Thursday's NYT Down Oct 02 - Full Vertical Grid Solutions
Quick Summary: Today's NYT Crossword has 39 Down clues. We have all the vertical answers plus helpful hints to make solving easier!
Related Puzzles: March 06 2020 NYT Clues Solutions | November 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | September 21 2022 NYT Clues Solutions |
About Today's Down Clues
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | October 02, 2025 |
| Day of Week | Thursday |
| Total Down Clues | 39 clues |
| Direction | Vertical (Top to Bottom) |
| Difficulty | Medium |
All Down Clues - Complete List
Here are all 39 Down clues for today's puzzle. These go vertically from top to bottom.
| Number | Clue |
|---|---|
| 1 Down | 1. Sound from a puppy |
| 2 Down | 2. Balance aid |
| 3 Down | 3. What might come after many years? |
| 4 Down | 4. Ad ___ |
| 5 Down | 5. Interweave |
| 6 Down | 6. Scrabble rackful |
| 7 Down | 7. Half of a noted crime duo |
| 8 Down | 8. Renowned house at Milan Fashion Week |
| 9 Down | 9. Cousin of a Danish |
| 10 Down | 10. Match, as subject and verb |
| 11 Down | 11. Biblical person who says "My punishment is greater than I can bear" |
| 12 Down | 12. Bone with a radial notch |
| 13 Down | 13. Candy company known for its chocolate and butterscotch |
| 14 Down | 18. Neighborhood in N.Y.C. or L.A. |
| 15 Down | 22. Home of the most Literature Nobelists in history |
| 16 Down | 23. Greece's largest airline |
| 17 Down | 24. Only video game to sell 300 million copies |
| 18 Down | 26. Selfish cry before an evil laugh |
| 19 Down | 28. Moolah |
| 20 Down | 30. One of four awarded to Bill Nye |
| 21 Down | 31. Crane's place, maybe |
| 22 Down | 32. Where the film "Argo" is set |
| 23 Down | 35. Features of some windows |
| 24 Down | 36. Spanish phone greeting |
| 25 Down | 38. Job listing info |
| 26 Down | 40. Moped alternative |
| 27 Down | 45. Erode |
| 28 Down | 49. Figure out |
| 29 Down | 51. Out of the park |
| 30 Down | 52. Certain Kool-Aid flavor |
| 31 Down | 53. On the horizon |
| 32 Down | 54. Polite refusal |
| 33 Down | 56. ___ platter (Chinese restaurant offering) |
| 34 Down | 57. Doing business |
| 35 Down | 58. Carded |
| 36 Down | 60. The "s" in the acronym "scuba" |
| 37 Down | 63. Pizza, e.g. |
| 38 Down | 64. Christmas ___ |
| 39 Down | 65. Like Malbec wine |
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:
- June 03 2023 NYT Clues Solutions
- November 01 2022 NYT Clues Solutions
- February 22 2021 NYT Clues Solutions
- December 16 2020 NYT Clues Solutions
Complete Down Solutions:
1 Down: "1. Sound from a puppy"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'Y' and ends with 'P'
- Similar words: yelp, yelping
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog)
- This is Down clue number 1
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
YIP
2 Down: "2. Balance aid"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Similar words: spike, capitulum
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
- This is Down clue number 2
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EAR
3 Down: "3. What might come after many years?"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- Similar words: agone
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: gone by; or in the past
- This is Down clue number 3
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
AGO
4 Down: "4. Ad ___"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'H' and ends with 'M'
- Word pattern: H_____M
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 4
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
HOMINEM
5 Down: "5. Interweave"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: E_____E
- Similar words: enlace, twine
- Opposite of: untwine
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: tie or link together
- This is Down clue number 5
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ENTWINE
6 Down: "6. Scrabble rackful"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T___S
- Similar words: roofing tile, tile
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 6
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TILES
7 Down: "7. Half of a noted crime duo"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: C___E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 7
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CLYDE
8 Down: "8. Renowned house at Milan Fashion Week"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'I'
- Word pattern: A____I
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 8
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ARMANI
9 Down: "9. Cousin of a Danish"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'B' and ends with 'W'
- Word pattern: B______W
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 9
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
BEARCLAW
10 Down: "10. Match, as subject and verb"
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: jibe, fit
- Opposite of: disagree
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: be in accord; be in agreement
- This is Down clue number 10
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
AGREE
11 Down: "11. Biblical person who says "My punishment is greater than I can bear""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'C' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: C__N
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 11
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
CAIN
12 Down: "12. Bone with a radial notch"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'U' and ends with 'A'
- Word pattern: U__A
- Similar words: elbow bone
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: the inner and longer of the two bones of the human forearm
- This is Down clue number 12
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ULNA
13 Down: "13. Candy company known for its chocolate and butterscotch"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: S__S
- Similar words: ensure, go through
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 13
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SEES
14 Down: "18. Neighborhood in N.Y.C. or L.A."
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'O'
- Word pattern: N__O
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 14
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
NOHO
15 Down: "22. Home of the most Literature Nobelists in history"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'F' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: F____E
- Similar words: Anatole France, French Republic
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 15
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
FRANCE
16 Down: "23. Greece's largest airline"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: A____N
- Similar words: Aegean Sea
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 16
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
AEGEAN
17 Down: "24. Only video game to sell 300 million copies"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: M_______T
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 17
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
MINECRAFT
18 Down: "26. Selfish cry before an evil laugh"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 11 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'M' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: M_________E
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 18
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
MINEALLMINE
19 Down: "28. Moolah"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'K' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: K__E
- Similar words: simoleons, dinero
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: informal terms for money
- This is Down clue number 19
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
KALE
20 Down: "30. One of four awarded to Bill Nye"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: P____T
- Similar words: unmistakable, apparent
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
- This is Down clue number 20
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PATENT
21 Down: "31. Crane's place, maybe"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: A____E
- Similar words: colonnade
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a covered passageway with shops and stalls on either side
- This is Down clue number 21
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ARCADE
22 Down: "32. Where the film "Argo" is set"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 6 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: T____N
- Similar words: capital of Iran, Iranian capital
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 22
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TEHRAN
23 Down: "35. Features of some windows"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'T' and ends with 'S'
- Word pattern: T___S
- Similar words: tinge, tint
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 23
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
TINTS
24 Down: "36. Spanish phone greeting"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'A' and ends with 'O'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 24
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ALO
25 Down: "38. Job listing info"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'W' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: W__E
- Similar words: earnings, remuneration
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: something that remunerates
- This is Down clue number 25
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
WAGE
26 Down: "40. Moped alternative"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: E______R
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 26
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
ESCOOTER
27 Down: "45. Erode"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 7 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'Y'
- Word pattern: E_____Y
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 27
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EATAWAY
28 Down: "49. Figure out"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 9 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'D' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: D_______E
- Similar words: square off, shape
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: establish after a calculation
- This is Down clue number 28
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
DETERMINE
29 Down: "51. Out of the park"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: G__E
- Similar words: expire, run
- Opposite of: come
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: change location; move
- This is Down clue number 29
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
GONE
30 Down: "52. Certain Kool-Aid flavor"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'G' and ends with 'E'
- Word pattern: G___E
- Similar words: grapevine, grape vine
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 30
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
GRAPE
31 Down: "53. On the horizon"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 8 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'T'
- Word pattern: I______T
- Similar words: impendent, at hand
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: close in time; about to occur
- This is Down clue number 31
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
IMMINENT
32 Down: "54. Polite refusal"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 5 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'N' and ends with 'R'
- Word pattern: N___R
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 32
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
NOSIR
33 Down: "56. ___ platter (Chinese restaurant offering)"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'U'
- Word pattern: P__U
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 33
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PUPU
34 Down: "57. Doing business"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'O' and ends with 'N'
- Word pattern: O__N
- Similar words: opened, spread out
- Opposite of: fold
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water
- This is Down clue number 34
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
OPEN
35 Down: "58. Carded"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'I' and ends with 'D'
- Word pattern: I__D
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 35
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
IDED
36 Down: "60. The "s" in the acronym "scuba""
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 4 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'S' and ends with 'F'
- Word pattern: S__F
- Similar words: ego
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: your consciousness of your own identity
- This is Down clue number 36
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
SELF
37 Down: "63. Pizza, e.g."
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'P' and ends with 'E'
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- Definition: dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top
- This is Down clue number 37
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
PIE
38 Down: "64. Christmas ___"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'E' and ends with 'E'
- Similar words: even, evening
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 38
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
EVE
39 Down: "65. Like Malbec wine"
Helpful hints for this Down clue:
- This word has 3 letters going top to bottom
- It starts with 'R' and ends with 'D'
- Similar words: Red River, Marxist
- Opposite of: gain
- This is an abbreviation or acronym
- This is Down clue number 39
Answer: Click to reveal the Down answer
RED
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 39 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.