No. 27,383 Mon Oct 28, 2024 NYT Crossword By Michael Lieberman

Across Clues :

1. Many a customer service assistant, nowadays, 4. Animal on the state seal of Maine, 9. Lacking slack, 13. Blackjack card worth 1 or 11, 14. Friend of Mickey and Goofy, 15. Actress Kendrick, 16. "___ all good!", 17. Nursery rhyme about a disastrous trip up a hill, 19. How salt and pepper may be added, in a recipe, 21. Southeast Asian language, 22. Knotted neckwear, 23. Susceptible to sunburn, 24. "Four score and seven years ___ …", 26. Pesky summer swarm, 28. Nursery rhyme about the perils of sitting on a wall, 31. Doesn't waste, 32. Dine, 33. How heavy metal bands typically play, 37. ___ Z, a.k.a. Zoomers, 38. Comedian Schumer or Poehler, 39. Verbalize, 40. Water, in French, 41. Subject of a will, 43. "My Zoom joke flopped … I guess it's not remotely funny," e.g., 44. Marx who co-wrote "The Communist Manifesto", 45. Nursery rhyme about the hazards of decaying infrastructure, 48. Energy, idiomatically, 51. Flat tire's lack, 52. Fashion magazine with a palindromic name, 53. Commodity measured in barrels, 54. Hypotheticals, 56. This typeface, 59. Nickname for the World Series … or what you might call 17-, 28- or 45-Across?, 62. Word repeated in a double negative, 63. Operatic highlight, 64. Purpose, 65. Barely scratch (out), 66. Quality of a hoarse voice, 67. Drunk-ish, 68. Work with needle and thread

27,383 Mon Oct 28, 2024 NYT Crossword By Michael Lieberman

Down Clues :

1. Angler's supply, 2. Eight-armed creatures, 3. The Bible has an Old and New one, 4. Obstacle for a would-be castle attacker, 5. How often many people brush their teeth (avert your eyes, dentists!), 6. Acorn-bearing tree, 7. Downhill skiing event, 8. Poet St. Vincent Millay, 9. ___ Mahal, 10. R&B singer Baker, 11. Like birthday candles before the party starts, 12. Stories, 14. Turn at the turntables, for short, 18. One might be squeaky or shaped like a bone, 20. "Napoleon Crossing the ___" (painting series), 25. Belly, 27. Sch. in Lower Manhattan, 28. Ginormous, 29. Country south of Saudi Arabia, 30. Fallback option, 34. "Submit by" dates, 35. Beverage with a Big Mac, perhaps, 36. Christmas season, 38. Kind of clock that's ultraprecise, 39. They brighten everyone's days, 42. ___ carte, 43. Hawaiian taro dish, 44. Pass idly, as time, 46. Bottled water brand, 47. Respond to a stimulus, 48. To date, 49. Sparkly headwear, 50. ___ Island (historic entry point for immigrants), 55. Dart around, 57. Very small, 58. Hearty meal in a bowl, 60. Place for a snuggly cat, 61. Valvoline competitor

Break down the NYT Crosswords: October 28, 2024

Let's go into the puzzle, starting with the across clues and answers, followed by the down clues and answers.

Across Clues with Answers:

• The clue is 1. Many a customer service assistant, nowadays. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: BOT

  Possible Answer : bot




• The clue is 4. Animal on the state seal of Maine. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: MOOSE

  Possible Answer : elk, European_elk, Alces_alces, moose




• The clue is 9. Lacking slack. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: TAUT

  Possible Answer : tight, taut




• The clue is 13. Blackjack card worth 1 or 11. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: ACE

  Possible Answer : champion, tiptop, tops, A-one, wiz, 1, I, nail, ace, one, topnotch, genius, adept, star, hotshot, whiz, mavin, ACE, sensation, maven, wizard, whizz, crack, first-rate, pass_with_flying_colors, angiotensin-converting_enzyme, superstar, single, sweep_through, top-notch, breeze_through, unity, super, virtuoso, Allied_Command_Europe, angiotensin_converting_enzyme, sail_through




• The clue is 14. Friend of Mickey and Goofy. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: DONALD




• The clue is 15. Actress Kendrick. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: ANNA

  Possible Answer : anna




• The clue is 16. "___ all good!". Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: ITS

  Possible Answer : IT, information_technology




• The clue is 17. Nursery rhyme about a disastrous trip up a hill. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (11 letters)

  The answer: JACKANDJILL




• The clue is 19. How salt and pepper may be added, in a recipe. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (7 letters)

  The answer: TOTASTE




• The clue is 21. Southeast Asian language. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: LAO

  Possible Answer : Lao, Laotian




• The clue is 22. Knotted neckwear. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: TIE

  Possible Answer : marry, splice, link, affiliation, association, standoff, wed, bond, draw, connect, tie, linkup, sleeper, attach, tie-up, tie_beam, crosstie, tie-in, railroad_tie, bind, link_up, necktie

  Possible Opposite Answer : disconnect, untie




• The clue is 23. Susceptible to sunburn. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: PALE

  Possible Answer : blanch, picket, wan, pallid, blench, sick, pale




• The clue is 24. "Four score and seven years ___ …". Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: AGO

  Possible Answer : ago, agone




• The clue is 26. Pesky summer swarm. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: GNATS

  Possible Answer : gnat




• The clue is 28. Nursery rhyme about the perils of sitting on a wall. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (12 letters)

  The answer: HUMPTYDUMPTY




• The clue is 31. Doesn't waste. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: USES

  Possible Answer : enjoyment, United_States, function, U.S.A., purpose, utilise, usance, practice, employ, the_States, usage, role, exercise, U.S., expend, US, consumption, habit, economic_consumption, utilization, manipulation, utilisation, utilize, United_States_of_America, America, use_of_goods_and_services, USA, apply, use, employment, habituate




• The clue is 32. Dine. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: EAT

  Possible Answer : run_through, deplete, eat_on, feed, use_up, exhaust, eat_up, consume, eat, corrode, rust, wipe_out




• The clue is 33. How heavy metal bands typically play. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: LOUDLY

  Possible Answer : forte, loudly, loud, obstreperously, clamorously, aloud

  Possible Opposite Answer : softly, piano




• The clue is 37. ___ Z, a.k.a. Zoomers. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: GEN

  Possible Answer : gen




• The clue is 38. Comedian Schumer or Poehler. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: AMY




• The clue is 39. Verbalize. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: SAY

  Possible Answer : order, state, say, sound_out, articulate, aver, enjoin, pronounce, enounce, allege, suppose, read, tell, enunciate




• The clue is 40. Water, in French. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: EAU




• The clue is 41. Subject of a will. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: ESTATE

  Possible Answer : the_three_estates, landed_estate, acres, demesne, land, estate_of_the_realm, estate




• The clue is 43. "My Zoom joke flopped … I guess it's not remotely funny," e.g.. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: PUN

  Possible Answer : wordplay, punning, pun, paronomasia




• The clue is 44. Marx who co-wrote "The Communist Manifesto". Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: KARL




• The clue is 45. Nursery rhyme about the hazards of decaying infrastructure. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (12 letters)

  The answer: LONDONBRIDGE




• The clue is 48. Energy, idiomatically. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: STEAM

  Possible Answer : steam_clean, steam, steamer




• The clue is 51. Flat tire's lack. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: AIR

  Possible Answer : tune, aerate, melodic_phrase, publicize, aura, melody, airwave, ventilate, zephyr, melodic_line, gentle_wind, air_out, vent, beam, bare, breeze, atmosphere, air, send, publicise, aviation, broadcast, transmit, strain, air_travel, line




• The clue is 52. Fashion magazine with a palindromic name. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: ELLE




• The clue is 53. Commodity measured in barrels. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: OIL

  Possible Answer : inunct, anele, anoint, embrocate, oil_color, crude_oil, rock_oil, crude, petroleum, vegetable_oil, fossil_oil, oil, oil_colour




• The clue is 54. Hypotheticals. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: IFS




• The clue is 56. This typeface. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (7 letters)

  The answer: ITALICS

  Possible Answer : italic, Italic, Italic_language




• The clue is 59. Nickname for the World Series … or what you might call 17-, 28- or 45-Across?. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (11 letters)

  The answer: FALLCLASSIC




• The clue is 62. Word repeated in a double negative. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: NOT

  Possible Answer : non, not




• The clue is 63. Operatic highlight. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: ARIA

  Possible Answer : aria




• The clue is 64. Purpose. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: INTENT

  Possible Answer : wrapped, design, absorbed, intention, engrossed, intent, captive, enwrapped, spirit, purport, purpose, aim




• The clue is 65. Barely scratch (out). Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: EKE




• The clue is 66. Quality of a hoarse voice. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: RASP

  Possible Answer : rasp, wood_file, rasping




• The clue is 67. Drunk-ish. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: TIPSY

  Possible Answer : tipsy, potty, tiddly




• The clue is 68. Work with needle and thread. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: SEW

  Possible Answer : tailor, sew_together, sew, stitch, tailor-make, run_up

Down Clues and Answers:

• The clue is 1. Angler's supply. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: BAIT

  Possible Answer: tantalize, razz, rag, hook, come-on, cod, tantalise, ride, sweetener, bait, decoy, twit, taunt, tease, rally, lure

• The clue is 2. Eight-armed creatures. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

  The answer: OCTOPUSES

  Possible Answer: octopus, devilfish

• The clue is 3. The Bible has an Old and New one. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

  The answer: TESTAMENT

  Possible Answer: Testament, will, testament

• The clue is 4. Obstacle for a would-be castle attacker. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: MOAT

  Possible Answer: fosse, moat

• The clue is 5. How often many people brush their teeth (avert your eyes, dentists!). Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (8 letters)

  The answer: ONCEADAY

• The clue is 6. Acorn-bearing tree. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: OAK

  Possible Answer: oak, oak_tree

• The clue is 7. Downhill skiing event. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: SLALOM

  Possible Answer: slalom

• The clue is 8. Poet St. Vincent Millay. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: EDNA

• The clue is 9. ___ Mahal. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: TAJ

• The clue is 10. R&B singer Baker. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: ANITA

• The clue is 11. Like birthday candles before the party starts. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: UNLIT

  Possible Answer: unlighted, unlit, lightless, unilluminated

  Possible Opposite Answer : lighted

• The clue is 12. Stories. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: TALES

  Possible Answer: narrative, tarradiddle, story, tale, taradiddle, narration, fib

• The clue is 14. Turn at the turntables, for short. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: DJSET

• The clue is 18. One might be squeaky or shaped like a bone. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: DOGTOY

• The clue is 20. "Napoleon Crossing the ___" (painting series). Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: ALPS

  Possible Answer: the_Alps, Alps, alp

• The clue is 25. Belly. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: GUT

  Possible Answer: intestine, gut, catgut, bowel

• The clue is 27. Sch. in Lower Manhattan. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: NYU

• The clue is 28. Ginormous. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: HUGE

  Possible Answer: huge, immense, vast, Brobdingnagian

• The clue is 29. Country south of Saudi Arabia. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: YEMEN

  Possible Answer: Republic_of_Yemen, Yemen

• The clue is 30. Fallback option. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: PLANB

• The clue is 34. "Submit by" dates. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

  The answer: DEADLINES

  Possible Answer: deadline

• The clue is 35. Beverage with a Big Mac, perhaps. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (9 letters)

  The answer: LARGECOKE

• The clue is 36. Christmas season. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: YULE

  Possible Answer: Yuletide, Christmastide, Christmastime, Christmas, Yule, Noel

• The clue is 38. Kind of clock that's ultraprecise. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: ATOMIC

  Possible Answer: atomic, nuclear

  Possible Opposite Answer : conventional

• The clue is 39. They brighten everyone's days. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (8 letters)

  The answer: SUNRISES

  Possible Answer: sunrise, dawn, morning, break_of_day, break_of_the_day, sunup, dayspring, cockcrow, daybreak, aurora, dawning, first_light

  Possible Opposite Answer : sunset

• The clue is 42. ___ carte. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: ALA

  Possible Answer: ala

• The clue is 43. Hawaiian taro dish. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: POI

  Possible Answer: poi

• The clue is 44. Pass idly, as time. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: KILL

  Possible Answer: down, defeat, belt_down, pour_down, toss_off, shoot_down, bolt_down, pop, drink_down, kill, obliterate, vote_down, putting_to_death, vote_out, wipe_out, stamp_out, killing

• The clue is 46. Bottled water brand. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (6 letters)

  The answer: DASANI

• The clue is 47. Respond to a stimulus. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: REACT

  Possible Answer: oppose, respond, react

• The clue is 48. To date. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: SOFAR

• The clue is 49. Sparkly headwear. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: TIARA

  Possible Answer: tiara

• The clue is 50. ___ Island (historic entry point for immigrants). Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (5 letters)

  The answer: ELLIS

  Possible Answer: Elli

• The clue is 55. Dart around. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: FLIT

  Possible Answer: dart, fleet, flutter, flit

• The clue is 57. Very small. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: TINY

  Possible Answer: petite, diminutive, lilliputian, midget, flyspeck, tiny, bantam

• The clue is 58. Hearty meal in a bowl. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (4 letters)

  The answer: STEW

  Possible Answer: stew, brood, swither, fret, grudge, sweat, lather, grizzle

• The clue is 60. Place for a snuggly cat. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: LAP

  Possible Answer: lave, lap_up, lap_covering, lick, overlap, circuit, swish, swoosh, swosh, circle, lap, wash

• The clue is 61. Valvoline competitor. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (3 letters)

  The answer: STP

  Possible Answer: s.t.p., STP

XWordHint Crossword Answers August 25, 2025 | Expert Breakdown & Tips

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 (39 clues)
• Across Clues - Detailed Hints
• Down Clues Table (39 clues)
• Down Clues - Detailed Hints
• Expert Solving Strategies
• Today's Puzzle Statistics

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Tricky

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. Trendy	3
2A	4. Remove, as pencil marks	5
3A	9. Goes past 21 in blackjack	5
4A	14. Commotion	3
5A	15. "___ Mia!" (2008 film)	5
6A	16. How ballerinas perform	5
7A	17. Fish commonly caught in the upper Midwest	9
8A	19. Squandered, as a big lead	5
9A	20. Now and ___	4
10A	21. Goof	3
11A	22. Spooks	6
12A	23. Arrange numerically, perhaps	4
13A	24. Player protecting a QB's blind side, often	10
14A	26. Cafeteria carrier	4
15A	28. Despise	4
16A	29. Follows orders	5
17A	31. Second-largest island in Hawaii	4
18A	33. Govt.-issued identifiers	4
19A	37. Saudi Arabian export	3
20A	38. Household chore traditionally done on Mondays	7
21A	41. Dessert often filled with fruit	3
22A	42. Spanish greeting	4
23A	44. Certain arm muscles, for short	4
24A	45. Make into law	5
25A	47. "The Lion King" lion	4
26A	49. Word after root or draft	4
27A	50. Salesperson making unsolicited phone contact	10
28A	55. Banned substances in sports, for short	4
29A	58. Tips off	6
30A	59. Kitchenware brand	3
31A	60. Focus of J. Robert Oppenheimer	4
32A	61. YouTube medium	5
33A	62. At stake ... or where you may find 17-, 24-, 38- and 50-Across	9
34A	64. Water brand whose natural spring was discovered by a French nobleman	5
35A	65. Many a summer TV airing	5
36A	66. Modern vaccine component	3
37A	67. Slow on the uptake	5
38A	68. Boasts	5
39A	69. Unit of corn	3

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Trendy"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
• Similar words include: articulatio coxae, pelvic girdle, rose hip
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "4. Remove, as pencil marks"

5 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that remove from memory or existence
• Similar words include: rub out, delete, efface
• Opposite of: record

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ERASE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "9. Goes past 21 in blackjack"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a complete failure
• Similar words include: tear, bout, break
• Opposite of: repair

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BUSTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Commotion"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a rapid active commotion
• Similar words include: hustle, fuss, stir
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ADO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. "___ Mia!" (2008 film)"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that informal terms for a mother
• Similar words include: mummy, ma, mom
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MAMMA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. How ballerinas perform"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ONTOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. Fish commonly caught in the upper Midwest"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LAKETROUT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Squandered, as a big lead"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that exhale hard
• Similar words include: bobble, bollocks, bollix up
• Opposite of: conserve

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BLOWN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Now and ___"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that that time; that moment
• Similar words include: and so, so, and then
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: THEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. Goof"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that to make a mistake or be incorrect
• Similar words include: stray, drift, mistake
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ERR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "22. Spooks"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events
• Similar words include: daunt, frighten away, panic attack
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SCARES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "23. Arrange numerically, perhaps"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
• Similar words include: sort out, kind, sieve
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SORT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "24. Player protecting a QB's blind side, often"

10 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: __________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LEFTTACKLE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "26. Cafeteria carrier"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an open receptacle for holding or displaying or serving articles or food
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TRAY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "28. Despise"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
• Similar words include: hatred, detest
• Opposite of: love

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "29. Follows orders"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that be obedient to
• Similar words include: obey
• Opposite of: disobey

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OBEYS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "31. Second-largest island in Hawaii"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the second largest of the hawaiian islands
• Similar words include: Maui Island
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MAUI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "33. Govt.-issued identifiers"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SSNS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "37. Saudi Arabian export"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water
• Similar words include: anoint, oil color, anele
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OIL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "38. Household chore traditionally done on Mondays"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that garments or white goods that can be cleaned by laundering
• Similar words include: washables, wash, washing
• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LAUNDRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "41. Dessert often filled with fruit"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that dish baked in pastry-lined pan often with a pastry top
• Similar words include: Proto-Indo European
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PIE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "42. Spanish greeting"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HOLA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "44. Certain arm muscles, for short"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TRIS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "45. Make into law"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that order by virtue of superior authority; decree
• Similar words include: reenact, ordain, act out
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ENACT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. "The Lion King" lion"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NALA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "49. Word after root or draft"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BEER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "50. Salesperson making unsolicited phone contact"

10 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: __________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: COLDCALLER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "55. Banned substances in sports, for short"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PEDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "58. Tips off"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that condition of heightened watchfulness or preparation for action
• Similar words include: alarum, alarm, alert
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ALERTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "59. Kitchenware brand"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OXO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "60. Focus of J. Robert Oppenheimer"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
• Similar words include: particle, corpuscle, molecule
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ATOM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "61. YouTube medium"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the visible part of a television transmission
• Similar words include: video recording, telecasting, picture
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: VIDEO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "62. At stake ... or where you may find 17-, 24-, 38- and 50-Across"

9 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ONTHELINE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "64. Water brand whose natural spring was discovered by a French nobleman"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EVIAN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "65. Many a summer TV airing"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a program that is broadcast again
• Similar words include: rebroadcast
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RERUN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36A: "66. Modern vaccine component"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (biochemistry) a long linear polymer of nucleotides found in the nucleus but mainly in the cytoplasm of a cell where it is associated with microsomes; it transmits genetic information from dna to the cytoplasm and controls certain chemical processes in the cell
• Similar words include: ribonucleic acid
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37A: "67. Slow on the uptake"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
• Similar words include: heavy, slow, impenetrable
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: DENSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38A: "68. Boasts"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an instance of boastful talk
• Similar words include: gas, crowing, brag
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BRAGS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39A: "69. Unit of corn"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
• Similar words include: capitulum, pinna, auricle
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No.	Clue	Letters
1D	1. Stops	5
2D	2. State whose panhandle touches British Columbia	5
3D	3. A smile, perhaps	9
4D	4. Ambulance worker, for short	3
5D	5. Only once in a while	6
6D	6. Love, in Italy	5
7D	7. Blue creature of kids' movies	5
8D	8. Put away, as dinner	3
9D	9. Ohio University athlete	6
10D	10. Loosens, as a shoe	7
11D	11. Baby deliverer, in folklore	5
12D	12. Dry (off)	5
13D	13. Have a feeling	5
14D	18. ___-level job	5
15D	22. Part of a flight	5
16D	25. Sounds of heavy things hitting the ground	5
17D	27. Silent way to communicate, in brief	3
18D	29. "___-la-la!"	3
19D	30. Science class, for short	3
20D	31. Many a public artwork	5
21D	32. Singer DiFranco	3
22D	34. Fifth wheel	9
23D	35. Actor Cage, informally	3
24D	36. Part of a tennis match	3
25D	39. Mythological Titan who bore the weight of the heavens on his shoulders	5
26D	40. "___-haw!"	3
27D	43. San ___ Fault	7
28D	46. Country holding one side of Mount Everest	5
29D	48. Start of a play	6
30D	49. Greeting between buddies	6
31D	50. Capitulated in negotiations	5
32D	51. Shade of green	5
33D	52. Opposite of ushered out	5
34D	53. Unsociable type	5
35D	54. When repeated, an old newsboy's cry	5
36D	56. Prima ___	5
37D	57. Mascara mishap	5
38D	62. Sphere	3
39D	63. Nav. rank	3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Stops"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the state of inactivity following an interruption
• Similar words include: kibosh, hitch, check
• Opposite of: start

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HALTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. State whose panhandle touches British Columbia"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a state in the rocky mountains
• Similar words include: Gem State, ID
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: IDAHO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. A smile, perhaps"

9 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: POKERTELL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Ambulance worker, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EMT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Only once in a while"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Similar words include: seldom
• Opposite of: often
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RARELY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Love, in Italy"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AMORE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Blue creature of kids' movies"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SMURF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Put away, as dinner"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that take in solid food
• Similar words include: deplete, feed, consume
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Ohio University athlete"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that small lynx of north america
• Similar words include: Lynx rufus, bay lynx
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BOBCAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Loosens, as a shoe"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that undo the ties of
• Similar words include: untie, unlace, unbrace
• Opposite of: tie

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: UNLACES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Baby deliverer, in folklore"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that large mostly old world wading birds typically having white-and-black plumage
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: STORK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12D: "12. Dry (off)"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a rectangular piece of absorbent cloth (or paper) for drying or wiping
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TOWEL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "13. Have a feeling"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a general conscious awareness
• Similar words include: sensory faculty, mother wit, horse sense
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SENSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "18. ___-level job"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an item inserted in a written record
• Similar words include: entryway, launching, entrance
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ENTRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "22. Part of a flight"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway
• Similar words include: step
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: STAIR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "25. Sounds of heavy things hitting the ground"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects)
• Similar words include: crump, thump, clunk
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: THUDS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "27. Silent way to communicate, in brief"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the sign language used in the united states
• Similar words include: American sign language
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ASL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "29. "___-la-la!""

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that express admiration and pleasure by uttering `ooh' or `aah'
• Similar words include: aah
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OOH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "30. Science class, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BIO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "31. Many a public artwork"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a painting that is applied to a wall surface
• Similar words include: wall painting
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MURAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "32. Singer DiFranco"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that black tropical american cuckoo
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ANI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "34. Fifth wheel"

9 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SPARETIRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "35. Actor Cage, informally"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "36. Part of a tennis match"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
• Similar words include: arrange, hardening, rigid
• Opposite of: rise

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "39. Mythological Titan who bore the weight of the heavens on his shoulders"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (greek mythology) a titan who was forced by zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders
• Similar words include: telamon, map collection, book of maps
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ATLAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "40. "___-haw!""

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: YEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "43. San ___ Fault"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ANDREAS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "46. Country holding one side of Mount Everest"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a small landlocked asian country high in the himalayas between india and china
• Similar words include: Kingdom of Nepal
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NEPAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "48. Start of a play"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ACTONE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "49. Greeting between buddies"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BROHUG

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "50. Capitulated in negotiations"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that hollow out as if making a cave or opening
• Similar words include: cave, undermine, spelunk
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CAVED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "51. Shade of green"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that small ovoid fruit of the european olive tree; important food and source of oil
• Similar words include: Olea europaea, European olive tree
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OLIVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "52. Opposite of ushered out"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LEDIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "53. Unsociable type"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a person who avoids the company or assistance of others
• Similar words include: lone wolf, lone hand
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LONER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "54. When repeated, an old newsboy's cry"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a minor actor in crowd scenes
• Similar words include: special, excess, redundant
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EXTRA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "56. Prima ___"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an italian woman of rank
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: DONNA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

37D: "57. Mascara mishap"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that slanderous defamation
• Similar words include: denigrate, vilification, cytologic smear
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SMEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

38D: "62. Sphere"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye
• Similar words include: globe, ball, eyeball
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ORB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

39D: "63. Nav. rank"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that half the width of an em
• Similar words include: nut, en
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ENS

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

39 Across Clues

39 Down Clues

78 Total Clues

More NYT Crossword Help

Looking for more puzzle solutions? Check out our comprehensive archive of NYT crossword hints and answers. We update daily with expert analysis and solving strategies.

• Complete NYT Crossword Archive
• Advanced Solving Techniques
• Common Crossword Words

Disclaimer: Crossword clues and grid © The New York Times. This site provides hints and educational content for puzzle enthusiasts. XWordHint is not affiliated with The New York Times.

Last updated: August 25, 2025 at 04:02 AM