December 27, 2023 NYT Clues Solutions | XWordHint

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

• Puzzle Overview & Difficulty
• Across Clues (39 clues)
• Down Clues (37 clues)
• Category Breakdown
• Complete Puzzle Statistics
• Pro Solving Tips

Puzzle Overview & Difficulty Analysis

Date: Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Difficulty Level: Moderate Wednesday Puzzle

Total Clues: 76 (39 Across, 37 Down)

Average Word Length: 5.0 letters

December 27, 2023 Wednesday NYT - Complete Across Solutions

No.	Clue	Letters
1A	1. Travel requirement, at times	4
2A	5. Where the 10 countries with the lowest median age are all located	6
3A	11. Sounds of surprise	3
4A	14. Book before Romans	4
5A	15. "King James"	6
6A	16. Word before nail or after steel	3
7A	17. Cluster, as of grass	4
8A	18. Product of volcanic activity	6
9A	19. Certain grueling race, informally	3
10A	20. Factory ___	5
11A	22. Moccasins, but not oxfords	7
12A	24. Voice of doom	8
13A	27. It's a me problem	6
14A	28. End up OK	6
15A	29. Boring bit	5
16A	31. Not forbidden	5
17A	32. "A Doll's House" playwright	5
18A	33. Quattro preceder	3
19A	36. "Joking!"	4
20A	37. Secret traders	5
21A	38. Father on "Modern Family"	4
22A	39. Prof's helpers	3
23A	40. Mary, Queen of ___	5
24A	41. Roman fountain name	5
25A	42. Digital money	5
26A	43. Van Gogh masterpiece	6
27A	44. One dying for a cause	6
28A	47. Leave a mark on?	8
29A	49. Put up	7
30A	51. Japanese exporter of diesel engines	5
31A	52. Coastal inlet	3
32A	53. "___ Fideles"	6
33A	55. Letters that go in both blanks of ___ ___tofferson	4
34A	58. Jug unit: Abbr.	3
35A	59. Comfy shoe	6
36A	60. Bank note made of pure cotton fiber	4
37A	61. Bow-making timber	3
38A	62. "Enthusiasm is the mother of ___": Ralph Waldo Emerson	6
39A	63. One may ask for a dinner preference	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. Travel requirement, at times"

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 endorsement made in a passport that allows the bearer to enter the country issuing 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: VISA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 2 Across: "5. Where the 10 countries with the lowest median age are all located"

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 the second largest continent; located to the south of europe and bordered to the west by the south atlantic and to the east by the indian ocean
• 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: AFRICA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 3 Across: "11. Sounds of surprise"

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 midwestern state in north central united states in the great lakes region
• Words that mean the same thing: Ohio, Buckeye State, OH
• 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: OHS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 4 Across: "14. Book before Romans"

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

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a new testament book describing the development of the early church from christ's ascension to paul's sojourn at rome
• Words that mean the same thing: deed, roleplay, number
• The opposite would be: refrain
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ACTS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 5 Across: "15. "King James""

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: LEBRON

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 6 Across: "16. Word before nail or after steel"

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 one of the digits of the foot
• Words that mean the same thing: toenail
• 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: TOE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 7 Across: "17. Cluster, as of grass"

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 bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass
• Words that mean the same thing: tussock
• 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: TUFT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 8 Across: "18. Product of volcanic activity"

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 the commonest type of solidified lava; a dense dark grey fine-grained igneous rock that is composed chiefly of plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene
• 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: BASALT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 9 Across: "19. Certain grueling race, informally"

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: TRI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 10 Across: "20. Factory ___"

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

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that device for resetting instruments or controls
• Words that mean the same thing: readjust
• 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: RESET

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 11 Across: "22. Moccasins, but not oxfords"

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: SLIPONS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 12 Across: "24. Voice of doom"

Quick Info: This answer has 8 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a person who alarms others needlessly
• 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: ALARMIST

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 13 Across: "27. It's a me problem"

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 (ethics) the theory that the pursuit of your own welfare in the basis of morality
• Words that mean the same thing: self-centeredness, egocentrism, self-concern
• The opposite would be: altruism
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: EGOISM

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 14 Across: "28. End up OK"

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: PANOUT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 15 Across: "29. Boring bit"

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 long flexible steel coil for dislodging stoppages in curved pipes
• Words that mean the same thing: gimlet, wimble, plumber's snake
• 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: AUGER

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 16 Across: "31. Not forbidden"

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 sanctioned by custom or morality especially sexual morality
• Words that mean the same thing: lawful, legitimate
• The opposite would be: illicit
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: LICIT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 17 Across: "32. "A Doll's House" playwright"

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 realistic norwegian author who wrote plays on social and political themes (1828-1906)
• Words that mean the same thing: Henrik Johan Ibsen, Henrik Ibsen
• 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: IBSEN

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 18 Across: "33. Quattro preceder"

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: TRE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 19 Across: "36. "Joking!""

Quick Info: This answer has 4 letters. It's a easy 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: IKID

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 20 Across: "37. Secret traders"

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 (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
• Words that mean the same thing: undercover agent, snoop, sleuth
• 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: SPIES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 21 Across: "38. Father on "Modern Family""

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: PHIL

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 22 Across: "39. Prof's helpers"

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 hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite
• Words that mean the same thing: atomic number 73, tantalum, Ta
• 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: TAS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 23 Across: "40. Mary, Queen of ___"

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 dialect of english used in scotland
• Words that mean the same thing: Scot, Scottish, Scots English
• 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: SCOTS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 24 Across: "41. Roman fountain name"

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: TREVI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 25 Across: "42. Digital money"

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: ECASH

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 26 Across: "43. Van Gogh masterpiece"

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 plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals
• Words that mean the same thing: iris, iris diaphragm, fleur-de-lis
• 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: IRISES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 27 Across: "44. One dying for a cause"

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 one who suffers for the sake of principle
• Words that mean the same thing: martyrise, martyrize, sufferer
• 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: MARTYR

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 28 Across: "47. Leave a mark on?"

Quick Info: This answer has 8 letters. It's a expert clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments
• Words that mean the same thing: comment, gloss, footnote
• 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: ANNOTATE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 29 Across: "49. Put up"

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 construct, build, or erect
• Words that mean the same thing: rear, set up, erect
• The opposite would be: level
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: ERECTED

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 30 Across: "51. Japanese exporter of diesel engines"

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: ISUZU

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 31 Across: "52. Coastal inlet"

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: RIA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 32 Across: "53. "___ Fideles""

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: ADESTE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 33 Across: "55. Letters that go in both blanks of ___ ___tofferson"

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 malayan dagger with a wavy blade
• Words that mean the same thing: creese, crease
• 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: KRIS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 34 Across: "58. Jug unit: Abbr."

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

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that united states liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters
• Words that mean the same thing: gallon
• 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: GAL

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 35 Across: "59. Comfy shoe"

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 person who does no work
• Words that mean the same thing: layabout, bum, idler
• 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: LOAFER

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 36 Across: "60. Bank note made of pure cotton fiber"

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 the basic monetary unit of most members of the european union (introduced in 1999); in 2002 twelve european nations (germany, france, belgium, luxembourg, the netherlands, italy, spain, portugal, ireland, greece, austria, finland) adopted the euro as their basic unit of money and abandoned their traditional currencies
• 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: EURO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 37 Across: "61. Bow-making timber"

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 any of various trees of the genus ulmus: important timber or shade trees
• Words that mean the same thing: elmwood, elm tree
• 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: ELM

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 38 Across: "62. "Enthusiasm is the mother of ___": Ralph Waldo Emerson"

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 earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
• Words that mean the same thing: attempt, sweat, drive
• 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: EFFORT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 39 Across: "63. One may ask for a dinner preference"

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: RSVP

  Great job if you got it right!

Down Clues Decoded - Wednesday NYT Crossword December 27, 2023

No.	Clue	Letters
1D	1. Acid container, maybe	3
2D	2. Hosp. area	3
3D	3. Friar known for his patronage of animals	9
4D	4. What had a major impact on this puzzle's theme?	8
5D	5. Notwithstanding	6
6D	6. Guinness records, typically	5
7D	7. Some handoff recipients in football, for short	3
8D	8. Some investments, in brief	4
9D	9. Boston, Amherst and others	8
10D	10. Immune response trigger	7
11D	11. "Great" 10th-century emperor	5
12D	12. Features of many ceratopsians	5
13D	13. Something possibly triggered during a mass extinction event	5
14D	21. Blue material	4
15D	23. "___ favor"	3
16D	24. Accelerated H.S. English course	5
17D	25. First dog on an orbital spaceflight	5
18D	26. Novelist King who wrote "Caretakers" and "One on One"	7
19D	30. Applications	4
20D	32. Some W.S.J. topics	4
21D	33. Writer's reference … or what each row of shaded letters is missing?	9
22D	34. It helps keep a tight ship tight	5
23D	35. Beethoven's "Für ___"	5
24D	37. Spooked by	8
25D	38. Annual architecture award	8
26D	40. Ancient method of encipherment with a message wrapped around a cylinder	7
27D	41. Pants, but half off?	4
28D	42. List follower	3
29D	43. Newspaper supplement	6
30D	44. Come together	5
31D	45. Common typeface	5
32D	46. Ruler's dimensions?	5
33D	48. Crystalline mineral deposits in some caves	5
34D	50. Like Beethoven, by his mid-40s	4
35D	54. West Coast airport code	3
36D	56. Music producer Gotti who worked with Ja Rule and J.Lo	3
37D	57. Soak (up)	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. Acid container, maybe"

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 a tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of production
• Words that mean the same thing: value-added tax, ad valorem tax, tub
• 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: VAT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 2 Down: "2. Hosp. area"

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 hospital unit staffed and equipped to provide intensive care
• Words that mean the same thing: intensive care unit
• 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: ICU

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 3 Down: "3. Friar known for his patronage of animals"

Quick Info: This answer has 9 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: STFRANCIS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 4 Down: "4. What had a major impact on this puzzle's theme?"

Quick Info: This answer has 8 letters. It's a expert clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of mars and jupiter)
• Words that mean the same thing: star-shaped
• 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: ASTEROID

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 5 Down: "5. Notwithstanding"

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: ALBEIT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 6 Down: "6. Guinness records, typically"

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 notable achievement
• Words that mean the same thing: effort, exploit, feat
• 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: FEATS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 7 Down: "7. Some handoff recipients in football, for short"

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

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group; burns in air and reacts violently in water; occurs in carnallite and lepidolite and pollucite
• Words that mean the same thing: Rb, rubidium, atomic number 37
• 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: RBS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 8 Down: "8. Some investments, in brief"

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 militant organization of irish nationalists who used terrorism and guerilla warfare in an effort to drive british forces from northern ireland and achieve a united independent ireland
• Words that mean the same thing: Provisional Irish Republican Army, wrath, IRA
• 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: IRAS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 9 Down: "9. Boston, Amherst and others"

Quick Info: This answer has 8 letters. It's a hard clue about general knowledge.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that the body of faculty and students of a college
• Words that mean the same thing: college
• 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: COLLEGES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 10 Down: "10. Immune response trigger"

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 any substance (as a toxin or enzyme) that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the production of antibodies)
• 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: ANTIGEN

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 11 Down: "11. "Great" 10th-century emperor"

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: OTTOI

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 12 Down: "12. Features of many ceratopsians"

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

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it
• Words that mean the same thing: trump, hooter, saddle horn
• 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: HORNS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 13 Down: "13. Something possibly triggered during a mass extinction event"

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 shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity
• Words that mean the same thing: temblor, earthquake, quake
• 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: SEISM

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 14 Down: "21. Blue material"

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 black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink
• Words that mean the same thing: lampblack, crock, smut fungus
• 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: SMUT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 15 Down: "23. "___ favor""

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: POR

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 16 Down: "24. Accelerated H.S. English course"

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: APLIT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 17 Down: "25. First dog on an orbital spaceflight"

Quick Info: This answer has 5 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: LAIKA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 18 Down: "26. Novelist King who wrote "Caretakers" and "One on One""

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

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: TABITHA

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 19 Down: "30. Applications"

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 the act of using
• Words that mean the same thing: practice, utilize, economic consumption
• 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: USES

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 20 Down: "32. Some W.S.J. topics"

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 corporation's first offer to sell stock to the public
• Words that mean the same thing: initial offering, IPO, initial public offering
• 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: IPOS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 21 Down: "33. Writer's reference … or what each row of shaded letters is missing?"

Quick Info: This answer has 9 letters. It's a expert clue about literature.

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that a book containing a classified list of synonyms
• Words that mean the same thing: synonym finder
• 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: THESAURUS

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 22 Down: "34. It helps keep a tight ship tight"

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 ornament consisting of a circular rounded protuberance (as on a vault or shield or belt)
• Words that mean the same thing: concentrate, centre, stud
• 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: RIVET

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 23 Down: "35. Beethoven's "Für ___""

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: ELISE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 24 Down: "37. Spooked by"

Quick Info: This answer has 8 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: SCAREDOF

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 25 Down: "38. Annual architecture award"

Quick Info: This answer has 8 letters. It's a hard 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: PRITZKER

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 26 Down: "40. Ancient method of encipherment with a message wrapped around a cylinder"

Quick Info: This answer has 7 letters. It's a hard 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: SCYTALE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 27 Down: "41. Pants, but half off?"

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: TROU

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 28 Down: "42. List follower"

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: ETC

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 29 Down: "43. Newspaper supplement"

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 folded section placed between the leaves of another publication
• Words that mean the same thing: cut-in, enclose, inclose
• 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: INSERT

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 30 Down: "44. Come together"

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 mix together different elements
• Words that mean the same thing: unite, combine, mix
• The opposite would be: disunify
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: MERGE

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 31 Down: "45. Common typeface"

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: ARIAL

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 32 Down: "46. Ruler's dimensions?"

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 a domain in which something is dominant
• Words that mean the same thing: land, region, kingdom
• 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: REALM

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 33 Down: "48. Crystalline mineral deposits in some caves"

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

Here's how to solve it:

• This could be something that (kno3) used especially as a fertilizer and explosive
• Words that mean the same thing: saltpeter, potassium nitrate, saltpetre
• 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: NITER

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 34 Down: "50. Like Beethoven, by his mid-40s"

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 people who have severe hearing impairments
• Words that mean the same thing: deafen, indifferent
• The opposite would be: hearing
• Still stuck? Remember to use the crossing words to help you!
• Ready for the answer? Click here!

  The answer is: DEAF

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 35 Down: "54. West Coast airport code"

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: SFO

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 36 Down: "56. Music producer Gotti who worked with Ja Rule and J.Lo"

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

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: IRV

  Great job if you got it right!

Clue 37 Down: "57. Soak (up)"

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 piece of solid food for dipping in a liquid
• Words that mean the same thing: souse, drench, soak through
• 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: SOP

  Great job if you got it right!

Category Breakdown

Category	Number of Clues	Percentage
General Knowledge	50	65.8%
Short Answer	13	17.1%
History	6	7.9%
Literature	3	3.9%
Abbreviation	2	2.6%
Celebrity/Entertainment	1	1.3%
Music	1	1.3%

Complete Puzzle Statistics

Metric	Value
Across Clues	39
Down Clues	37
Total Clues	76
Average Answer Length	5.0 letters
Shortest Answer	3 letters
Longest Answer	9 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 moderate level
• Most clues today are about general knowledge
• The average word today has about 5 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: August 28, 2025 at 04:47 PM

XWordHint Crossword Answers June 02, 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 (41 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. Capital located on a fjord	4
2A	5. Battling militarily	5
3A	10. State with the highest Mormon population	4
4A	14. Snow clearer	4
5A	15. Selected	5
6A	16. ___ minimum	4
7A	17. "You missed your chance!"	10
8A	19. Silver weapon brandished by one hoping for gold	4
9A	20. Huge	7
10A	21. "It's legit!"	7
11A	23. ___ Rica	5
12A	24. One with special access, in brief	3
13A	25. Gets a pooch to attack	12
14A	33. One who might call you out if you get home late?	3
15A	36. Hindi term meaning "master"... or "mister"	5
16A	37. "My apologies!"	5
17A	38. Part of a house or a mouth	4
18A	40. Obstetrician's specialty	5
19A	42. Part of a shoe or many a bra	4
20A	43. Setting for Arthur Miller's "The Crucible"	5
21A	45. Dance for flexible people	5
22A	47. It might say "Home Sweet Home"	3
23A	48. Picked at one's food, in an avian metaphor	12
24A	51. Baton Rouge sch.	3
25A	52. Wash with a glycol spray, as an airplane wing	5
26A	56. With 63-Across, question hinted at by the beginnings of 17-, 21-, 25- and 48-Across	7
27A	60. Marsupial whose name sometimes omits its first letter	7
28A	62. Tony ___, former Cowboys QB	4
29A	63. See 56-Across	10
30A	65. All over again	4
31A	66. "No bid from me"	5
32A	67. Bad forecast for a parade	4
33A	68. Ivy in Philadelphia, familiarly	4
34A	69. Letter-shaped groove for a fastener	5
35A	70. Barely made, with "out"	4

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Capital located on a fjord"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the capital and largest city of norway; the country's main port; located at the head of a fjord on norway's southern coast
• Similar words include: Christiania, capital of Norway
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OSLO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "5. Battling militarily"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ATWAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "10. State with the highest Mormon population"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a state in the western united states; settled in 1847 by mormons led by brigham young
• Similar words include: UT, Beehive State, Mormon State
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: UTAH

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "14. Snow clearer"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a farm tool having one or more heavy blades to break the soil and cut a furrow prior to sowing
• Similar words include: handle, deal, cover
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PLOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "15. Selected"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
• Similar words include: pick out, take, choose
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CHOSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "16. ___ minimum"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that make public
• Similar words include: stark, strip, stripped
• Opposite of: sheathed, covered

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BARE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "17. "You missed your chance!""

10 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: __________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TOOLATENOW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "19. Silver weapon brandished by one hoping for gold"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a fencing sword similar to a foil but with a heavier blade
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EPEE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "20. Huge"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; - w.r.inge
• Similar words include: Brobdingnagian, vast, huge
• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: IMMENSE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "21. "It's legit!""

7 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FORREAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "23. ___ Rica"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a riblike part of a plant or animal (such as a middle rib of a leaf or a thickened vein of an insect wing)
• Similar words include: rib
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: COSTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "24. One with special access, in brief"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an important or influential (and often overbearing) person
• Similar words include: high muckamuck, dignitary, high-up
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: VIP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "25. Gets a pooch to attack"

12 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SICSTHEDOGON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "33. One who might call you out if you get home late?"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an official at a baseball game
• Similar words include: umpire
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: UMP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "36. Hindi term meaning "master"... or "mister""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that formerly a term of respect for important white europeans in colonial india; used after the name
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SAHIB

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "37. "My apologies!""

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
• Similar words include: grim, no-account, disconsolate
• Opposite of: unregretful

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SORRY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "38. Part of a house or a mouth"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
• Similar words include: ceiling, cap
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ROOF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "40. Obstetrician's specialty"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
• Similar words include: undertaking, drudge, dig
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LABOR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "42. Part of a shoe or many a bra"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment)
• Similar words include: entwine, enlace, spike
• Opposite of: untwine

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LACE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "43. Setting for Arthur Miller's "The Crucible""

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that capital of the state of oregon in the northwestern part of the state on the willamette river
• Similar words include: capital of Oregon
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SALEM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "45. Dance for flexible people"

5 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the state of being disregarded or forgotten
• Similar words include: oblivion
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LIMBO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "47. It might say "Home Sweet Home""

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a thick flat pad used as a floor covering
• Similar words include: matt, lustrelessness, felt up
• Opposite of: disentangle, unsnarl

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MAT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23A: "48. Picked at one's food, in an avian metaphor"

12 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ATELIKEABIRD

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24A: "51. Baton Rouge sch."

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LSU

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25A: "52. Wash with a glycol spray, as an airplane wing"

5 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that make or become free of frost or ice
• Similar words include: de-ice, defrost
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: DEICE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26A: "56. With 63-Across, question hinted at by the beginnings of 17-, 21-, 25- and 48-Across"

7 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: WHODOWE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27A: "60. Marsupial whose name sometimes omits its first letter"

7 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that small furry australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails
• Similar words include: possum, phalanger
• Pattern: _______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OPOSSUM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "62. Tony ___, former Cowboys QB"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ROMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "63. See 56-Across"

10 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that recognize with gratitude; be grateful for
• Similar words include: treasure, take account, prize
• Opposite of: depreciate

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: APPRECIATE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30A: "65. All over again"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that again but in a new or different way
• Similar words include: afresh
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ANEW

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31A: "66. "No bid from me""

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: IPASS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32A: "67. Bad forecast for a parade"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
• Similar words include: rain down, pelting, rainfall
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RAIN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33A: "68. Ivy in Philadelphia, familiarly"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that englishman and quaker who founded the colony of pennsylvania (1644-1718)
• Similar words include: William Penn, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PENN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34A: "69. Letter-shaped groove for a fastener"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TSLOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35A: "70. Barely made, with "out""

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EKED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

Down Clues - Complete List

No.	Clue	Letters
1D	1. Kind of nerve that connects to the eye	5
2D	2. Manner in which sports replays are shown, familiarly	5
3D	3. Hangs (over)	5
4D	4. Babies that are supposed to be up all night?	6
5D	5. Five things in each of Shakespeare's plays	4
6D	6. "My country, 'tis of ___ ..."	4
7D	7. Was victorious	3
8D	8. Since	4
9D	9. Fixed, as a tapestry or a tatami	6
10D	10. Original name of a popular shared-ride service	8
11D	11. Word after video or Scotch	4
12D	12. About 8,100 square feet, for a baseball infield	4
13D	13. What helps you get a leg up?	4
14D	18. Eroticist Nin	5
15D	22. Purges, with "of"	4
16D	26. Baseball Hall-of-Famer ___ Ripken	3
17D	27. Rock that's fracked to release oil	5
18D	28. Bone in the lower leg	5
19D	29. Fusion weapon, familiarly	5
20D	30. Weight unit at British markets	4
21D	31. Sea sight in black and white	4
22D	32. The decline of Russia?	4
23D	33. Lead-in to Major or Minor in the night sky	4
24D	34. What a drawbridge might cross	4
25D	35. Word with vault or position	4
26D	39. Collapsed	8
27D	41. One of four generated by a grand slam, for short	3
28D	44. Kind of soup often served with sushi	4
29D	46. Surgeon, informally	5
30D	49. Emirate that was the site of Operation Desert Storm	6
31D	50. Longing	6
32D	53. Chris with the 1991 hit "Wicked Game"	5
33D	54. One who's "adorbs"	5
34D	55. Revise, as text	5
35D	56. Prepare for gifting	4
36D	57. Sharpen	4
37D	58. Finding a penny with the tails side up is said to be a bad one	4
38D	59. Actor/rapper Omar	4
39D	60. "In that neighborhood"	4
40D	61. Gnat or nit	4
41D	64. Bud	3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Kind of nerve that connects to the eye"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the organ of sight
• Similar words include: visual, opthalmic, optical
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OPTIC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Manner in which sports replays are shown, familiarly"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SLOMO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Hangs (over)"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile
• Similar words include: loom, brood, hover
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LOOMS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Babies that are supposed to be up all night?"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Similar words include: owlet
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OWLETS

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5D: "5. Five things in each of Shakespeare's plays"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a new testament book describing the development of the early church from christ's ascension to paul's sojourn at rome
• Similar words include: number, routine, represent
• Opposite of: refrain

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ACTS

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6D: "6. "My country, 'tis of ___ ...""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: THEE

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7D: "7. Was victorious"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the basic unit of money in south korea
• Similar words include: come through, North Korean won, gain ground
• Opposite of: lose, fall back

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: WON

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8D: "8. Since"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ASOF

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9D: "9. Fixed, as a tapestry or a tatami"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: REWOVE

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10D: "10. Original name of a popular shared-ride service"

8 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: UBERPOOL

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11D: "11. Word after video or Scotch"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
• Similar words include: tape recording, magnetic tape, tapeline
• Opposite of: erase

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TAPE

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12D: "12. About 8,100 square feet, for a baseball infield"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
• Similar words include: orbit, country, region
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AREA

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13D: "13. What helps you get a leg up?"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
• Similar words include: list, cad, dog
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HEEL

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14D: "18. Eroticist Nin"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ANAIS

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15D: "22. Purges, with "of""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that relieve from
• Similar words include: rid, disembarrass, free
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RIDS

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16D: "26. Baseball Hall-of-Famer ___ Ripken"

3 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CAL

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17D: "27. Rock that's fracked to release oil"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a sedimentary rock formed by the deposition of successive layers of clay
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SHALE

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18D: "28. Bone in the lower leg"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the inner and thicker of the two bones of the human leg between the knee and ankle
• Similar words include: shin, shinbone, shin bone
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TIBIA

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19D: "29. Fusion weapon, familiarly"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HBOMB

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20D: "30. Weight unit at British markets"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram
• Similar words include: g, gm, Hans C. J. Gram
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: GRAM

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21D: "31. Sea sight in black and white"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
• Similar words include: killer whale, killer, Orcinus orca
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ORCA

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22D: "32. The decline of Russia?"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NYET

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23D: "33. Lead-in to Major or Minor in the night sky"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: URSA

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24D: "34. What a drawbridge might cross"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water
• Similar words include: fosse
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MOAT

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25D: "35. Word with vault or position"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
• Similar words include: perch, magnetic pole, terminal
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: POLE

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26D: "39. Collapsed"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FELLDOWN

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27D: "41. One of four generated by a grand slam, for short"

3 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a run that is the result of the batter's performance
• Similar words include: run batted in
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: RBI

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28D: "44. Kind of soup often served with sushi"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a thick paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt; used in japanese cooking to make soups or sauces
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MISO

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29D: "46. Surgeon, informally"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ORDOC

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30D: "49. Emirate that was the site of Operation Desert Storm"

6 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a seaport on the persian gulf and capital of kuwait
• Similar words include: Koweit, Kuwait City, State of Kuwait
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: KUWAIT

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31D: "50. Longing"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
• Similar words include: trust, want, hope
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: DESIRE

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32D: "53. Chris with the 1991 hit "Wicked Game""

5 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ISAAK

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33D: "54. One who's "adorbs""

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CUTIE

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34D: "55. Revise, as text"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that make improvements or corrections to
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EMEND

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35D: "56. Prepare for gifting"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that cloak that is folded or wrapped around a person
• Similar words include: enwrap, enfold, wrapping
• Opposite of: unwrap, unwind

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: WRAP

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36D: "57. Sharpen"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a whetstone made of fine gritstone; used for sharpening razors
• Similar words include: perfect
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HONE

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37D: "58. Finding a penny with the tails side up is said to be a bad one"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a sign of something about to happen
• Similar words include: presage, Muscat and Oman, foretell
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OMEN

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38D: "59. Actor/rapper Omar"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EPPS

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39D: "60. "In that neighborhood""

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ORSO

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40D: "61. Gnat or nit"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

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: cuss, blighter, pesterer
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PEST

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41D: "64. Bud"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
• Similar words include: chum, brother, sidekick
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PAL

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

41 Down Clues

76 Total Clues

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Last updated: June 02, 2026 at 08:12 AM