December 21, 2022 NYT Clues Solutions | XWordHint

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

• Puzzle Overview & Difficulty
• Across Clues (37 clues)
• Down Clues (41 clues)
• Category Breakdown
• Complete Puzzle Statistics
• Pro Solving Tips

Puzzle Overview & Difficulty Analysis

Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Difficulty Level: Medium Tuesday Puzzle

Total Clues: 78 (37 Across, 41 Down)

Average Word Length: 4.9 letters

Master Today's Across: NYT Wednesday Puzzle December 21, 2022

No.	Clue	Letters
1A	1. Be an omen of	4
2A	5. Reduce	5
3A	10. Belabor, with "on"	4
4A	14. Follower of Bay or gray	4
5A	15. ___ setter	5
6A	16. Sheepish answer to "Who broke this?"	4
7A	17. Sign in a clearance section	15
8A	20. "___ soon?"	3
9A	21. The duck in "Peter and the Wolf"	4
10A	22. Grunts and groans, e.g.	6
11A	23. Country with the second-most Portuguese speakers	6
12A	25. Stretch	5
13A	27. Party people, for short	4
14A	29. Peach or plum	3
15A	30. Download that might use a freemium model	3
16A	33. "A fickle food," per Emily Dickinson	4
17A	36. Large-scale corporate union	10
18A	39. In the loop	5
19A	41. One able to lift 10 to 50 times its body weight	3
20A	42. Like flourless cake	5
21A	43. Dream hand for a poker player	10
22A	46. ___ slicker	4
23A	47. "Cabin Fever" director Roth	3
24A	48. Enthusiastic response to "Wanna come?"	3
25A	49. Expel	4
26A	51. Deceptive movement	5
27A	53. "Fudge," "fie" and "fiddlesticks" are some of the printable ones	6
28A	57. Title holders	6
29A	60. Ideal for audiophiles, in brief	4
30A	62. Swing ___	3
31A	63. "Why are you making such a fuss?" … or a hint to 17-, 36- and 43-Across	15
32A	66. It means nothing at Wimbledon	4
33A	67. U.S. theater awards	5
34A	68. Modify, as an article	4
35A	69. Key word when writing dialogue	4
36A	70. Word with due or true	5
37A	71. Manhattan, on an envelope	4

Let's Solve the Across Clues Together!

Here are helpful hints to solve each clue. Remember, crossword puzzles are like word games - have fun with them!

Clue 1 Across: "1. Be an omen of"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that indicate by signs
• Words that mean the same thing: omen, prognosticate, foretell
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: BODE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 2 Across: "5. Reduce"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a easy clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the lower of two berths
• Words that mean the same thing: small, depress, depressed
• The opposite would be: raise, high
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: LOWER

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 3 Across: "10. Belabor, with "on""

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck; the strings stretched between the neck and the soundbox are plucked with the fingers
• Words that mean the same thing: mouth organ, dwell, mouth harp
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: HARP

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 4 Across: "14. Follower of Bay or gray"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
• Words that mean the same thing: orbit, field, country
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: AREA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 5 Across: "15. ___ setter"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that people of ireland or of irish extraction
• Words that mean the same thing: Irish whisky, Irish Gaelic, Irish whiskey
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: IRISH

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 6 Across: "16. Sheepish answer to "Who broke this?""

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a expert clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: IDID

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 7 Across: "17. Sign in a clearance section"

Quick Info: This answer has 15 letters. It's a expert clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _______________
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: FIFTYPERCENTOFF

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 8 Across: "20. "___ soon?""

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a medium clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
• Words that mean the same thing: to a fault, excessively, besides
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: TOO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 9 Across: "21. The duck in "Peter and the Wolf""

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece
• Words that mean the same thing: hautbois, hautboy
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: OBOE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 10 Across: "22. Grunts and groans, e.g."

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
• Words that mean the same thing: noise, interference, resound
• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: NOISES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 11 Across: "23. Country with the second-most Portuguese speakers"

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a hard clue about geography.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a republic in southwestern africa on the atlantic ocean; achieved independence from portugal in 1975 and was the scene of civil war until 1990
• Words that mean the same thing: Republic of Angola
• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ANGOLA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 12 Across: "25. Stretch"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a easy clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that an unbroken period of time during which you do something
• Words that mean the same thing: Erolia minutilla, scrimp, least sandpiper
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: STINT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 13 Across: "27. Party people, for short"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about abbreviation.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a person active in party politics
• Words that mean the same thing: politico, political leader, pol
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: POLS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 14 Across: "29. Peach or plum"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a easy clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength
• Words that mean the same thing: imbue, chromaticity
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: HUE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 15 Across: "30. Download that might use a freemium model"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a medium clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: APP

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 16 Across: "33. "A fickle food," per Emily Dickinson"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a hard clue about food & drink.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed
• Words that mean the same thing: celebrity, renown
• The opposite would be: infamy
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: FAME

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 17 Across: "36. Large-scale corporate union"

Quick Info: This answer has 10 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: __________
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: MEGAMERGER

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 18 Across: "39. In the loop"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that (sometimes followed by `of') having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
• Words that mean the same thing: cognizant, mindful, cognisant
• The opposite would be: unmindful, unaware
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: AWARE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 19 Across: "41. One able to lift 10 to 50 times its body weight"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a medium clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be 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
• Words that mean the same thing: pismire, emmet
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ANT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 20 Across: "42. Like flourless cake"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
• Words that mean the same thing: dim, slow, dull
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: DENSE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 21 Across: "43. Dream hand for a poker player"

Quick Info: This answer has 10 letters. It's a expert clue about sports.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: __________
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ROYALFLUSH

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 22 Across: "46. ___ slicker"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
• Words that mean the same thing: urban center, metropolis
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: CITY

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 23 Across: "47. "Cabin Fever" director Roth"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a medium clue about celebrity/entertainment.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ELI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 24 Across: "48. Enthusiastic response to "Wanna come?""

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a hard clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the united states federal department charged with conservation and the development of natural resources; created in 1849
• Words that mean the same thing: Interior Department, Department of the Interior, Interior
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: DOI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 25 Across: "49. Expel"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a easy clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that remove from a position or office
• Words that mean the same thing: expel, boot out, throw out
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: OUST

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 26 Across: "51. Deceptive movement"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that any distracting or deceptive maneuver (as a mock attack)
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: FEINT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 27 Across: "53. "Fudge," "fie" and "fiddlesticks" are some of the printable ones"

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: FWORDS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 28 Across: "57. Title holders"

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that (law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
• Words that mean the same thing: possessor, owner, proprietor
• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: OWNERS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 29 Across: "60. Ideal for audiophiles, in brief"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: HIFI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 30 Across: "62. Swing ___"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a easy clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event
• Words that mean the same thing: geological era, earned run average, epoch
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ERA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 31 Across: "63. "Why are you making such a fuss?" … or a hint to 17-, 36- and 43-Across"

Quick Info: This answer has 15 letters. It's a expert clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _______________
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: WHATSTHEBIGDEAL

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 32 Across: "66. It means nothing at Wimbledon"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
• Words that mean the same thing: eff, lovemaking, make out
• The opposite would be: hate
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: LOVE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 33 Across: "67. U.S. theater awards"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about history.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: OBIES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 34 Across: "68. Modify, as an article"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting
• Words that mean the same thing: cut, redact, edit out
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: EDIT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 35 Across: "69. Key word when writing dialogue"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the chance to speak
• Words that mean the same thing: order, enounce, enjoin
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: SAYS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 36 Across: "70. Word with due or true"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the region of the united states lying to the north of the mason-dixon line
• Words that mean the same thing: N, magnetic north, Frederick North
• The opposite would be: south
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: NORTH

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 37 Across: "71. Manhattan, on an envelope"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: NYNY

  Great job if you got it right!

December 21, 2022 Down Hints: NYT Wednesday Crossword Guide

No.	Clue	Letters
1D	1. U.K. acting award	5
2D	2. Hunter visible at night	5
3D	3. Remove condensation from	5
4D	4. Conquer a hero?	3
5D	5. It can prevent cracking	7
6D	6. Snack item sometimes shown in ads next to a glass of milk	4
7D	7. Confusion might ensue when they're crossed	5
8D	8. Key for getting out, not in	3
9D	9. Metal next to tungsten on the periodic table	7
10D	10. Signal to play	5
11D	11. Brouhahas	4
12D	12. Widespread	4
13D	13. E-tickets often come as these	4
14D	18. Risk taker's acronym	4
15D	19. "You don't really have to"	6
16D	24. Field for Maria Callas	5
17D	26. "Oh yeah?"	6
18D	28. Protect, as freshness	6
19D	30. Hindu fire god	4
20D	31. Target for an exterminator	4
21D	32. Food, potentially	4
22D	33. Food	4
23D	34. Nowhere to be found	4
24D	35. "Do you mind?"	4
25D	37. Antelope with chin hair	3
26D	38. One side of a page	5
27D	40. Patriarchs and matriarchs	6
28D	44. Shove down the throat of	7
29D	45. Sulky	7
30D	50. Large swallow	4
31D	51. Major bashes	5
32D	52. "A League of ___ Own"	5
33D	54. Like marshes or bagpipes	5
34D	55. Exhaust physically	5
35D	56. Like tears and some language	5
36D	57. Bevy : quails :: parliament : ___	4
37D	58. "Now wait just a second!"	4
38D	59. Blue shade	4
39D	61. "Yeah, sure"	4
40D	64. "Euphoria" channel	3
41D	65. Place for thieves	3

Now Let's Solve the Down Clues!

Down clues go from top to bottom. Use the letters from your across answers to help!

Clue 1 Down: "1. U.K. acting award"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about history.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: BAFTA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 2 Down: "2. Hunter visible at night"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that (greek mythology) a giant boeotian hunter who pursued the pleiades and was eventually slain by artemis; was then placed in the sky as a constellation
• Words that mean the same thing: Hunter
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ORION

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 3 Down: "3. Remove condensation from"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that free from mist
• Words that mean the same thing: demist
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: DEFOG

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 4 Down: "4. Conquer a hero?"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a medium clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that take in solid food
• Words that mean the same thing: rust, use up, eat on
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: EAT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 5 Down: "5. It can prevent cracking"

Quick Info: This answer has 7 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: LIPBALM

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 6 Down: "6. Snack item sometimes shown in ads next to a glass of milk"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a expert clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that chocolate cookie with white cream filling
• Words that mean the same thing: oreo cookie
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: OREO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 7 Down: "7. Confusion might ensue when they're crossed"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
• Words that mean the same thing: wire, telegraph, conducting wire
• The opposite would be: unwire
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: WIRES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 8 Down: "8. Key for getting out, not in"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a medium clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ESC

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 9 Down: "9. Metal next to tungsten on the periodic table"

Quick Info: This answer has 7 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys; is obtained as a by-product in refining molybdenum
• Words that mean the same thing: atomic number 75, Re
• The word looks like this: _______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: RHENIUM

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 10 Down: "10. Signal to play"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: HITIT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 11 Down: "11. Brouhahas"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a easy clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a rapid active commotion
• Words that mean the same thing: ado, stir, bustle
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ADOS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 12 Down: "12. Widespread"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a easy clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that most frequent or common
• Words that mean the same thing: prevalent, dominant, overabundant
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: RIFE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 13 Down: "13. E-tickets often come as these"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: PDFS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 14 Down: "18. Risk taker's acronym"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: YOLO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 15 Down: "19. "You don't really have to""

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: NONEED

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 16 Down: "24. Field for Maria Callas"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes
• Words that mean the same thing: opera house
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: OPERA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 17 Down: "26. "Oh yeah?""

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: THATSO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 18 Down: "28. Protect, as freshness"

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: SEALIN

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 19 Down: "30. Hindu fire god"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that (sanskrit) hindu god of fire in ancient and traditional india; one of the three chief deities of the vedas
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: AGNI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 20 Down: "31. Target for an exterminator"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be 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
• Words that mean the same thing: cuss, gadfly, pestilence
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: PEST

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 21 Down: "32. Food, potentially"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about food & drink.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
• Words that mean the same thing: predate, fair game, target
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: PREY

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 22 Down: "33. Food"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a easy clue about food & drink.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that an agenda of things to do
• Words that mean the same thing: come, get along, make out
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: FARE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 23 Down: "34. Nowhere to be found"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that one who is away or absent without leave
• Words that mean the same thing: truant
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: AWOL

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 24 Down: "35. "Do you mind?""

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: MAYI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 25 Down: "37. Antelope with chin hair"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a medium clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that large african antelope having a head with horns like an ox and a long tufted tail
• Words that mean the same thing: wildebeest
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: GNU

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 26 Down: "38. One side of a page"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that right-hand page
• The opposite would be: verso
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: RECTO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 27 Down: "40. Patriarchs and matriarchs"

Quick Info: This answer has 6 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a person who is older than you are
• Words that mean the same thing: senior, elderberry bush, elder
• The word looks like this: ______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ELDERS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 28 Down: "44. Shove down the throat of"

Quick Info: This answer has 7 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: FOISTON

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 29 Down: "45. Sulky"

Quick Info: This answer has 7 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that sullen or moody
• Words that mean the same thing: sulky
• The word looks like this: _______
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: HUFFISH

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 30 Down: "50. Large swallow"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a large and hurried swallow
• Words that mean the same thing: quaff, draft, slog
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: SWIG

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 31 Down: "51. Major bashes"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that an elaborate party (often outdoors)
• Words that mean the same thing: feast, festival, fiesta
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: FETES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 32 Down: "52. "A League of ___ Own""

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: THEIR

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 33 Down: "54. Like marshes or bagpipes"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that having a tone of a reed instrument
• Words that mean the same thing: wheezy, reedlike
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: REEDY

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 34 Down: "55. Exhaust physically"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that emptying something accomplished by allowing liquid to run out of it
• Words that mean the same thing: drainpipe, enfeeble, debilitate
• The word looks like this: _____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: DRAIN

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 35 Down: "56. Like tears and some language"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that engagingly stimulating or provocative
• Words that mean the same thing: piquant
• The opposite would be: fresh
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: SALTY

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 36 Down: "57. Bevy : quails :: parliament : ___"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
• Words that mean the same thing: bird of Minerva, owl, hooter
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: OWLS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 37 Down: "58. "Now wait just a second!""

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: WHOA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 38 Down: "59. Blue shade"

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
• Words that mean the same thing: USN, US Navy, dark blue
• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: NAVY

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 39 Down: "61. "Yeah, sure""

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a medium clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ____
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: IBET

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 40 Down: "64. "Euphoria" channel"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a easy clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: HBO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 41 Down: "65. Place for thieves"

Quick Info: This answer has 3 letters. It's a easy clue about short answer.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the habitation of wild animals
• Words that mean the same thing: hideout, hideaway, lair
• The word looks like this: ___
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: DEN

  Great job if you got it right!

Category Breakdown

Category	Number of Clues	Percentage
General Knowledge	58	74.4%
Short Answer	11	14.1%
Food & Drink	3	3.8%
History	2	2.6%
Geography	1	1.3%
Abbreviation	1	1.3%
Sports	1	1.3%
Celebrity/Entertainment	1	1.3%

Complete Puzzle Statistics

Metric	Value
Across Clues	37
Down Clues	41
Total Clues	78
Average Answer Length	4.9 letters
Shortest Answer	3 letters
Longest Answer	15 letters

Fun Tips to Solve Crossword Puzzles!

• Start with short words first - they're usually easier!
• Look for clues with blanks to fill in - these are like fill-in-the-blank questions at school
• When letters cross, they must be the same in both words - this helps you check if you're right!
• Today is Wednesday, and these puzzles are usually medium level
• Most clues today are about general knowledge
• The average word today has about 4 letters
• Remember: It's okay to take breaks and come back later with fresh eyes!
• Ask someone for help if you need it - crosswords are more fun with friends!

Disclaimer: Crossword clues are property of The New York Times. This educational content is designed to help puzzle enthusiasts improve their solving skills.

Last Updated: September 05, 2025 at 11:16 AM

XWordHint Crossword Answers February 11, 2026 | 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 (35 clues)
• Across Clues - Detailed Hints
• Down Clues Table (44 clues)
• Down Clues - Detailed Hints
• Expert Solving Strategies
• Today's Puzzle Statistics

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Challenging

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. Lewis Carroll's "The ___ and the Carpenter"	6
2A	7. Something you might leave at the front door when entering a house	4
3A	11. "Yeah, right!"	4
4A	15. Quantity	6
5A	16. Words from someone who failed to understand	9
6A	18. "Oh, for heaven's sake!"	16
7A	20. Show contempt for, in a way	7
8A	21. Rain delay coverings	5
9A	22. Poet's dusk	3
10A	23. Mystical stuff	6
11A	26. "We don't discriminate in this workplace," in job ads	3
12A	29. Newfoundland or Labrador retriever	8
13A	31. Transcript fig.	3
14A	34. Openly resists	6
15A	36. "Then, window, let day in, and let ___ out": Juliet	4
16A	37. Smile broadly	4
17A	38. Arduous routine	5
18A	39. Get smart?	4
19A	40. "Priscilla" director Coppola	5
20A	41. How a German count might get started	4
21A	42. Swampy land	4
22A	43. Does the dishes?	6
23A	44. Complete collection	3
24A	45. Hoped-for prognosis for an election incumbent	8
25A	47. Twisty curve	3
26A	48. Spews out	6
27A	50. Big name in nail polish	3
28A	51. One-named singer with the 2017 platinum album "Melodrama"	5
29A	53. Trap	7
30A	57. 1957 rock 'n' roll classic suggested by this puzzle's circled letters	16
31A	62. Crème de la crème	9
32A	63. Prom, e.g.	6
33A	64. Iconic bit of NPR merch	4
34A	65. Confront	4
35A	66. Puts icing on	6

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Lewis Carroll's "The ___ and the Carpenter""

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that either of two large northern marine mammals having ivory tusks and tough hide over thick blubber
• Similar words include: seahorse, sea horse
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: WALRUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "7. Something you might leave at the front door when entering a house"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material
• Similar words include: skid, horseshoe, brake shoe
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SHOE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "11. "Yeah, right!""

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ASIF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "15. Quantity"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a quantity of money
• Similar words include: add up, amount of money, number
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AMOUNT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "16. Words from someone who failed to understand"

9 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: YOULOSTME

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "18. "Oh, for heaven's sake!""

16 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: GOODNESSGRACIOUS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "20. Show contempt for, in a way"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SNEERAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "21. Rain delay coverings"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that waterproofed canvas
• Similar words include: tarp, tarpaulin
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TARPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "22. Poet's dusk"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "23. Mystical stuff"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that information known only to a special group
• Similar words include: arcanum, secret
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ARCANA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "26. "We don't discriminate in this workplace," in job ads"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EEO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "29. Newfoundland or Labrador retriever"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: DOGBREED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "31. Transcript fig."

3 letters Category: Wordplay

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!

14A: "34. Openly resists"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that resist or confront with resistance
• Similar words include: dare, refuse, defy
• Opposite of: lend oneself

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: DEFIES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "36. "Then, window, let day in, and let ___ out": Juliet"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a characteristic state or mode of living
• Similar words include: spirit, animation, life story
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LIFE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "37. Smile broadly"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
• Similar words include: broadcast, transmit, irradiation
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BEAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "38. Arduous routine"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious
• Similar words include: crunch, moil, dig
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: GRIND

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "39. Get smart?"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an impudent or insolent rejoinder
• Similar words include: back talk, lip, backtalk
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "40. "Priscilla" director Coppola"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that capital and largest city of bulgaria located in western bulgaria
• Similar words include: Serdica, Bulgarian capital
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SOFIA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "41. How a German count might get started"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EINS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "42. Swampy land"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
• Similar words include: bog down, grind to a halt, quagmire
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MIRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "43. Does the dishes?"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
• Similar words include: ply, supply, cater
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CATERS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "44. Complete collection"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
• Similar words include: Seth, lay out, typeset
• Opposite of: rise

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SET

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "45. Hoped-for prognosis for an election incumbent"

8 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SAFESEAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "47. Twisty curve"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons
• Similar words include: Es, atomic number 99, einsteinium
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ESS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "48. Spews out"

6 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that put out or expel from a place
• Similar words include: turf out, expel, eject
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EJECTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "50. Big name in nail polish"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OPI

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "51. One-named singer with the 2017 platinum album "Melodrama""

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LORDE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "53. Trap"

7 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that take or catch as if in a snare or trap
• Similar words include: trammel, entrap, frame
• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ENSNARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "57. 1957 rock 'n' roll classic suggested by this puzzle's circled letters"

16 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: GREATBALLSOFFIRE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "62. Crème de la crème"

9 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BESTOFALL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "63. Prom, e.g."

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a lavish dance requiring formal attire
• Similar words include: courtly, schematic, dinner gown
• Opposite of: informal

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FORMAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "64. Iconic bit of NPR merch"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a capacious bag or basket
• Similar words include: lug, tote bag, tug
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TOTE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "65. Confront"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
• Similar words include: grimace, human face, confront
• Opposite of: avoid, back

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FACE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "66. Puts icing on"

6 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)
• Similar words include: icing, ice, freeze
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FROSTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No.	Clue	Letters
1D	1. Tail or finger motion	3
2D	2. Andy's partner in an old radio sitcom	4
3D	3. State bird of Minnesota	4
4D	4. Ill-mannered	4
5D	5. Superfluous	8
6D	6. Purchases for some audiophiles	7
7D	7. Part of GPS: Abbr.	4
8D	8. Not share, as the covers	3
9D	9. Taylor Swift's "___ Song"	3
10D	10. She, in São Paulo	3
11D	11. ___ pear (applelike fruit)	5
12D	12. Cost required to stow furniture, say	10
13D	13. "My turn to play!"	4
14D	14. Come clean, with "up"	4
15D	17. Eightsome	5
16D	19. Belted out	4
17D	23. Comes into play	6
18D	24. Play callers?	4
19D	25. It's for "cookie," to Cookie Monster	3
20D	26. Sides	5
21D	27. Inducing goose bumps	5
22D	28. Worth exploring	10
23D	30. Plays at full blast	6
24D	32. What pants come in that shirts don't	5
25D	33. Accumulate	5
26D	35. Useful contacts	3
27D	37. Online automaton	3
28D	39. Search (through)	4
29D	40. Replaced as a substitute	8
30D	42. ___ and cheese	3
31D	43. Finishes with flair	7
32D	45. Take care of, as a task	5
33D	46. Seeming eternities	4
34D	49. Matchmaking site with a "synagogue attendance" filter	5
35D	51. Pride Month letters	4
36D	52. Black-and-white mouthful	4
37D	53. Actress Fanning	4
38D	54. Lead-in to Cuban or Caribbean	4
39D	55. Glasses sans glass	4
40D	56. Q.E.D. part	4
41D	58. Fave pal	3
42D	59. Small battery	3
43D	60. Cousin of Inc.	3
44D	61. Enrollment center?	3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Tail or finger motion"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a witty amusing person who makes jokes
• Similar words include: waggle, wit, shake
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: WAG

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2D: "2. Andy's partner in an old radio sitcom"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a hebrew shepherd and minor prophet
• Similar words include: Book of Amos
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AMOS

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3D: "3. State bird of Minnesota"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a worthless lazy fellow
• Similar words include: addlehead, birdbrain, addle-head
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LOON

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4D: "4. Ill-mannered"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that socially incorrect in behavior
• Similar words include: raw, natural, unmannered
• Opposite of: civil

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RUDE

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5D: "5. Superfluous"

8 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that not necessary
• Similar words include: unnecessary
• Opposite of: necessary

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: UNNEEDED

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6D: "6. Purchases for some audiophiles"

7 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that reproducer in which two microphones feed two or more loudspeakers to give a three-dimensional effect to the sound
• Similar words include: stereoscopic photograph, stereophony, stereoscopic picture
• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: STEREOS

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7D: "7. Part of GPS: Abbr."

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SYST

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8D: "8. Not share, as the covers"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a person regarded as greedy and pig-like
• Similar words include: hogget, Sus scrofa, hogg
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HOG

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9D: "9. Taylor Swift's "___ Song""

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OUR

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10D: "10. She, in São Paulo"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an extreme leftist terrorist group formed in greece in 1971 to oppose the military junta that ruled greece from 1967 to 1974; a revolutionary group opposed to capitalism and imperialism and the united states
• Similar words include: Revolutionary People's Struggle
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ELA

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11D: "11. ___ pear (applelike fruit)"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a native or inhabitant of asia
• Similar words include: Asiatic
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ASIAN

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12D: "12. Cost required to stow furniture, say"

10 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: __________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: STORAGEFEE

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13D: "13. "My turn to play!""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: IMUP

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14D: "14. Come clean, with "up""

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (heraldry) an ordinary consisting of a broad horizontal band across a shield
• Similar words include: Fes, Fez, fesse
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FESS

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15D: "17. Eightsome"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one
• Similar words include: ogdoad, eighter, VIII
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OCTAD

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16D: "19. Belted out"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that north american woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the chinese ginseng
• Similar words include: blab, Panax quinquefolius, peach
• Opposite of: keep quiet

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SANG

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17D: "23. Comes into play"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that come into existence; take on form or shape
• Similar words include: turn out, go up, bob up
• Opposite of: turn in, go to bed

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ARISES

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18D: "24. Play callers?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (sports) the chief official (as in boxing or american football) who is expected to ensure fair play
• Similar words include: referee, ref
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: REFS

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19D: "25. It's for "cookie," to Cookie Monster"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CEE

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20D: "26. Sides"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the boundary of a surface
• Similar words include: inch, butt on, sharpness
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EDGES

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21D: "27. Inducing goose bumps"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious
• Similar words include: eery
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EERIE

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22D: "28. Worth exploring"

10 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: __________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OFINTEREST

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23D: "30. Plays at full blast"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a loud harsh or strident noise
• Similar words include: blare, din, clamor
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BLARES

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24D: "32. What pants come in that shirts don't"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a set of two similar things considered as a unit
• Similar words include: couplet, brace, pair off
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PAIRS

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25D: "33. Accumulate"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that collect or gather
• Similar words include: pile up, compile, collect
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AMASS

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26D: "35. Useful contacts"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an agency in the department of justice that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to the united states
• Similar words include: inch, indium, IN
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: INS

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27D: "37. Online automaton"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that botfly larva; typically develops inside the body of a horse or sheep or human
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BOT

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28D: "39. Search (through)"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that move as if through a sieve
• Similar words include: sieve, strain
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SIFT

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29D: "40. Replaced as a substitute"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SATINFOR

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30D: "42. ___ and cheese"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric
• Similar words include: mack, mackintosh, macintosh
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MAC

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31D: "43. Finishes with flair"

7 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CAPSOFF

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32D: "45. Take care of, as a task"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SEETO

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33D: "46. Seeming eternities"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the longest division of geological time
• Similar words include: aeon, eon
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EONS

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34D: "49. Matchmaking site with a "synagogue attendance" filter"

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: JDATE

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35D: "51. Pride Month letters"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LGBT

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36D: "52. Black-and-white mouthful"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that chocolate cookie with white cream filling
• Similar words include: oreo cookie
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OREO

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37D: "53. Actress Fanning"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ELLE

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38D: "54. Lead-in to Cuban or Caribbean"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a rounded thickly curled hairdo
• Similar words include: Afro hairdo
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AFRO

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39D: "55. Glasses sans glass"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object
• Similar words include: brim, rim, flange
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RIMS

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40D: "56. Q.E.D. part"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ERAT

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41D: "58. Fave pal"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BFF

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42D: "59. Small battery"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta associated with old age and hypertension
• Similar words include: abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AAA

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43D: "60. Cousin of Inc."

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LLC

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44D: "61. Enrollment center?"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)
• Similar words include: altitude, EL, elevated railway
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ELS

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

35 Across Clues

44 Down Clues

79 Total Clues

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Last updated: February 11, 2026 at 05:15 AM