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 (35 clues)
- Down Clues - Detailed Hints
- Expert Solving Strategies
- Today's Puzzle Statistics
Today's Puzzle Difficulty: Medium
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. Barely enough | 5 |
| 2A | 6. What some may be dyeing to conceal? | 4 |
| 3A | 10. Environmental concern | 4 |
| 4A | 14. "Don't be absurd!" | 10 |
| 5A | 16. ___ Mountain (ski area in Killington, Vt.) | 4 |
| 6A | 17. She's out there! | 10 |
| 7A | 18. Many a choirgirl | 4 |
| 8A | 19. "Black-ish" patriarch | 3 |
| 9A | 20. Dulcet | 5 |
| 10A | 21. Fiddle with feathers, say | 5 |
| 11A | 22. Backstreet ___ | 4 |
| 12A | 23. Like kyawthuite, among gems | 6 |
| 13A | 25. Designer Geoffrey | 5 |
| 14A | 27. A-list | 6 |
| 15A | 28. Like quartzite vis-à-vis quartz | 6 |
| 16A | 29. They really click as a pair | 8 |
| 17A | 32. Masters of manipulation | 5 |
| 18A | 33. Commercial preceder of Geo | 3 |
| 19A | 34. Capital near the Red Sea | 5 |
| 20A | 35. Micromobility option | 8 |
| 21A | 37. On the level | 6 |
| 22A | 38. Mouth organ | 6 |
| 23A | 39. Internal turmoil | 5 |
| 24A | 40. Say "I do," say | 6 |
| 25A | 41. One may be carried in a concert hall | 4 |
| 26A | 42. Recent recruit | 5 |
| 27A | 43. First name on the Supreme Court | 5 |
| 28A | 45. Zilch | 3 |
| 29A | 48. Cushy | 4 |
| 30A | 49. It is "making the complicated simple, awesomely simple," per Charles Mingus | 10 |
| 31A | 51. Out of joint? | 4 |
| 32A | 52. Text insert for a flash-forward film scene | 10 |
| 33A | 53. Ink | 4 |
| 34A | 54. Apt rhyme for "pads" | 4 |
| 35A | 55. Guck | 5 |
Across Clues - Strategic Hints
1A: "1. Barely enough"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially
- Similar words include: stint, skimp, light
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SCANT
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2A: "6. What some may be dyeing to conceal?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
- Similar words include: greyness, gray-headed, Louis Harold Gray
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GRAY
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3A: "10. Environmental concern"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that air pollution by a mixture of smoke and fog
- Similar words include: smogginess
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SMOG
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4A: "14. "Don't be absurd!""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OHPUHLEASE
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5A: "16. ___ Mountain (ski area in Killington, Vt.)"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PICO
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6A: "17. She's out there!"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LESBIANBAR
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7A: "18. Many a choirgirl"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef
- Similar words include: contralto, countertenor
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALTO
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8A: "19. "Black-ish" patriarch"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: DRE
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9A: "20. Dulcet"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that english phonetician; one of the founders of modern phonetics (1845-1912)
- Similar words include: odoriferous, sweet-flavored, odorous
- Opposite of: sour, salty
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SWEET
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10A: "21. Fiddle with feathers, say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that clean with one's bill
- Similar words include: congratulate, plume, dress
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PREEN
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11A: "22. Backstreet ___"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a youthful male person
- Similar words include: boy, son, male child
- Opposite of: daughter, girl
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BOYS
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12A: "23. Like kyawthuite, among gems"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
- Similar words include: rare, rarified, uncommon
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RAREST
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13A: "25. Designer Geoffrey"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEENE
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14A: "27. A-list"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
- Similar words include: pick out, take, choice
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SELECT
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15A: "28. Like quartzite vis-à-vis quartz"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
- Similar words include: heavy, severe, surd
- Opposite of: easy, voiced
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HARDER
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16A: "29. They really click as a pair"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TAPSHOES
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17A: "32. Masters of manipulation"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a person who makes use of a thing; someone who uses or employs something
- Similar words include: exploiter, substance abuser, drug user
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: USERS
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18A: "33. Commercial preceder of Geo"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NAT
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19A: "34. Capital near the Red Sea"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the capital and largest city of yemen; on the central plateau
- Similar words include: Sana'a, Sana
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SANAA
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20A: "35. Micromobility option"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ESCOOTER
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21A: "37. On the level"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
- Similar words include: good, reliable, dependable
- Opposite of: dishonest
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HONEST
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22A: "38. Mouth organ"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
- Similar words include: spit, lingua, natural language
- Opposite of: artificial language
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TONGUE
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23A: "39. Internal turmoil"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety; usually reserved for philosophical anxiety about the world or about personal freedom
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ANGST
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24A: "40. Say "I do," say"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
- Similar words include: devote, give, institutionalize
- Opposite of: divest
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: COMMIT
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25A: "41. One may be carried in a concert hall"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
- Similar words include: melodic line, tune up, line
- Opposite of: untune
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TUNE
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26A: "42. Recent recruit"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HIREE
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27A: "43. First name on the Supreme Court"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ELENA
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28A: "45. Zilch"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a quantity of no importance
- Similar words include: zilch, travel rapidly, zipper
- Opposite of: unzip
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ZIP
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29A: "48. Cushy"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
- Similar words include: tardily, slow, well-to-do
- Opposite of: uneasy, quickly
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EASY
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30A: "49. It is "making the complicated simple, awesomely simple," per Charles Mingus"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the ability to create
- Similar words include: creative thinking, creativeness
- Opposite of: uncreativeness
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CREATIVITY
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31A: "51. Out of joint?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that people who are free
- Similar words include: destitute, justify, disengage
- Opposite of: lodge, unfree
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: FREE
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32A: "52. Text insert for a flash-forward film scene"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YEARSLATER
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33A: "53. Ink"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that tastelessness by virtue of being cheap and vulgar
- Similar words include: cheapness, sleaze, Thematic Apperception Test
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TATS
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34A: "54. Apt rhyme for "pads""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders
- Similar words include: hyperkinetic syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, add up
- Opposite of: subtract, take away
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ADDS
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35A: "55. Guck"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any thick, viscous matter
- Similar words include: goo, ooze, muck
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SLIME
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Down Clues - Complete List
| No. | Clue | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1. Completely convinced | 4 |
| 2D | 2. French letter opener | 4 |
| 3D | 3. Niche for a shrine | 4 |
| 4D | 4. Essence of the matter | 3 |
| 5D | 5. "I'll take the blame" | 12 |
| 6D | 6. Some body builders? | 5 |
| 7D | 7. Broccoli ___ | 4 |
| 8D | 8. How to look at your hot fudge sundae | 8 |
| 9D | 9. A little possessive, perhaps? | 3 |
| 10D | 10. Pocket money | 11 |
| 11D | 11. Momentous moments | 10 |
| 12D | 12. Bits in a byte, e.g. | 5 |
| 13D | 13. "I'm listening" | 4 |
| 14D | 15. One who's on the defense, perhaps | 6 |
| 15D | 21. Digital applications? | 12 |
| 16D | 22. Longing look | 11 |
| 17D | 24. Rigi of Switzerland, e.g. | 3 |
| 18D | 25. One setting on speakers | 4 |
| 19D | 26. Classic toy for budding engineers | 10 |
| 20D | 27. Long look | 5 |
| 21D | 28. Peach or plum | 3 |
| 22D | 30. Interest of Marco Polo, with "the" | 4 |
| 23D | 31. Settled on the bottom? | 3 |
| 24D | 33. Gelded | 8 |
| 25D | 36. ___ Fridays | 3 |
| 26D | 37. Hangouts | 6 |
| 27D | 40. Grammy-winning R&B singer named for a Revlon fragrance | 5 |
| 28D | 41. They make streaks on cheeks | 5 |
| 29D | 42. Mass | 4 |
| 30D | 44. Tip | 4 |
| 31D | 45. Trattoria tubes | 4 |
| 32D | 46. Couple | 4 |
| 33D | 47. Funeral ___ | 4 |
| 34D | 49. Texter's "ciao" | 3 |
| 35D | 50. Late actor Kilmer | 3 |
Down Clues - Strategic Hints
1D: "1. Completely convinced"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
- Similar words include: trade, sell, betray
- Opposite of: unsold, buy
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SOLD
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2D: "2. French letter opener"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CHER
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3D: "3. Niche for a shrine"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar
- Similar words include: apsis
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: APSE
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4D: "4. Essence of the matter"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a small lump or protuberance
- Similar words include: nitty-gritty, nubble, gist
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NUB
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5D: "5. "I'll take the blame""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: THISONESONME
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6D: "6. Some body builders?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that (genetics) a segment of dna that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding dna as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity
- Similar words include: cistron, factor, gene
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GENES
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7D: "7. Broccoli ___"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: RABE
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8D: "8. How to look at your hot fudge sundae"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ASATREAT
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9D: "9. A little possessive, perhaps?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: YER
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10D: "10. Pocket money"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SPARECHANGE
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11D: "11. Momentous moments"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that stone post at side of a road to show distances
- Similar words include: milestone, milepost
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: MILESTONES
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12D: "12. Bits in a byte, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one
- Similar words include: VIII, 8, eight
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: OCTET
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13D: "13. "I'm listening""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an awkward stupid person
- Similar words include: hoodlum, oaf, stumblebum
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: GOON
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14D: "15. One who's on the defense, perhaps"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
- Similar words include: attorney
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LAWYER
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15D: "21. Digital applications?"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ____________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PRESSONNAILS
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16D: "22. Longing look"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BEDROOMEYES
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17D: "24. Rigi of Switzerland, e.g."
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that any high mountain
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ALP
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18D: "25. One setting on speakers"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the lowest part of the musical range
- Similar words include: bass voice, freshwater bass, sea bass
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: BASS
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19D: "26. Classic toy for budding engineers"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: __________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ERECTORSET
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20D: "27. Long look"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a fixed look with eyes open wide
- Similar words include: gaze
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: STARE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
21D: "28. Peach or plum"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength
- Similar words include: imbue, chromaticity
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HUE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
22D: "30. Interest of Marco Polo, with "the""
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
- Similar words include: E, eastern United States, due east
- Opposite of: west
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: EAST
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23D: "31. Settled on the bottom?"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the sabbath by jews and some christians
- Similar words include: seat, ride, model
- Opposite of: stand, arise
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: SAT
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24D: "33. Gelded"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that remove the ovaries of
- Similar words include: castrate, altered, neuter
- Pattern: ________
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: NEUTERED
Remember this word for future puzzles!
25D: "36. ___ Fridays"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TGI
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26D: "37. Hangouts"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a frequently visited place
- Similar words include: stamping ground, repair, hangout
- Pattern: ______
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HAUNTS
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27D: "40. Grammy-winning R&B singer named for a Revlon fragrance"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CIARA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
28D: "41. They make streaks on cheeks"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
- Similar words include: rupture, rent, weeping
- Pattern: _____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: TEARS
Remember this word for future puzzles!
29D: "42. Mass"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that the property of being large in mass
- Similar words include: heft up, heave up, massiveness
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: HEFT
Remember this word for future puzzles!
30D: "44. Tip"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that an advantage held by a competitor in a race
- Similar words include: top, atomic number 82, conduct
- Opposite of: deficit, follow
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: LEAD
Remember this word for future puzzles!
31D: "45. Trattoria tubes"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that medium-sized tubular pasta in short pieces
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ZITI
Remember this word for future puzzles!
32D: "46. Couple"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list
- Similar words include: detail, point, token
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: ITEM
Remember this word for future puzzles!
33D: "47. Funeral ___"
Solving Hints:
- Think of something that wood heaped for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
- Similar words include: funeral pyre
- Pattern: ____
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: PYRE
Remember this word for future puzzles!
34D: "49. Texter's "ciao""
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: CYA
Remember this word for future puzzles!
35D: "50. Late actor Kilmer"
Solving Hints:
- Pattern: ___
Click to reveal answer (spoiler alert!)
Answer: VAL
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
35 Down Clues
70 Total Clues
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