NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for January 31, 2001

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

Wednesday, January 31, 2001

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:15 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, January 31, 2001. 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.

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

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

1
Word in French restaurant names
2
Betting setting
3
Thus
4
Unwelcome sight on an apple
5
"... is fear ___"
6
"Later!"
7
Sp. ladies
8
Go off
9
Holiday in 60-Across
10
Feature of a miter joint
11
Film role for Kate Nelligan
12
"Odyssey" enchantress
13
Conservative Alan
19
Note in the C minor scale
21
Long sentence
24
Ancient colonnade
25
Mariner's cry
26
Typographer's strike
27
Neurotransmission site
28
Sounds in pounds
29
Drive forward
32
Five-time Wimbledon champ
33
Big Apple award
34
"Not on ___!"
36
1960 Olympics site
37
An OK city
38
Like perfume
40
Half of a 45
41
Part of A.D.
43
Slate.com employee
44
Comics character with an "R" on his sweater
45
Pen
46
Like many kitchens
47
Nautical direction
48
Banks hold it
51
Notable caravel
52
Suit to ___
53
Colleges, to Aussies
54
It may be shaken
56
Sorority chapter
57
Baby's cry

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Tuesday, January 30, 2001

across

1. Extremely thrilled: GAGA
5. Sites of some pillow fights: DORMS
10. Urban renewal target: SLUM
14. Skating jump: AXEL
15. Member of a W.W. II wolf pack: UBOAT
16. Cry of pain: YIPE
17. Hair wave: PERM
18. Apple gizmo: CORER
19. Blindingly bright: NEON
20. Plays in a zoo?: MONKEYSAROUND
23. Cheekiness: SASS
24. Spinner: TOP
25. World leader from 1959: CASTRO
28. Blocks access to a zoo?: SEALSOFF
33. Put a match to: LIT
34. Do the job: CUTIT
36. Part of a voting machine: LEVER
37. From the U.S.: AMER
39. Coach: TUTOR
41. It has a home page: SITE
42. Expensive violin, briefly: STRAD
44. Bluefins: TUNAS
46. Actor Beatty: NED
47. Settles a debt in a zoo?: PONIESUP
49. Get along: MAKEDO
51. Fifth sign of the zodiac: LEO
52. "May I ___ silly question?": ASKA
53. Has a promising future in a zoo?: BEARSWATCHING
59. Ray of film: ALDO
60. Prefix meaning "sacred": HIERO
61. Passably: SOSO
64. ___ Strip: GAZA
65. Relevant, in legalese: ADREM
66. Vicinity: AREA
67. Transport dating from the Stone Age: SLED
68. Keyed up: TENSE
69. Cry at a bakery: NEXT

down

1. Breach: GAP
2. Feller in a forest: AXE
3. Origin, as of an idea: GERM
4. Not quite: ALMOST
5. Leaves a zoo quickly?: DUCKSOUT
6. Some orchestra members: OBOES
7. Actor Calhoun: RORY
8. Fannie ___ (securities): MAES
9. Layers: STRATA
10. General outlines: SYNOPSES
11. In ___ of: LIEU
12. Knowing about: UPON
13. Recuperate: MEND
21. Drug dealer's nemesis: NARC
22. Wallpaper unit: ROLL
25. Hug: CLASP
26. "We ___ please": AIMTO
27. Rudder's spot: STERN
28. Take notice: SITUP
29. School started by Henry VI: ETON
30. Sheep-related: OVINE
31. Held a party for: FETED
32. One of the Corleones: FREDO
35. Ballet wear: TUTU
38. Monopoly property: RAILROAD
40. Emphasizes forcefully in a zoo?: RAMSHOME
43. Rick who sang "Disco Duck": DEES
45. Literary pen name: SAKI
48. "As if I care": SOWHAT
50. Wyatt Earp, for one: KANSAN
52. Lots of lots: ACRES
53. Supermarket supplies: BAGS
54. Traveler to Tel Aviv: ELAL
55. Tool related to a 2-Down: ADZE
56. White House worker: AIDE
57. Seabird: TERN
58. Noted loser by a whisker: GORE
62. Census datum: SEX
63. ___ bran: OAT

Hints and full breakdown for Jan 30

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.