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 (40 clues)
- Across Clues - Detailed Hints
- Down Clues Table (36 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. N.H.L.'s ___ Bay Lightning | 5 |
| 2A | 6. Parapsychologist's study, for short | 3 |
| 3A | 9. "Star Wars" droid, informally | 5 |
| 4A | 14. April Fools' Day sign | 5 |
| 5A | 15. Letters before a stage name | 3 |
| 6A | 16. In need of patching, perhaps | 5 |
| 7A | 17. Hillocks | 5 |
| 8A | 18. Test the water? | 3 |
| 9A | 19. Spicy chip brand | 5 |
| 10A | 20. To-do? | 4 |
| 11A | 21. Oversold | 5 |
| 12A | 23. Minor menace | 4 |
| 13A | 24. Colony member | 3 |
| 14A | 25. Persian, ___, Oriental, Navajo | 7 |
| 15A | 27. Golf item in a bag | 3 |
| 16A | 28. Motivational cheer | 3 |
| 17A | 29. Insignificant amount | 7 |
| 18A | 30. ___ Majesty | 3 |
| 19A | 31. Saucer crew, in brief | 3 |
| 20A | 33. "Wowzers!" | 3 |
| 21A | 34. Part of a rock band? | 3 |
| 22A | 36. Japan's national sport | 4 |
| 23A | 38. Reach an end | 5 |
| 24A | 40. M.B.A. subj. | 4 |
| 25A | 43. "Ozark" actor Morales | 4 |
| 26A | 44. Like many drama school students | 5 |
| 27A | 45. Made an appearance | 4 |
| 28A | 46. Mini mart? | 6 |
| 29A | 48. Brings out | 6 |
| 30A | 50. Where you might drink from a junmai glass | 7 |
| 31A | 52. Mercury, but not Venus | 7 |
| 32A | 53. Flooring choice for a mudroom | 4 |
| 33A | 54. Believe (to be) | 4 |
| 34A | 55. Violin, ___, cello, ___ | 15 |
| 35A | 62. "Need a hand?" | 4 |
| 36A | 63. Caves in | 5 |
| 37A | 64. Pay for play, perhaps | 4 |
| 38A | 65. March Madness placement | 4 |
| 39A | 66. Business card abbr. | 3 |
| 40A | 67. Strikebreaker | 4 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. N.H.L.'s ___ Bay Lightning"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a resort city in western florida; located on tampa bay on the gulf of mexico
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAMPA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2A: "6. Parapsychologist's study, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses
- Similar words include: clairvoyance, second sight, E.S.P.
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESP
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3A: "9. "Star Wars" droid, informally"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARTOO
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4A: "14. April Fools' Day sign"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in aries
- Similar words include: Aries the Ram, Ram
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARIES
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5A: "15. Letters before a stage name"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: AKA
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6A: "16. In need of patching, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that permitting the unwanted passage of fluids or gases
- Similar words include: talebearing, tattling, blabbermouthed
- Opposite of: tight
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEAKY
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7A: "17. Hillocks"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a growth in strength or number or importance
- Similar words include: go up, rising slope, advance
- Opposite of: sit down, turn in
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RISES
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8A: "18. Test the water?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small drink
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SIP
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9A: "19. Spicy chip brand"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAKIS
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10A: "20. To-do?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
- Similar words include: project, chore, labor
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TASK
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11A: "21. Oversold"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that publicize in an exaggerated and often misleading manner
- Similar words include: hype
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HYPED
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12A: "23. Minor menace"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
- Similar words include: blighter, cuss, gadfly
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEST
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13A: "24. Colony member"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
- Similar words include: emmet, pismire
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14A: "25. Persian, ___, Oriental, Navajo"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CUTARUG
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15A: "27. Golf item in a bag"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the starting place for each hole on a golf course
- Similar words include: teeing ground, golf tee, football tee
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEE
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16A: "28. Motivational cheer"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAH
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17A: "29. Insignificant amount"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small indefinite quantity (especially of a liquid); ; ; ; --kipling
- Similar words include: drib, drop
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRIBLET
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18A: "30. ___ Majesty"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HER
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19A: "31. Saucer crew, in brief"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ETS
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20A: "33. "Wowzers!""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity; used to indicate the force to which a body is subjected when it is accelerated
- Similar words include: g-force, g
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GEE
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21A: "34. Part of a rock band?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ORE
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22A: "36. Japan's national sport"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a japanese form of wrestling; you lose if you are forced out of a small ring or if any part of your body (other than your feet) touches the ground
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SUMO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23A: "38. Reach an end"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (`cease' is a noun only in the phrase `without cease') end
- Similar words include: lay off, end, finish
- Opposite of: begin, continue
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CEASE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24A: "40. M.B.A. subj."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ECON
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25A: "43. "Ozark" actor Morales"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESAI
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26A: "44. Like many drama school students"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARTSY
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27A: "45. Made an appearance"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
- Similar words include: number, come in, descend
- Opposite of: go, leave
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CAME
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28A: "46. Mini mart?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CARLOT
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29A: "48. Brings out"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
- Similar words include: provoke, enkindle, evoke
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVOKES
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30A: "50. Where you might drink from a junmai glass"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAKEBAR
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31A: "52. Mercury, but not Venus"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an abstract part of something
- Similar words include: factor, component, ingredient
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELEMENT
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32A: "53. Flooring choice for a mudroom"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a flat thin rectangular slab (as of fired clay or rubber or linoleum) used to cover surfaces
- Similar words include: roofing tile
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TILE
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33A: "54. Believe (to be)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
- Similar words include: hold, take for, view as
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DEEM
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34A: "55. Violin, ___, cello, ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _______________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PULLSOMESTRINGS
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35A: "62. "Need a hand?""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MAYI
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36A: "63. Caves in"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
- Similar words include: make, fall in, cave in
- Opposite of: take, starve
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GIVES
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37A: "64. Pay for play, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind
- Similar words include: erratum, literal error, typographical error
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TYPO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
38A: "65. March Madness placement"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small hard fruit
- Similar words include: seeded player, semen, come
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SEED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
39A: "66. Business card abbr."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEL
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40A: "67. Strikebreaker"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike
- Similar words include: rat, fink, strikebreaker
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCAB
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Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Dental hygienist's target | 6 |
| 2D | 2. Grande of "Wicked" | 6 |
| 3D | 3. Twain, ___, Hamill, Wahlberg | 11 |
| 4D | 4. Glimpse | 4 |
| 5D | 5. Stubborn sort | 3 |
| 6D | 6. "Slow down there, big guy!" | 9 |
| 7D | 7. Metro, ___, Sports, Lifestyle | 9 |
| 8D | 8. Like e-statements and digital receipts | 9 |
| 9D | 9. Key near Ctrl | 3 |
| 10D | 10. Bring in | 4 |
| 11D | 11. Red velvet, ___, Black Forest, angel food | 11 |
| 12D | 12. "Ah, that's making sense to me now" | 6 |
| 13D | 13. Delicacy that's often slurped | 6 |
| 14D | 21. "Ben-___" | 3 |
| 15D | 22. Outstanding | 3 |
| 16D | 25. Cassette successors | 3 |
| 17D | 26. Pontiac in a '60s song | 3 |
| 18D | 32. Head covering? | 9 |
| 19D | 35. Brings a fresh effort (to) | 9 |
| 20D | 36. Brief periods of time | 4 |
| 21D | 37. Insurance co. for military families | 4 |
| 22D | 38. Make a list of | 7 |
| 23D | 39. Cousins of grommets | 7 |
| 24D | 41. Foreshadowing | 4 |
| 25D | 42. Place for eggs | 4 |
| 26D | 47. Japanese belts | 4 |
| 27D | 49. Swerve | 4 |
| 28D | 51. Mail, as payment | 5 |
| 29D | 52. Ford flop | 5 |
| 30D | 55. Canadian leaders, for short | 3 |
| 31D | 56. Mideast inits. | 3 |
| 32D | 57. Caustic cleaner | 3 |
| 33D | 58. Woman with a chronological name? | 3 |
| 34D | 59. Home of the Natl. Museum of Mathematics | 3 |
| 35D | 60. Stat that may be weighted | 3 |
| 36D | 61. Cry uncontrollably | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Dental hygienist's target"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a salt used especially in baking powder
- Similar words include: Tatar, Mongol Tatar, cream of tartar
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TARTAR
Remember this word for future puzzles!
2D: "2. Grande of "Wicked""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that city in tunisia
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ARIANA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
3D: "3. Twain, ___, Hamill, Wahlberg"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MISSTHEMARK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
4D: "4. Glimpse"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a secret look
- Similar words include: peep, glint, glance
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PEEK
Remember this word for future puzzles!
5D: "5. Stubborn sort"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
- Similar words include: bum, atomic number 33, rear
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
6D: "6. "Slow down there, big guy!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EASYTIGER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
7D: "7. Metro, ___, Sports, Lifestyle"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SKIPABEAT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
8D: "8. Like e-statements and digital receipts"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PAPERLESS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
9D: "9. Key near Ctrl"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)
- Similar words include: elevation, EL, altitude
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
10D: "10. Bring in"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that gather, as of natural products
- Similar words include: draw, glean, harvest
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REAP
Remember this word for future puzzles!
11D: "11. Red velvet, ___, Black Forest, angel food"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAKETHECAKE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
12D: "12. "Ah, that's making sense to me now""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OKISEE
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13D: "13. Delicacy that's often slurped"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell; found on the sea bed mostly in coastal waters
- Similar words include: huitre
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OYSTER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
14D: "21. "Ben-___""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HUR
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15D: "22. Outstanding"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that that which is deserved or owed
- Similar words include: referable, ascribable, imputable
- Opposite of: undue
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DUE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
16D: "25. Cassette successors"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a soft bluish-white ductile malleable toxic bivalent metallic element; occurs in association with zinc ores
- Similar words include: Cd, certificate of deposit, candle
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CDS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
17D: "26. Pontiac in a '60s song"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GTO
Remember this word for future puzzles!
18D: "32. Head covering?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TOILETLID
Remember this word for future puzzles!
19D: "35. Brings a fresh effort (to)"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that commit once again, as of a crime
- Similar words include: recommit
- Pattern: _________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RECOMMITS
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20D: "36. Brief periods of time"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the systeme international d'unites
- Similar words include: secant, SEC, s
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SECS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "37. Insurance co. for military families"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: USAA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "38. Make a list of"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a book or pamphlet containing an enumeration of things
- Similar words include: catalogue
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CATALOG
Remember this word for future puzzles!
23D: "39. Cousins of grommets"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small hole (usually round and finished around the edges) in cloth or leather for the passage of a cord or hook or bar
- Similar words include: grommet, cringle, grummet
- Pattern: _______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EYELETS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
24D: "41. Foreshadowing"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a sign of something about to happen
- Similar words include: augur, bode, Oman
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OMEN
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "42. Place for eggs"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
- Similar words include: draw close, cuddle, snuggle
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEST
Remember this word for future puzzles!
26D: "47. Japanese belts"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (west indies) followers of a religious system involving witchcraft and sorcery
- Similar words include: obeah, obi
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OBIS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
27D: "49. Swerve"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that turn sharply; change direction abruptly
- Similar words include: slue, slew, swerve
- Opposite of: back
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VEER
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "51. Mail, as payment"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the topic that a person, committee, or piece of research is expected to deal with or has authority to deal with
- Similar words include: prorogue, postpone, remand
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: REMIT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "52. Ford flop"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EDSEL
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30D: "55. Canadian leaders, for short"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a syndrome that occurs in many women from 2 to 14 days before the onset of menstruation
- Similar words include: promethium, necropsy, post-mortem examination
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PMS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "56. Mideast inits."
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: UAE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "57. Caustic cleaner"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a strong solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LYE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "58. Woman with a chronological name?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (old testament) adam's wife in judeo-christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; god created eve from adam's rib and placed adam and eve in the garden of eden
- Similar words include: even, eventide, evening
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EVE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "59. Home of the Natl. Museum of Mathematics"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NYC
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "60. Stat that may be weighted"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted
- Similar words include: grade point average
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GPA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
36D: "61. Cry uncontrollably"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a dyspneic condition
- Similar words include: prick, shit, shortness of breath
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOB
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
40 Across Clues
36 Down Clues
76 Total Clues
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