NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for February 20, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, February 20, 2015. 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.
Across clues & answers
- 12
- 18
- 35
- 54
Down clues & answers
- 14
- 49
- 56
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, February 19, 2015
across
- 1. Put a coat on sloppily, say: DAUB
- 5. City that supplied granite for Egyptian monuments: ASWAN
- 10. Theater deg.: MFA
- 13. Hyatt alternative: OMNI
- 14. Shot: PHOTO
- 15. Illegal motion penalty?: TILT
- 17. Former Washington heavyweight: TAFT
- 18. "I'm off!": SEEYA
- 19. "Casta diva," e.g.: ARIA
- 20. Hors d'oeuvre staple: CRACKER
- 22. ___ mater (brain part): PIA
- 24. Reaction to an exorbitant bill, maybe: EEK
- 25. Turkey dressing ingredient: ONION
- 26. Classroom projectile: PAIRPLANE
- 29. Lisa ___ Presley: MARIE
- 30. Mandela's org.: ANC
- 31. Grope clumsily: PAWAT
- 32. "Game of Thrones" patriarch ___ Stark: NED
- 34. Disgust: NAUSEATE
- 36. "Isn't she cu-u-ute?!": AWW
- 39. European border: URALS
- 41. Thirst: YEN
- 42. Gets inspiration?: BREATHES
- 45. E.R. test: EEG
- 48. Plant used in herbal remedies: SENNA
- 49. América del ___: SUR
- 51. What the paths of three answers in this puzzle include: LOOPS
- 55. ___ converter: CATALYTIC
- 57. Bebé's milk: LECHE
- 58. And on and on: ETC
- 59. Rustic expanse: LEA
- 60. Theme park part: ROASTER
- 62. It may be on the tip of the tongue: SHOE
- 64. 100-eyed giant of myth: ARGUS
- 66. Plague: BANE
- 67. ___-worth: SELF
- 68. Looks: SEEMS
- 69. River through Bristol: AVON
- 70. "Silent Spring" topic, for short: DDT
- 71. Exercise option: TAEBO
- 72. Igloo, essentially: DOME
down
- 1. Kind of bubble: DOTCOM
- 2. Archaeological site along the Nile: AMARNA
- 3. Biased: UNFAIR
- 4. Digital currency: BITCOIN
- 5. Vaulted recess: APSE
- 6. Worker in peak physical condition?: SHERPA
- 7. Heartache: WOE
- 8. Anomalous: ATYPICAL
- 9. Asphyxiation cause: NOAIR
- 10. N.Y.C. rail org.: MTA
- 11. "I'll take your questions now": FIREAWAY
- 12. Drive off: ALIENATE
- 16. Rest a bit: TAKETEN
- 21. Something to make a proposal on?: KNEE
- 23. Many games nowadays: APPS
- 27. Chinese-American fashion icon: ANNASUI
- 28. Pacific port from which Amelia Earhart left on her last and fatal flight: LAE
- 33. "Ya think?!": DUH
- 35. Consumption: USE
- 36. Certain infection: ABSCESS
- 37. Encircled: WREATHED
- 38. Disappeared, as a trail: WENTCOLD
- 40. Place to change drivers: RESTAREA
- 43. Santa ___, Calif.: ANA
- 44. One way to walk: TALL
- 46. Actress Raines of "Phantom Lady": ELLA
- 47. Sours: GOESBAD
- 50. "Keep on Truckin'" cartoonist: RCRUMB
- 52. Book size: OCTAVO
- 53. Whiz: PHENOM
- 54. Untroubled: SERENE
- 56. Vintner's supply: YEAST
- 61. ___ buco: OSSO
- 63. Pond dweller: EFT
- 65. "No kidding!": GEE
More daily puzzle hints
- WordleGuess the five-letter word in six triesGuide & tips
- ConnectionsSort 16 words into four hidden groupsGuide & tips
- StrandsFind the themed words hidden in a letter gridGuide & tips
- Spelling BeeMake words from seven letters around a center letterGuide & tips
- Mini CrosswordA bite-size crossword you can finish over coffeeGuide & tips
- Connections: Sports EditionConnections with a sports-only word poolGuide & tips
- Letter BoxedChain words around a square using all 12 lettersGuide & tips
- Midi CrosswordThe mid-size crossword between the Mini and the dailyGuide & tips
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.