NYT Down Crossword September 26, 2025 - Master All 35 Top-to-Bottom Clues
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Crossword has 35 Down clues. We have all the vertical answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Related Puzzles: Today Crossword Solution Online January | February 15 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | April 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Down Clues
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | September 26, 2025 |
| Day of Week | Friday |
| Total Down Clues | 35 clues |
| Direction | Vertical (Top to Bottom) |
| Difficulty | Tricky |
All Down Clues - Complete List
Here are all 35 Down clues for today's puzzle. These go vertically from top to bottom.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 1. Put in stitches |
| 2 Down | 2. Talked one's way (out of) |
| 3 Down | 3. It might be on display at Comic-Con |
| 4 Down | 4. Cleaning product commonly used by pet owners |
| 5 Down | 5. One making monthly payments |
| 6 Down | 6. Drinks made with cardamom |
| 7 Down | 7. Word with study or city |
| 8 Down | 8. "Who am ___ question?" |
| 9 Down | 9. Bowdlerize, maybe |
| 10 Down | 10. Enemigo de un ratón |
| 11 Down | 11. Serving a purpose |
| 12 Down | 12. High points |
| 13 Down | 13. It's where the heart is |
| 14 Down | 16. Diaper bag item |
| 15 Down | 20. Patronized, in a way |
| 16 Down | 22. Repeated word in the "Star Wars" prologue |
| 17 Down | 23. Variety of violet |
| 18 Down | 26. Closing bars |
| 19 Down | 27. Classic thing to slip on |
| 20 Down | 30. City east of Phoenix |
| 21 Down | 32. Didn't get broken |
| 22 Down | 34. Search for oneself |
| 23 Down | 35. Antibiotic used to treat anthrax |
| 24 Down | 36. Problem for someone who's pushing 90, say |
| 25 Down | 40. Chicago airport code |
| 26 Down | 42. Duchess of Sussex beginning in 2018 |
| 27 Down | 44. The works? |
| 28 Down | 45. Building … or a building material, if you swap its consonants |
| 29 Down | 46. Cincinnati sports mascot |
| 30 Down | 47. Made some Java, say |
| 31 Down | 49. Cockatoo feature |
| 32 Down | 51. Purifying filter acronym |
| 33 Down | 52. Waxed, in a way |
| 34 Down | 54. Scrape (out) |
| 35 Down | 56. Org. that measures A.Q.I. |
Detailed Hints and Answers for All Down Clues
Need help? Here are comprehensive hints and answers for each Down clue. Also check these helpful guides:
- February 23 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 18 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 27 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- April 07 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
Complete Down Solutions:
1 Down: "1. Put in stitches"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'W'
- Similar words: run up, sew together
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: fasten by sewing; do needlework
- This is Down clue number 1
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SEW
2 Down: "2. Talked one's way (out of)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: W______D
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 2
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
WEASELED
3 Down: "3. It might be on display at Comic-Con"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'K'
- Word pattern: I_______K
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 3
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
INNERGEEK
4 Down: "4. Cleaning product commonly used by pet owners"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 10 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: L________R
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 4
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LINTROLLER
5 Down: "5. One making monthly payments"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'L' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: L____R
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 5
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
LEASER
6 Down: "6. Drinks made with cardamom"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C___S
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 6
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CHAIS
7 Down: "7. Word with study or city"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: H__L
- Similar words: manse, hallway
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
- This is Down clue number 7
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
HALL
8 Down: "8. "Who am ___ question?""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'O'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 8
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ITO
9 Down: "9. Bowdlerize, maybe"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: C____R
- Similar words: ban
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: someone who censures or condemns
- This is Down clue number 9
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CENSOR
10 Down: "10. Enemigo de un ratón"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: G__O
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 10
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
GATO
11 Down: "11. Serving a purpose"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: U___E
- Similar words: useful
- Opposite of: useless
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: being of use or service
- This is Down clue number 11
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
UTILE
12 Down: "12. High points"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: A___S
- Similar words: elevation, summit
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 12
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ACMES
13 Down: "13. It's where the heart is"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C___T
- Similar words: thorax, breast
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 13
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CHEST
14 Down: "16. Diaper bag item"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: W_____E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 14
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
WETWIPE
15 Down: "20. Patronized, in a way"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: A___T
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 15
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ATEAT
16 Down: "22. Repeated word in the "Star Wars" prologue"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'R'
- Similar words: Interahamwe, ALIR
- Opposite of: near
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 16
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FAR
17 Down: "23. Variety of violet"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: P___Y
- Similar words: Milquetoast, queer
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 17
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PANSY
18 Down: "26. Closing bars"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: C___S
- Similar words: finale, coda
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the closing section of a musical composition
- This is Down clue number 18
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CODAS
19 Down: "27. Classic thing to slip on"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 10 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'L'
- Word pattern: B________L
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 19
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BANANAPEEL
20 Down: "30. City east of Phoenix"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: T___E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 20
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TEMPE
21 Down: "32. Didn't get broken"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: H_______E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 21
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
HELDSERVE
22 Down: "34. Search for oneself"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: E_____F
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 22
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EGOSURF
23 Down: "35. Antibiotic used to treat anthrax"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: C___O
- Similar words: ciprofloxacin
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 23
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CIPRO
24 Down: "36. Problem for someone who's pushing 90, say"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: S______N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 24
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SPEEDGUN
25 Down: "40. Chicago airport code"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'D'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 25
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ORD
26 Down: "42. Duchess of Sussex beginning in 2018"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: M____N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 26
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
MEGHAN
27 Down: "44. The works?"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: O____E
- Similar words: body of work, work
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 27
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
OEUVRE
28 Down: "45. Building … or a building material, if you swap its consonants"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A___E
- Similar words: domicile, residence
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
- This is Down clue number 28
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ABODE
29 Down: "46. Cincinnati sports mascot"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: M___D
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 29
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
MRRED
30 Down: "47. Made some Java, say"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: C___D
- Similar words: rally, encipher
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: attach a code to
- This is Down clue number 30
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CODED
31 Down: "49. Cockatoo feature"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: C___T
- Similar words: crown, summit
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the top line of a hill
- This is Down clue number 31
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CREST
32 Down: "51. Purifying filter acronym"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: H__A
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 32
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
HEPA
33 Down: "52. Waxed, in a way"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: G__W
- Similar words: turn, develop
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: pass into a condition gradually
- This is Down clue number 33
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
GREW
34 Down: "54. Scrape (out)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 34
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EKE
35 Down: "56. Org. that measures A.Q.I."
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'A'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 35
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EPA
Expert Strategies for Solving Down Clues
Master the vertical clues with these professional tips:
Why Start with Down Clues?
- Down clues often reveal key letters for intersecting words
- Vertical patterns can unlock difficult sections
- Many prefixes and suffixes run vertically
- Down answers often help solve Across clues
Down Clue Patterns to Recognize
- Fill-in-the-blank clues: These are usually the easiest Down entries
- Prefixes and suffixes: Common word parts often run vertically
- Abbreviations: Look for clues with "Abbr." or shortened forms
- Plural indicators: Words ending in 'S' are common in Down
- Pop culture references: Names and titles often appear vertically
Time-Saving Down Techniques
| Technique | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Scan all Down first | Get a mental map of the vertical flow |
| Fill short Down words | 3-4 letter words are often prefixes or connectors |
| Use crossing letters | Across letters help confirm Down answers |
| Look for themes | Related Down answers often share a theme |
Frequently Asked Questions About Down Clues
What are Down clues in crossword puzzles?
Down clues are the vertical entries in a crossword puzzle that read from top to bottom. They're numbered and correspond to specific columns in the grid.
Should I solve Down or Across clues first?
Many solvers alternate between Down and Across clues to build momentum. Down clues can help unlock difficult sections by providing key intersecting letters. The best approach is to solve the clues you find easiest first, regardless of direction.
How many Down clues are in today's puzzle?
Today's NYT crossword has 35 Down clues.
Are Down clues easier than Across clues?
Neither direction is inherently easier. The difficulty depends on the specific clues and your knowledge. However, Down clues often contain helpful prefixes, suffixes, and word parts that can be easier to guess.
How do Down clues interact with Across clues?
Down and Across clues intersect at various points in the grid. Solving one can provide letters that help solve the other, making the puzzle easier as you progress.