NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 18, 2004

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

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:54 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, May 18, 2004. 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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Previous The Crossword answer

Monday, May 17, 2004

across

1. Boeing 747's and 767's: JETS
5. The Monkees' "___ Believer": IMA
8. "Am not!" rejoinder: ARETOO
14. Forced out: UPROOTED
16. Wash receptacles: BASINS
17. With 56-Across, lawyer who argued in 19- and 49-Across: THURGOOD
18. Pre-Mexican Indians: AZTECS
19. With 49-Across, noted decision made 5/17/54: BROWNVBOARD
21. Buying binge: SPREE
24. Musical talent: EAR
25. Eight: Fr.: HUIT
26. Stuart queen: ANNE
29. Went after congers: EELED
34. Aged: OLD
35. On the briny: ASEA
36. Curious thing: ODDITY
37. Decision reversed by 19- and 49-Across: PLESSYVFERGUSON
40. One sailing under a skull and crossbones: PIRATE
41. Locust or larch: TREE
42. Spanish aunt: TIA
43. Belgian painter James: ENSOR
44. Chief Justice ___ Warren, majority opinion writer for 19- and 49-Across: EARL
45. Rolodex nos.: TELS
46. Select, with "for": OPT
48. Stanford-___ test: BINET
49. See 19-Across: OFEDUCATION
55. Sitting room: PARLOR
56. See 17-Across: MARSHALL
60. Groups of starting players: ATEAMS
61. Forebodes: PRESAGES
62. Vice President Dick: CHENEY
63. Ave. crossers: STS
64. Mary ___ Lincoln: TODD

down

1. Stick (out): JUT
2. Book after Galatians: Abbr.: EPH
3. Capote, for short: TRU
4. Iced dessert: SORBET
5. Langston Hughes poem: ITOO
6. Cat's cry: MEOW
7. Annex: Abbr.: ADDN
8. Addis ___, Ethiopia: ABABA
9. Symbol of sharpness: RAZOREDGE
10. "Cómo ___ usted?": ESTA
11. Echelon: TIER
12. How a lot of modern music is sold: ONCD
13. Secret W.W. II agcy.: OSS
15. Brute: OGRE
20. Flying geese formation: VEE
21. Quaint establishment: SHOPPE
22. Arrive, as by car: PULLIN
23. Passengers: RIDERS
26. "___ sow, so shall ...": ASYE
27. Reno's state: Abbr.: NEV
28. U.S./Can./Mex. pact: NAFTA
30. University URL ending: EDU
31. Pay attention: LISTEN
32. French star: ETOILE
33. Ruler by birth: DYNAST
35. Houston landmark: ASTRODOME
36. Pitcher Hershiser: OREL
38. ___ Paulo, Brazil: SAO
39. Go off track: ERR
44. And so forth: ETC
45. Soldier's helmet, slangily: TINHAT
47. Short-winded: PURSY
48. Bruce Springsteen, with "the": BOSS
49. ___ of office: OATH
50. Gratis: FREE
51. Flair: ELAN
52. Concert equipment: AMPS
53. Pucker-inducing: TART
54. Angers: IRES
55. ___-Man (arcade game): PAC
57. Past: AGO
58. Was ahead: LED
59. "Acid": LSD

Hints and full breakdown for May 17

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.