposite of: stimulate
Click to reveal answer
Answer: STIFLE
7D: "7. Va. caverns"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LURAY
8D: "8. "___ thy heart": Emerson"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that be obedient to
- Opposite of: disobey
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: OBEY
9D: "9. Whimper"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that cry weakly or softly
- Similar words include: mewl, whimper, wail
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PULE
10D: "10. Producing exultation"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that fill with high spirits; fill with optimism
- Similar words include: uplift, intoxicate, elate
- Opposite of: depress
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ELATING
11D: "11. "Deutschland über ___""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ALLES
12D: "12. Pale gray-green"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: CELADON
13D: "14. Menu item"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the principal dish of a meal
- Similar words include: admission, entrance, entryway
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ENTREE
14D: "17. Trump specialties"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a particular instance of buying or selling
- Similar words include: raft, look at, parcel out
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DEALS
15D: "20. Squire in "Tom Jones""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ALLWORTHY
16D: "22. Astral Balance"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in libra
- Similar words include: Libra the Balance, Balance, Libra the Scales
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LIBRA
17D: "25. Impediments"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sharp protuberance
- Similar words include: rent, snag, split
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SNAGS
18D: "26. "___ Grimes," Britten opera"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that disciple of jesus and leader of the apostles; regarded by catholics as the vicar of christ on earth and first pope
- Similar words include: St. Peter, tool, Simon Peter
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PETER
19D: "27. Arabian Sea gulf"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an important port of yemen; located on the gulf of aden; its strategic location has made it a major trading center of southern arabia since ancient times
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ADEN
20D: "29. Like a wedding cake"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that decorate with frosting
- Similar words include: frost, ice
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ICED
21D: "30. Bacon's partner"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that large and complicated reddish-brown glandular organ located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity; secretes bile and functions in metabolism of protein and carbohydrate and fat; synthesizes substances involved in the clotting of the blood; synthesizes vitamin a; detoxifies poisonous substances and breaks down worn-out erythrocytes
- Similar words include: liver-colored
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LIVER
22D: "32. Japanese straw mats"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TATAMIS
23D: "33. Napped"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that be able to accommodate for sleeping
- Similar words include: kip, catch some Z's, slumber
- Opposite of: wake
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SLEPT
24D: "34. Kind of muscle"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a generalization of the concept of a vector
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TENSOR
25D: "35. Honored"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol
- Similar words include: fear, reverence, worship
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: REVERED
26D: "37. Hiawatha's grandmother"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: NOKOMIS
27D: "38. Sweet one of songdom"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ADELINE
28D: "40. Wife of Paris"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: OENONE
29D: "42. Detection aircraft"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AWACS
30D: "44. Thick, waterproof fabric"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LODEN
31D: "45. Bushmaster, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
- Similar words include: serpent, ophidian, Snake River
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SNAKE
32D: "47. Erase"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that cancel, annul, or reverse an action or its effect
- Similar words include: unmake, untie, unwrap
- Opposite of: make, wrap
Click to reveal answer
Answer: UNDO
33D: "48. Decorated lower wall"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that panel forming the lower part of an interior wall when it is finished differently from the rest of the wall
- Similar words include: wainscot
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DADO
34D: "49. Joy Adamson's lioness"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ELSA
35D: "52. Small beverage quantity"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small drink
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SIP
Puzzle Stats
33 Across
35 Down
68 Total