Master the NYT crossword from January 29, 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 (40 clues)
1A: "1. Call off a rocket's flight"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the act of terminating a project or procedure before it is completed
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ABORT
2A: "6. End of a Springsteen title"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that north american republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in north america plus alaska in northwest north america and the hawaiian islands in the pacific ocean; achieved independence in 1776
- Similar words include: U. S. Army, United States Army, United States of America
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: USA
3A: "9. "Major ___," TV sitcom"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
- Similar words include: dada, daddy, pappa
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DAD
4A: "12. Religion of some Iranians"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a teacher of or believer in bahaism
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: BAHAI
5A: "13. City on seven hills"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that capital and largest city of italy; on the tiber; seat of the roman catholic church; formerly the capital of the roman republic and the roman empire
- Similar words include: Italian capital, Eternal City, capital of Italy
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ROME
6A: "15. Wall: Sp."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: MURO
7A: "16. Childhood problem"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an acute contagious disease caused by herpes varicella zoster virus; causes a rash of vesicles on the face and body
- Similar words include: varicella
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: CHICKENPOX
8A: "18. "Yes ___": S. Davis Jr. book"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ICAN
9A: "19. Subway rider's need"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an individual instance of a type of symbol
- Similar words include: souvenir, item, nominal
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TOKEN
10A: "20. Pumpernickel"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the seed of the cereal grass
- Similar words include: rye whisky, rye whiskey, Secale cereale
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: RYE
11A: "21. Related"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that similar in quality or character
- Similar words include: cognate, kin, blood-related
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AKIN
12A: "22. Fountain drink"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sodium salt of carbonic acid; used in making soap powders and glass and paper
- Similar words include: tonic, washing soda, soda pop
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SODA
13A: "24. Move around aimlessly"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an aimless amble on a winding course
- Similar words include: roll, roam, meander
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: RAMBLE
14A: "26. Sacks"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a flexible container with a single opening
- Similar words include: dish, pocket, base
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: BAGS
15A: "30. It also rises"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
- Similar words include: sunshine, insolate, sunbathe
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SUN
16A: "31. A combo"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
- Similar words include: ternion, 3, trine
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TRIO
17A: "32. Bellowing"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AROAR
18A: "34. Slipper or lover"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an ardent male lover
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ROMEO
19A: "36. Mimic"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all
- Similar words include: copycat, imitator, anthropoid
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: APE
20A: "39. Loss of a word's ending"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that abbreviation of a word by omitting the final sound or sounds
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: APOCOPE
21A: "41. Beau"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person who backs a politician or a team etc.
- Similar words include: champion, protagonist, supporter
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ADMIRER
22A: "43. ___ Vegas"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
- Similar words include: atomic number 57, lah, la
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LAS
23A: "44. Trite"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality
- Similar words include: platitudinal, bromidic, platitudinous
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: CORNY
24A: "46. "As You Like It" forest"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ARDEN
25A: "47. Repeat"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the repetition of a sound resulting from reflection of the sound waves
- Similar words include: replication, resound, reverberation
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ECHO
26A: "49. Dawn goddess"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (greek mythology) the winged goddess of the dawn in ancient mythology; daughter of hyperion; identified with roman aurora
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: EOS
27A: "51. Inquires"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that inquire about
- Similar words include: require, expect, demand
- Opposite of: obviate
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ASKS
28A: "52. He wrote "The Care of Time": 1981"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that someone who walks at a leisurely pace
- Similar words include: saunterer, stroller
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AMBLER
29A: "54. Small singing bird"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that english architect who designed more than fifty london churches (1632-1723)
- Similar words include: jenny wren, Sir Christopher Wren
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: WREN
30A: "56. Kind of tenant?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the post or function properly or customarily occupied or served by another
- Similar words include: place, position, stead
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: LIEU
31A: "57. W.W. II Greek undergrounders"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: EAM
32A: "59. Silk dye"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a red fluorescent dye resulting from the action of bromine on fluorescein; used in cosmetics and as a biological stain for studying cell structures
- Similar words include: bromeosin
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: EOSIN
33A: "63. Allowance for weight"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an adjustment made for the weight of the packaging in order to determine the net weight of the goods
- Similar words include: Lolium temulentum, darnel, cheat
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TARE
34A: "64. Character in folklore and ballet"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SWANMAIDEN
35A: "67. Yours and mine"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: OURS
36A: "68. "A ___clock scholar""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TENO
37A: "69. East German city"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a city in the saxony region of germany on the saale river; a member of the hanseatic league during the 13th and 14th centuries
- Similar words include: Halle-an-der-Saale
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: HALLE
38A: "70. Foxy"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that marked by skill in deception
- Similar words include: slick, tricky, wily
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SLY
39A: "71. Summer time in N.Y."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DST
40A: "72. Food fish"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water
- Similar words include: smell out, sense, smell
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SMELT
Down Clues - Strategic Hints (38 clues)
1D: "1. Network for Koppel"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural)
- Similar words include: ABCs, first rudiment, ABC's
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ABC
2D: "2. Thai coin"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the basic unit of money in thailand
- Similar words include: tical
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: BAHT
3D: "3. Columbus milieu"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a midwestern state in north central united states in the great lakes region
- Similar words include: Buckeye State, Ohio River, OH
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: OHIO
4D: "4. Pool-room item"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that framework for holding objects
- Similar words include: torment, torture, wring
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: RACK
5D: "5. Small ones: Var."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
- Similar words include: fry, minor, small fry
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: TIKES
6D: "6. Vase"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a large vase that usually has a pedestal or feet
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: URN
7D: "7. Renata Scotto is one"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a female singer
- Similar words include: treble
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SOPRANO
8D: "8. Former name of Xiamen"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of the forms of chinese spoken in fukien province
- Similar words include: Taiwanese, Fukkianese, Min
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AMOY
9D: "9. Shower-room items"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a boardwalk laid across muddy ground
- Similar words include: duckboard
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DUCKBOARDS
10D: "10. Thin as ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ARAIL
11D: "11. Famed metaphysical poet"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that english clergyman and metaphysical poet celebrated as a preacher (1572-1631)
- Similar words include: John Donne
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DONNE
12D: "14. Put forth energy"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that have and exercise
- Similar words include: maintain, exercise, wield
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: EXERTED
13D: "15. City for snowbirds"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a member of the extinct algonquian people formerly living in northern indiana and southern michigan
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: MIAMI
14D: "17. Biblical oldster"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ENOS
15D: "23. Engraver Albrecht ___"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a leading german painter and engraver of the renaissance (1471-1528)
- Similar words include: Albrecht Durer
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: DURER
16D: "25. Scent"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any property detected by the olfactory system
- Similar words include: fragrance, olfactory property, odour
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AROMA
17D: "26. Jezebel's deity"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient semitic peoples; the hebrews considered baal a false god
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: BAAL
18D: "27. Angel's instrument: It."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ARPA
19D: "28. Prickly shrub or its fruit"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that spiny eurasian shrub having greenish purple-tinged flowers and ovoid yellow-green or red-purple berries
- Similar words include: gooseberry bush, Ribes grossularia, Ribes uva-crispa
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer
Answer: GOOSEBERRY
20D: "29. Part of the U.S.A.F."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an enclosed space
- Similar words include: pouch, theca, pocket
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SAC
21D: "33. Author Mazo de la ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ROCHE
22D: "35. John Lindsay, once"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the head of a city government
- Similar words include: city manager
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: MAYOR
23D: "37. Sneak a look"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a secret look
- Similar words include: peep, glance, glint
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: PEEK
24D: "38. Sea birds"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that bulky greyish-brown eagle with a short wedge-shaped white tail; of europe and greenland
- Similar words include: European sea eagle, Haliatus albicilla, white-tailed sea eagle
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ERNS
25D: "40. Worst"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that deserving or inciting pity; ; ; - galsworthy
- Similar words include: pathetic, pitiful, wretched
- Opposite of: rich
Click to reveal answer
Answer: POOREST
26D: "42. Retiree's nest egg"
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: Irish Republican Army, wrath, Provisional Irish Republican Army
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: IRA
27D: "45. Paul and a cardinal"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that united states film actor (born in 1925)
- Similar words include: John Henry Newman, Newman, Cardinal Newman
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer
Answer: NEWMANS
28D: "48. Hints"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a slight indication
- Similar words include: hint, clue, clew
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: CLUES
29D: "50. Appear"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
- Similar words include: appear, look
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SEEM
30D: "52. Quartet members"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef
- Similar words include: countertenor, contralto, alto
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: ALTOS
31D: "53. Sound from Garfield"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the sound made by a cat (or any sound resembling this)
- Similar words include: miaou, miaow, meow
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: MIAUL
32D: "55. Namesakes of a son of Lamech"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the hebrew patriarch who saved himself and his family and the animals by building an ark in which they survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain; the story of noah and the flood is told in the book of genesis
- Similar words include: Noah
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: NOAHS
33D: "58. Filled with reverential fear"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that inspire awe in
- Similar words include: awestruck, awful, awestricken
- Opposite of: unawed
Click to reveal answer
Answer: AWED
34D: "60. Where Anna Leonowens worked"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a country of southeastern asia that extends southward along the isthmus of kra to the malay peninsula
- Similar words include: Thailand, Kingdom of Thailand
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: SIAM
35D: "61. Unemployed"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling
- Similar words include: laze, groundless, out of work
- Opposite of: busy, run
Click to reveal answer
Answer: IDLE
36D: "62. Gwyn or Carter"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer
Answer: NELL
37D: "65. "___ guilty!""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that negation of a word or group of words
- Similar words include: non
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer
Answer: NOT
38D: "66. Tennis-court item"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the tcp/ip network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange
- Similar words include: sack up, last, earnings
- Opposite of: gross
Click to reveal answer
Answer: NET
Puzzle Stats
40 Across
38 Down
78 Total
