How to Solve the New York Times Crossword (2024)

How to Solve the New York Times Crossword

  • How to Get Started
  • A Step Further: How to Read Crossword Clues
  • Cracking the Harder Clues
  • Bonus: Crossword Themes

https://www.nytimes.com/article/how-to-solve-a-crossword-puzzle.html

Supported by

SKIP ADVERTIsem*nT

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

Video

How to Solve the New York Times Crossword (1)

Originally published on Nov. 20, 2017

By Deb Amlen

Illustrations by Elena Xausa. Animations by Lorenzo Fonda.

Would you like to improve your mental flexibility, learn a few interesting things every day and establish bragging rights among your friends? Solving crossword puzzles is like mental yoga — both challenging and relaxing at the same time. Plus, it’s fun, especially if you appreciate words and wordplay as much as I do. I believe that with patience and practice anyone can learn to solve crosswords. Once you master a few basic strategies, you’ll find that puzzle-solving is not only possible, but highly addictive. So let’s get solving!

How to Get Started

Image

How to Solve the New York Times Crossword (2)

“Solving crosswords eliminates worries. They make you a calmer and more focused person.” — Will Shortz, New York Times crossword editor and NPR puzzle master.

If you’ve ever picked up a crossword puzzle and said to yourself, “I am not smart enough” or “I don’t have a big enough vocabulary for this,” please allow us to let you in on a little secret:

A crossword puzzle is not a test of intelligence, and solving is not really about the size of your vocabulary. Becoming a good solver is about understanding what the clues are asking you to do.

You can absolutely learn to do that. We’re here to let you in on some of the rules that most clues follow, and to teach you how to read those clues so that they become easier to solve. It would be impossible to cover every instance of cluing, but we can get you up and running.

We’ve even included some tips and encouragement from the puzzle pros to help keep you motivated, like our very funny friend, Megan Amram, a writer for television shows like “The Simpsons” and “The Good Place.” Ms. Amram is a devoted solver and has also made a puzzle that ran in The New York Times.

“I understand how intimidating starting the crossword can be, but the bottom line is, believe in yourself. YOU ARE SMART ENOUGH TO DO THE PUZZLE. Look at me. I do the New York Times crossword puzzle every day, and I once tried to shoot a basket on the wrong hoop when I was on my 6th grade basketball team. Crossword puzzles are not about intelligence, they are about keeping your mind nimble and knowing what the sneaky trickster Will Shortz is asking of you. Show Will Shortz who’s boss by attempting the puzzle!” — Megan Amram

Got it? Now let’s get started.

First, decide how you want to solve: Are you a print-only person? Do you enjoy the extra help that comes from playing on the web or on-the-go with the app? If you subscribe, you get access to all the daily puzzles and the archive. And once you log in, you can save your progress across all the digital platforms.

Start With the Monday Puzzles

The Monday New York Times Crosswords are the easiest, and the puzzles get harder as the week goes on. Solve as many of the Mondays as you can before pushing yourself to Tuesday puzzles. You can thank us later.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?Log in.

Want all of The Times?Subscribe.

Advertisem*nt

SKIP ADVERTIsem*nT

How to Solve the New York Times Crossword (2024)

FAQs

What is the hardest day of the New York Times crossword puzzle? ›

The crosswords are designed to increase in difficulty throughout the week, with the easiest on Monday and the most difficult on Saturday.

What is the difficulty of the New York Times crossword puzzle? ›

Mondays have the most straightforward clues and Saturday clues are the hardest, or involve the most wordplay. Contrary to popular belief, the Sunday puzzles are midweek difficulty, not the hardest. They're just bigger. A typical Monday clue will be very straightforward and drive you almost directly to the answer.

What is the easiest day of the week for the New York Times crossword? ›

In case you didn't know, the daily New York Times Crossword has a difficulty curve as the week goes on. Monday is the easiest puzzle, and then Tuesday is a little harder, climbing up to Saturday, which is the hardest day of the week.

What is the acceptance rate for the New York Times crossword puzzles? ›

I got rejected probably 15, 16-plus times — it's about a 3 percent acceptance rate to get published there. They get 200 submissions a week for seven spots. Eventually, last year, they accepted the Monday puzzle, which ran in August. And then, in October, they wrote back, and we worked on this Sunday puzzle together.

How do I reset my New York Times crossword puzzle? ›

If you are stuck on a word, select the lifesaver icon at the top of the puzzle to check or reveal a square, an answer, or the entire puzzle: Clear - Clear the entire puzzle to start again. Reveal - Reveal the correct letters for a square, an answer, or the entire puzzle.

What is the Rebus button in the nyt crossword? ›

The Rebus Button in NYT Crossword: A Twist in Puzzle Solving Introduction The "Rebus" button in the New York Times (NYT) crossword puzzle offers solvers a unique challenge by allowing multiple letters or symbols to occupy a single square. As of my last update in September 2021, here's a brief overvie…

What man first seems like in the sentence nyt? ›

What "man" first seems like in the sentence "The old man the boat" The answer is noun.

How much do the New York Times pay for a crossword puzzle? ›

At the Times and other publications, contributors submit crosswords, and are paid if theirs are chosen. (The Times offers the industry's highest rates – up to $750 for a weekday puzzle, and up to $2,250 for a Sunday – and authors are credited.)

What does eg mean in a crossword? ›

For example – EG (e.g., short for the Latin exempli gratia)

What does a dash mean in NYT crossword? ›

WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — The small dashes in a puzzle's list of clues can signify a number of things. They can refer to the name of a symbol: a dash, a minus sign or a hyphen, for example.

What is 101 in the nyt crossword? ›

The clue “101” is shorthand for a beginner's understanding of a subject — an INTRO CLASS (17A), in other words.

What is scoring 100 on the nyt? ›

Scoring 100% on

The answer is acing.

Is there a way to get nyt crossword for free? ›

The NYT Crossword app actually offers a free daily mini-crossword.

What to do if stuck on crossword? ›

Take a break if you're stuck.

This way, you can return to the puzzle later with a clear and open mind. Pro Tip: Some crossword experts like to time themselves while completing a puzzle. If you're a beginner, focus on finishing the puzzle instead of how fast you solve it—it doesn't have to be a race.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Kieth Sipes

Last Updated:

Views: 5908

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kieth Sipes

Birthday: 2001-04-14

Address: Suite 492 62479 Champlin Loop, South Catrice, MS 57271

Phone: +9663362133320

Job: District Sales Analyst

Hobby: Digital arts, Dance, Ghost hunting, Worldbuilding, Kayaking, Table tennis, 3D printing

Introduction: My name is Kieth Sipes, I am a zany, rich, courageous, powerful, faithful, jolly, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.