0912 NYT: Thursday September 12, 2024 | Puzzle Breakdown

NYT Crossword Thursday September 12, 2024 Puzzle Breakdown: Your Complete Guide

Here are the puzzles for New York Times Crossword of September 12, 2024 which brings another set of fun and enticing clues and questions. Below are the explanations for the across and down clues which will assist you in completing today’s puzzle.

NYT Thursday September 12, 2024

Across Clues with Answers:

• The clue is 1. Like some bad breakups. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: MESSY

  Possible Answer : messy, mussy




• The clue is 6. Item of clothing in a Prince hit. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BERET

  Possible Answer : beret




• The clue is 11. Fender Bassman, e.g.. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: AMP

  Possible Answer : AMP, ampere, adenosine_monophosphate, amp, adenylic_acid, A




• The clue is 14. What Romeo and Juliet planned to do in Mantua. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ELOPE

  Possible Answer : run_off, elope




• The clue is 15. Obsessive fan of anime or video games, from the Japanese. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: OTAKU




• The clue is 16. "I can't ___ …". Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: LIE

  Possible Answer : Trygve_Lie, lie_down, Lie, lie, Trygve_Halvden_Lie, rest, prevarication, lie_in, dwell, consist

  Possible Opposite Answer : stand, arise




• The clue is 17. Limb?. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: LIFEPARTNER




• The clue is 19. Key not found on a Mac. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ALT

  Possible Answer : altitude, EL, ALT, elevation




• The clue is 20. Head of France. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: TETE




• The clue is 21. Put at a table, say. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: SEAT

  Possible Answer : posterior, place, stern, bottom, fundament, ass, derriere, arse, tooshie, sit_down, buttocks, hindquarters, invest, rear_end, rear, prat, keister, bum, seat, behind, tail, fanny, butt, backside, tush, nates, tail_end, buns, hind_end, can, sit, induct, rump




• The clue is 22. Gets ready for the national anthem, maybe. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: RISES

  Possible Answer : boost, emanation, originate, resurrect, go_up, ascent, get_up, acclivity, grow, uprise, stand_up, climb, lift, arise, wax, wage_hike, advance, rear, raise, prove, jump, surface, climb_up, come_up, ascend, rebel, hike, move_up, cost_increase, turn_out, rising, salary_increase, upgrade, spring_up, mount, heighten, wage_increase, rising_slope, rise_up, develop, ascending, rise, procession, ascension

  Possible Opposite Answer : wane, turn_in, set, descent, fall, sit_down, go_to_bed




• The clue is 24. "Obviously!". Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: DUH




• The clue is 26. Bills. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BEAKS

  Possible Answer : nozzle, bill, snoot, pecker, pick, snout, hooter, nib, neb, beak, honker, schnoz, peck, schnozzle




• The clue is 27. Neuters. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: SPAYS

  Possible Answer : castrate, spay, alter, neuter




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

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

  The answer: FIRSTMATE




• The clue is 34. This guy!. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: HIM




• The clue is 35. Sultanate on the island of Borneo. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BRUNEI

  Possible Answer : Negara_Brunei_Darussalam, Brunei




• The clue is 37. Fratty stereotypes. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BROS




• The clue is 38. Petrichor is the aroma produced by this. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: RAIN

  Possible Answer : rainwater, rain_down, rain, pelting, rainfall




• The clue is 40. Insert, as a video in a post. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: EMBED

  Possible Answer : implant, engraft, embed, imbed, plant




• The clue is 41. Folk rock's Mumford & ___. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: SONS

  Possible Answer : boy, Word, Son, son, Logos

  Possible Opposite Answer : girl, daughter




• The clue is 42. Golden rule word. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: UNTO




• The clue is 43. Muffle. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: DEADEN

  Possible Answer : blunt, damp, dampen, deaden, girdle

  Possible Opposite Answer : enliven




• The clue is 45. Bit of décor at a tiki bar. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: LEI

  Possible Answer : chaplet, lei, garland, wreath, leu, coronal




• The clue is 46. Ready?. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: GOODBUDDY




• The clue is 48. "Not so!". Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: FALSE

  Possible Answer : fake, simulated, treacherously, treasonably, assumed, imitation, untrue, fictitious, faux, off-key, mistaken, false, put_on, traitorously, faithlessly, pretended, sour, fictive, delusive, sham

  Possible Opposite Answer : true




• The clue is 50. It might cause some unsurprised looks. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BOTOX

  Possible Answer : Botox, botulinum_toxin_A




• The clue is 51. Stately tree. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ELM

  Possible Answer : elmwood, elm, elm_tree




• The clue is 52. "Fathoms ___" (opening song of "The Little Mermaid"). Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BELOW

  Possible Answer : beneath, under, to_a_lower_place, at_a_lower_place, down_the_stairs, downstairs, on_a_lower_floor, below, infra

  Possible Opposite Answer : upstairs, above




• The clue is 53. Each. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: APOP




• The clue is 56. River through Louisville. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: OHIO

  Possible Answer : Ohio_River, Ohio, OH, Buckeye_State




• The clue is 60. Genetic messenger. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: RNA

  Possible Answer : RNA, ribonucleic_acid




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

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

  The answer: WINEPAIRING




• The clue is 64. See 67-Across. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ACT

  Possible Answer : human_activity, represent, routine, behave, playact, deed, act, act_as, roleplay, number, dissemble, move, turn, bit, play, pretend, work, do, human_action, enactment

  Possible Opposite Answer : refrain




• The clue is 65. Large wedding band, say. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: OCTET

  Possible Answer : eight, eightsome, ogdoad, octette, octonary, eighter, 8, octad, VIII, eighter_from_Decatur, octet




• The clue is 66. Former title for Pete Buttigieg. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: MAYOR

  Possible Answer : city_manager, mayor




• The clue is 67. With 64-Across, bad thing to be caught in. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: THE




• The clue is 68. Pregnancy increments. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: WEEKS

  Possible Answer : week, hebdomad, workweek, calendar_week




• The clue is 69. Nose-in-the-air type?. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: PLANE

  Possible Answer : flat, aeroplane, level, sheet, shave, plane, planing_machine, skim, carpenter's_plane, woodworking_plane, airplane, planer

Down Clues and Answers:

• The clue is 1. Hot deli order. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: MELT

  Possible Answer: mellow_out, fade, mellow, unthaw, melting, melt, disappear, unfreeze, thawing, run, dethaw, thaw, dissolve, evaporate, melt_down, meld

• The clue is 2. Legal writer Mystal. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ELIE

• The clue is 3. Tender. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: SOFT

  Possible Answer: lenient, flaccid, cushy, balmy, diffused, mild, indulgent, gentle, piano, voiced, soft, easy, subdued, easygoing, sonant, diffuse, flabby, delicate

  Possible Opposite Answer : forte, loud, hard, hardened, unvoiced

• The clue is 4. Alacritous. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: SPEEDY

  Possible Answer: quick, rapid, speedy

• The clue is 5. "You betcha". Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: YEP

• The clue is 6. Tunnel (through). Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BORE

  Possible Answer: pay, put_up, deport, eagre, bear, have_a_bun_in_the_oven, suffer, calibre, behave, acquit, drill_hole, deliver, contain, birth, comport, brook, support, assume, stand, take_over, eager, tolerate, accept, dullard, drill, caliber, bore-hole, gauge, tire, hold, carry, turn_out, tidal_bore, stick_out, bore, stomach, wear, give_birth, conduct, yield, aegir, gestate, endure, abide, expect, digest, have

  Possible Opposite Answer : interest

• The clue is 7. Singer James. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ETTA

• The clue is 8. Railing post?. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: RANT

  Possible Answer: blah, claptrap, spout, rabbit_on, harangue, jabber, fustian, rave, bombast, rant, mouth_off, ranting

• The clue is 9. Scrape (out). Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: EKE

• The clue is 10. One of 27 on Disney World's Cinderella Castle. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: TURRET

  Possible Answer: gun_enclosure, gun_turret, turret

• The clue is 11. Sushi order topped with salmon. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (10 letters)

  The answer: ALASKAROLL

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

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (10 letters)

  The answer: MILESTONES

  Possible Answer: milestone, milepost

• The clue is 13. Rewards for a "good boy". Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: PETS

  Possible Answer: ducky, darling, pet, PET, deary, positron_emission_tomography, dearie, favourite, favorite

• The clue is 18. It can come before Wednesday. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ASH

  Possible Answer: ash, ash_tree

• The clue is 23. Feet in a meter. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: IAMBS

  Possible Answer: iambus, iamb

• The clue is 25. Charger option, for short. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: USB

• The clue is 26. Track that fans flip for?. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BSIDE

• The clue is 27. [Meh]. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: SHRUG

  Possible Answer: shrug

• The clue is 28. Spot to store sheet music. Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (10 letters)

  The answer: PIANOBENCH

• The clue is 29. "Did it happen already?!". Can you find the Answer?

  Here is a hint. It is a word with exactly (10 letters)

  The answer: AMITOOLATE

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

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

  The answer: FUMED

  Possible Answer: smoke, reek, fume, fumed, fumigate

• The clue is 31. Not on good terms (with). Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: INBAD

• The clue is 32. Like much marshland. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: REEDY

  Possible Answer: reedy, reedlike, wheezy

• The clue is 33. Nail polish brand with a "Get It Girl" pink. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ESSIE

• The clue is 36. Brought back. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: REDUX

  Possible Answer: redux

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

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

  The answer: NODTO

• The clue is 44. Bills might pass in this, for short. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: NFL

• The clue is 47. Lab report?. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BOWWOW

• The clue is 49. Unmoved by ethical arguments. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: AMORAL

• The clue is 51. Org. that tests the waters. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: EPA

  Possible Answer: EPA, Environmental_Protection_Agency

• The clue is 52. 2024 Charli XCX album with a lime green cover. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: BRAT

  Possible Answer: terror, brat, little_terror, bratwurst, holy_terror

• The clue is 53. Chip in. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ANTE

  Possible Answer: ante

• The clue is 54. Give in on Christmas Eve, perhaps. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: PEEK

  Possible Answer: glint, glance, peep, peek

• The clue is 55. Goes (for). Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: OPTS

  Possible Answer: opt, choose, prefer

• The clue is 57. "Howdy!". Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: HIYA

• The clue is 58. Aware of. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: INON

• The clue is 59. Creature popularized in Charles Perrault's "Tales of Mother Goose". Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: OGRE

  Possible Answer: monster, fiend, ogre, demon, devil

• The clue is 62. Glass blocks. Can you find the Answer?

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

  The answer: ICE

  Possible Answer: methamphetamine, meth, water_ice, crank, chicken_feed, internal-combustion_engine, ice, frosting, shabu, deoxyephedrine, methamphetamine_hydrochloride, frappe, Methedrine, sparkler, chalk, ICE, icing, trash, glass, frost, ice-skating_rink, ice_rink

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

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

  The answer: IMP

  Possible Answer: scamp, elf, brownie, imp, scalawag, rapscallion, scallywag, gremlin, pixie, pixy, hob, monkey, rascal

Crossword Answers, NYT Crossword, Daily Puzzle,Clue Explanations, You can find the NYT Sept,11 2024 here .

XWordHint Crossword Answers July 14, 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 (36 clues)
• Down Clues - Detailed Hints
• Expert Solving Strategies
• Today's Puzzle Statistics

Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Tricky

Pro Tip: Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues - they're usually the easiest entry points!

Across Clues - Complete List

No.	Clue	Letters
1A	1. Closest bud	3
2A	4. Put-up job	4
3A	8. Destination for some sci-fi travelers	4
4A	12. ___ and dear	4
5A	13. Magician's "Look at what I just did!"	4
6A	14. Supportive advocate, as for L.G.B.T.Q. rights	4
7A	15. Corrupting sorts, in an orchard metaphor	9
8A	17. Merest little chirp	4
9A	18. Folded French pancake	5
10A	19. ___ mode (in the fashionable style)	3
11A	20. Industry showcase	4
12A	21. Nightmares for nannies	12
13A	24. "We come in peace" speakers, in a sci-fi trope	6
14A	26. Youngest woman ever elected to Congress, familiarly	3
15A	27. + or – particle	3
16A	28. Word after twin, tanning or trundle	3
17A	31. Rapper ___ Rhymes	5
18A	35. Movie review site with a percentage rating scale	14
19A	39. Schnozzle	5
20A	40. Firefighter's tool	3
21A	41. Helpful posting at a trailhead	3
22A	42. "Stop, Look and Listen" spot, e.g., in brief	3
23A	44. Curiosity and Perseverance, for two	6
24A	47. Novelty dance with comical elbow-flapping	12
25A	52. Hasn't been canceled	4
26A	53. Stimpy's TV companion	3
27A	54. ___ peek	5
28A	57. State along a river of the same name	4
29A	58. Heading the wrong way ... or, interpreted culinarily, a hint to 15-, 21-, 35- and 47-Across	9
30A	60. Home in the woods	4
31A	61. Earring type	4
32A	62. Actress ___ Rachel Wood	4
33A	63. Half brother and rival of the goddess Athena	4
34A	64. Align	4
35A	65. Mo. with International Talk Like a Pirate Day	3

Across Clues - Strategic Hints

1A: "1. Closest bud"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BFF

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2A: "4. Put-up job"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
• Similar words include: assume, shammer, fictive
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SHAM

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3A: "8. Destination for some sci-fi travelers"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the time that has elapsed
• Similar words include: retiring, past times, by
• Opposite of: present, future

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PAST

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4A: "12. ___ and dear"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that move towards
• Similar words include: cheeseparing, nearly, virtually
• Opposite of: far

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5A: "13. Magician's "Look at what I just did!""

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TADA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6A: "14. Supportive advocate, as for L.G.B.T.Q. rights"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a friendly nation
• Similar words include: friend
• Opposite of: foe

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ALLY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7A: "15. Corrupting sorts, in an orchard metaphor"

9 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BADAPPLES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8A: "17. Merest little chirp"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the short weak cry of a young bird
• Similar words include: cheep, chirp, chirrup
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PEEP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9A: "18. Folded French pancake"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that paper with a crinkled texture; usually colored and used for decorations
• Similar words include: French pancake, crepe paper, crape
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CREPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10A: "19. ___ mode (in the fashionable style)"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ALA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11A: "20. Industry showcase"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a collection of things (goods or works of art etc.) for public display
• Similar words include: exposition, exhibition
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EXPO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

12A: "21. Nightmares for nannies"

12 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SPOILEDBRATS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13A: "24. "We come in peace" speakers, in a sci-fi trope"

6 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
• Similar words include: foreigner, estrange, extraterrestrial being
• Opposite of: acquaintance, citizen

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ALIENS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14A: "26. Youngest woman ever elected to Congress, familiarly"

3 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AOC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15A: "27. + or – particle"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ION

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16A: "28. Word after twin, tanning or trundle"

3 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
• Similar words include: bang, do it, hit the sack
• Opposite of: turn out, get up

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BED

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17A: "31. Rapper ___ Rhymes"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BUSTA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18A: "35. Movie review site with a percentage rating scale"

14 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ______________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ROTTENTOMATOES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19A: "39. Schnozzle"

5 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a person regarded as arrogant and annoying
• Similar words include: snot, schnoz, beak
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SNOOT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20A: "40. Firefighter's tool"

3 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
• Similar words include: ax
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AXE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21A: "41. Helpful posting at a trailhead"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)
• Similar words include: mathematical function, mapping, single-valued function
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22A: "42. "Stop, Look and Listen" spot, e.g., in brief"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a protein manufactured exclusively by the prostate gland; psa is produced for the ejaculate where it liquifies the semen and allows sperm cells to swim freely; elevated levels of psa in blood serum are associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer
• Similar words include: prostate specific antigen
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PSA

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23A: "44. Curiosity and Perseverance, for two"

6 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that someone who leads a wandering unsettled life
• Similar words include: bird of passage, rover, roamer
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ROVERS

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24A: "47. Novelty dance with comical elbow-flapping"

12 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FUNKYCHICKEN

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25A: "52. Hasn't been canceled"

4 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ISON

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26A: "53. Stimpy's TV companion"

3 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: REN

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27A: "54. ___ peek"

5 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a person who is regarded as underhanded and furtive and contemptible
• Similar words include: sneaky, lift, hook
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SNEAK

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28A: "57. State along a river of the same name"

4 letters Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a midwestern state in north central united states in the great lakes region
• Similar words include: OH, Ohio River, Buckeye State
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OHIO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29A: "58. Heading the wrong way ... or, interpreted culinarily, a hint to 15-, 21-, 35- and 47-Across"

9 letters Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OFFCOURSE

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30A: "60. Home in the woods"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
• Similar words include: snuggle, cuddle, draw close
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NEST

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31A: "61. Earring type"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a man who is virile and sexually active
• Similar words include: scantling, dot, stud poker
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: STUD

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32A: "62. Actress ___ Rachel Wood"

4 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: EVAN

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33A: "63. Half brother and rival of the goddess Athena"

4 letters Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (greek mythology) greek god of war; son of zeus and hera; identified with roman mars
• Similar words include: are, ar
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ARES

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34A: "64. Align"

4 letters Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that make synchronous and adjust in time or manner
• Similar words include: synchronize, synchronise
• Opposite of: desynchronize, desynchronise

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SYNC

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35A: "65. Mo. with International Talk Like a Pirate Day"

3 letters Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the month following august and preceding october
• Similar words include: Sept, September
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SEP

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Down Clues - Complete List

No.	Clue	Letters
1D	1. Campsite crasher in the Rockies	4
2D	2. Gradually blends with	9
3D	3. Chilled coffee drink	6
4D	4. Longtime NASCAR sponsor	3
5D	5. Special request for a flight meal	5
6D	6. Singer with the best-selling album "21"	5
7D	7. Ancient fortress overlooking the Dead Sea	6
8D	8. Slice of Life or nick of Time?	8
9D	9. Assistant with a whisper mode	5
10D	10. Gave it a rest?	5
11D	11. Writing wrongs	5
12D	12. Jimmy Fallon's network	3
13D	16. Underappreciated worker, say	4
14D	22. Library ID	4
15D	23. Tea with tapioca pearls	4
16D	24. Publicizes	4
17D	25. Lake bird with a laughing call	4
18D	29. When U R due	3
19D	30. Reveal private info about, in online lingo	3
20D	32. "The audacity!"	9
21D	33. Lachrymal unit	4
22D	34. Nile reptiles	4
23D	36. Traditional sumo hairstyles	8
24D	37. Online crafts bazaar	4
25D	38. Hired soldier, in slang	4
26D	43. Unlike the direction of this clue's answer	6
27D	45. "All right. What's the big deal?"	4
28D	46. Concert sites	6
29D	47. Shrek's beloved	5
30D	48. Escort	5
31D	49. Snap, crackle or pop	5
32D	50. Sizable	5
33D	51. For kicks and giggles	5
34D	55. "I need this immediately"	4
35D	56. "She's everything. He's just ___" ("Barbie" tagline)	3
36D	59. Public health agcy.	3

Down Clues - Strategic Hints

1D: "1. Campsite crasher in the Rockies"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
• Similar words include: wear, assume, behave
• Opposite of: bull

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

2D: "2. Gradually blends with"

9 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FADESINTO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

3D: "3. Chilled coffee drink"

6 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that liqueur poured over shaved ice
• Similar words include: ice
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FRAPPE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

4D: "4. Longtime NASCAR sponsor"

3 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that standard temperature and pressure
• Similar words include: s.t.p.
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: STP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

5D: "5. Special request for a flight meal"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (islam) meat from animals that have been slaughtered in the prescribed way according to the shariah
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HALAL

Remember this word for future puzzles!

6D: "6. Singer with the best-selling album "21""

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ADELE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

7D: "7. Ancient fortress overlooking the Dead Sea"

6 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MASADA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

8D: "8. Slice of Life or nick of Time?"

8 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PAPERCUT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

9D: "9. Assistant with a whisper mode"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ALEXA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

10D: "10. Gave it a rest?"

5 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that be able to accommodate for sleeping
• Similar words include: sleep, log Z's, kip
• Opposite of: wake

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SLEPT

Remember this word for future puzzles!

11D: "11. Writing wrongs"

5 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind
• Similar words include: typo, literal error, erratum
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TYPOS

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12D: "12. Jimmy Fallon's network"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NBC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

13D: "16. Underappreciated worker, say"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a laborer who is obliged to do menial work
• Similar words include: galley slave, drudge, navvy
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: PEON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

14D: "22. Library ID"

4 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ISBN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

15D: "23. Tea with tapioca pearls"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: BOBA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

16D: "24. Publicizes"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that affected manners intended to impress others
• Similar words include: airwave, melodic line, gentle wind
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: AIRS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

17D: "25. Lake bird with a laughing call"

4 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

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

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: LOON

Remember this word for future puzzles!

18D: "29. When U R due"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a terrorist organization organized in 1959 by student activists who were dissatisfied with the moderate nationalism of the traditional basque party; want to create an independent homeland in spain's western pyrenees
• Similar words include: Euskadi ta Askatasuna, Basque Fatherland and Liberty, Basque Homeland and Freedom
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ETA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

19D: "30. Reveal private info about, in online lingo"

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: DOX

Remember this word for future puzzles!

20D: "32. "The audacity!""

9 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: SOMENERVE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

21D: "33. Lachrymal unit"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a drop of the clear salty saline solution secreted by the lacrimal glands
• Similar words include: teardrop, rent, deplume
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TEAR

Remember this word for future puzzles!

22D: "34. Nile reptiles"

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that of southern europe; similar to but smaller than the adder
• Similar words include: Egyptian cobra, asp viper, Vipera aspis
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ASPS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

23D: "36. Traditional sumo hairstyles"

8 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that headdress consisting of a decorative ribbon or bow worn in the hair
• Similar words include: topknot
• Pattern: ________

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: TOPKNOTS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

24D: "37. Online crafts bazaar"

4 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ETSY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

25D: "38. Hired soldier, in slang"

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: MERC

Remember this word for future puzzles!

26D: "43. Unlike the direction of this clue's answer"

6 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that to the opposite side
• Similar words include: crossways, crosswise
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ACROSS

Remember this word for future puzzles!

27D: "45. "All right. What's the big deal?""

4 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: OKSO

Remember this word for future puzzles!

28D: "46. Concert sites"

6 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that the scene of any event or action (especially the place of a meeting)
• Similar words include: locus, locale, venue
• Pattern: ______

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: VENUES

Remember this word for future puzzles!

29D: "47. Shrek's beloved"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: FIONA

Remember this word for future puzzles!

30D: "48. Escort"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that irish prelate who deduced from the bible that creation occurred in the year 4004 bc (1581-1656)
• Similar words include: show, James Usher, James Ussher
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: USHER

Remember this word for future puzzles!

31D: "49. Snap, crackle or pop"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
• Similar words include: dissonance, disturbance, stochasticity
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: NOISE

Remember this word for future puzzles!

32D: "50. Sizable"

5 letters 💭 Category: Common Word

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that (of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful
• Similar words include: goodish, sizable, healthy
• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: HEFTY

Remember this word for future puzzles!

33D: "51. For kicks and giggles"

5 letters 💭 Category: Abbreviation

Solving Hints:

• Pattern: _____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: INFUN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

34D: "55. "I need this immediately""

4 letters 💭 Category: Wordplay

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that as soon as possible
• Pattern: ____

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: ASAP

Remember this word for future puzzles!

35D: "56. "She's everything. He's just ___" ("Barbie" tagline)"

3 letters 💭 Category: General Knowledge

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that range of what one can know or understand
• Similar words include: sight, cognizance
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: KEN

Remember this word for future puzzles!

36D: "59. Public health agcy."

3 letters 💭 Category: Proper Noun

Solving Hints:

• Think of something that a federal agency in the department of health and human services; located in atlanta; investigates and diagnoses and tries to control or prevent diseases (especially new and unusual diseases)
• Similar words include: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• Pattern: ___

Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)

Answer: CDC

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

36 Down Clues

71 Total Clues

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Last updated: July 14, 2026 at 05:43 AM