NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for April 20, 2000

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Thursday, April 20, 2000

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:19 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, April 20, 2000. The daily crossword is the classic: a 15×15 grid on weekdays and a larger Sunday puzzle, with difficulty rising from a gentle Monday to a fiendish Saturday. Hints come first and the solution stays hidden until you ask for it.

78 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Wednesday, April 19, 2000

across

1. Oodles: GOBS
5. Fast one: SCAM
9. Jordan's only port: AQABA
14. "Looks like trouble!": UHOH
15. Meal in a shell: TACO
16. Aristotle, to Alexander the Great: TUTOR
17. Minnelli with two Tonys: LIZA
18. Black-and-white predator: ORCA
19. Yak's home: TIBET
20. [It's gone!]: POOF
21. Pork cut: LOIN
22. Bridge-builders' beams: IBARS
23. Gallup concern: TREND
25. Popular fast-food chain: ARBYS
26. Margaret Mead subject: SAMOAN
29. Atelier sight: EASEL
31. Staff leaders: CLEFS
32. Prefix with lock or knock: ANTI
33. Relax, as one's grip: EASE
37. 4-, 7- or 10-Down?: AFISHOUTOFWATER
40. Half of Mork's sign-off: NANU
41. Coal carrier: TRAM
42. "West Side Story" girl: ANITA
43. Birth-related: NATAL
45. Bizarre in the extreme: ODDEST
46. Nametag word: HELLO
48. Meat-and-potatoes: BASIC
50. Sword of Damocles: PERIL
51. City near Provo: OREM
52. Sea of ___ (Black Sea arm): AZOV
56. Publicist's concern: IMAGE
57. Leander's love: HERO
58. Stream spot: VALE
59. "Aack!" sayer, in the comics: CATHY
60. Central: MAIN
61. ___ uproar: INAN
62. Sailor's expertise: KNOTS
63. Listing, à la Variety: SKED
64. Took a powder: LEFT

down

1. [I'm frightened!]: GULP
2. Wheeling's river: OHIO
3. Numbskull: BOZO
4. Ray?: SHAFTOFSUNLIGHT
5. Destined for a chop shop, say: STOLEN
6. "Lili" star: CARON
7. Fluke?: ACCIDENTALBREAK
8. "Oh, my aching head!," e.g.: MOAN
9. Deck out: ATTIRE
10. Carp?: QUIBBLEANDCAVIL
11. In check: ATBAY
12. Transvaal settlers: BOERS
13. PBS matters: ARTS
24. Unthought-out: RASH
25. "Oh sure, that'll ever happen": ASIF
26. Conform, metrically: SCAN
27. Italian auto, briefly: ALFA
28. Words after deal or count: MEIN
30. Whit: ATOM
32. A movie star may carry one: AURA
34. Play to ___: ATIE
35. Studio sights: SETS
36. Part of Q.E.D.: ERAT
38. Camp Swampy dog: OTTO
39. African stream: WADI
44. Mews: ALLEYS
45. Marie who sang "Paper Roses": OSMOND
46. Macho type: HEMAN
47. One of nine sisters: ERATO
49. Cliffside dwelling: AERIE
50. Eat like a bird: PICK
51. ___ law (i = v/r): OHMS
53. Western author Grey: ZANE
54. Norwegian saint: OLAF
55. Blow off steam?: VENT

Hints and full breakdown for Apr 19

More daily puzzle hints

How the week is built

Monday and Tuesday: straightforward definitions and familiar answers. These are the best days to learn.
Wednesday: a step up, often with a playful theme.
Thursday: the trick day, with rebus squares (several letters in one square) and answers that turn corners or skip squares.
Friday and Saturday: themeless and tough, with sly clues and long open sections.
Sunday: a bigger 21×21 grid with a theme, about as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday.

Crossword-solving habits worth building

Learn the common fill. Short vowel-heavy words such as ERA, OREO, ALOE and ETNA appear constantly because they help constructors connect sections.
Read clue signals. "?" means wordplay, "Abbr." means an abbreviation, "e.g." means an example of a category, and a foreign word in the clue hints at a foreign answer.
Find the theme. The longest answers usually share a gimmick; the title (on Sundays) or a "revealer" clue explains it.
Erase without fear. When crossings don't work, the wrong letter is usually in the answer you were most confident about.
Use targeted help. Reveal one letter here, or try our crossword solver with a pattern like ?R?S?.

The Crossword FAQ

When is the next crossword released?

Weekday puzzles go live at 10 p.m. Eastern Time the night before; weekend puzzles are released earlier in the evening.

What is a rebus square?

A square that holds more than one letter. Sometimes it holds a whole word or a symbol. They are most common on Thursdays.

Which day is the hardest?

Saturday is generally the hardest, followed by Friday. Sunday is larger but closer to midweek difficulty.

Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive.