NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for June 23, 2009

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:21 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, June 23, 2009. 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, June 22, 2009

across

1. King Kong, e.g.: APE
4. Trailer's connection to a car: HITCH
9. Highly skilled: ADEPT
14. Where IVs may be administered: ERS
15. Japanese automaker: ACURA
16. Theatrical medley: REVUE
17. Emphatic south-of-the-border assent: SISISENOR
19. Lessen: ABATE
20. Comet, say, to the impressionable: OMEN
21. Mocking remark: JAPE
22. After-dinner candies: MINTS
23. Central American canal locale: PANAMA
25. In great shape: FIT
26. Beginning piano student's exercise: CMAJORSCALE
33. Feeds, as pigs: SLOPS
37. Thing to hum or whistle: TUNE
38. Neural transmitter: AXON
39. Vagrant: HOBO
40. Test answer you have a 50/50 chance of guessing right: FALSE
41. Nevada gambling mecca: RENO
42. Demon's doing: EVIL
43. Nobelist Wiesel: ELIE
44. Just sits around: IDLES
45. Parting words: SEEYOULATER
48. Finish: END
49. Prickly plant: NETTLE
54. No longer fashionable: PASSE
57. Killer whale: ORCA
60. United ___ Emirates: ARAB
61. A-list: ELITE
62. Wind that cools a beach: SEABREEZE
64. Aviator ___ Post: WILEY
65. Word said upon answering a phone: HELLO
66. Suffix with rocket or racket: EER
67. Shop: STORE
68. Woody or Gracie: ALLEN
69. Banned bug spray: DDT

down

1. See 8-Down: AESOP
2. ___ donna (vain sort): PRIMA
3. Ruhr Valley city: ESSEN
4. Contains: HAS
5. Winter river obstruction: ICEJAM
6. Bluefin, for one: TUNA
7. Wheat or soybeans: CROP
8. Loser to a tortoise, in a fable by 1-Down: HARE
9. Fragrance named for a Musketeer: ARAMIS
10. Quick, cashless way to pay for things: DEBITCARD
11. "___ Almighty" (2007 movie): EVAN
12. Miniature golf shot: PUTT
13. Gadgets not needed in miniature golf: TEES
18. "___ pig's eye!": INA
24. Roast hosts, for short: MCS
25. Costing nothing: FREE
27. The Beatles' "Any Time ___": ATALL
28. Roberts of "Erin Brockovich": JULIA
29. Beginning: ONSET
30. Rink leap: AXEL
31. The ___ Ranger: LONE
32. Outfielder Slaughter in the Baseball Hall of Fame: ENOS
33. Kenny Rogers's "___ a Mystery": SHES
34. Zero, in tennis: LOVE
35. Village Voice award: OBIE
36. Leisure suit fabric: POLYESTER
40. Hatfield/McCoy affair: FEUD
44. Ill temper: IRE
46. Cyclops feature: ONEEYE
47. Give power to: ENABLE
50. ___ kwon do: TAE
51. Cornered: TREED
52. Vegged out: LAZED
53. Roger with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down: EBERT
54. Sunday seats: PEWS
55. Touched down: ALIT
56. Storage for forage: SILO
57. Workplace watchdog org.: OSHA
58. Irish dance: REEL
59. Do some telemarketing: CALL
63. "Apollo 13" director Howard: RON

Hints and full breakdown for Jun 22

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.