NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for March 20, 2015

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Friday, March 20, 2015

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:41 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, March 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.

66 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

Thursday, March 19, 2015

across

1. Actor David of "Dark Shadows": SELBY
6. Move slowly: INCH
10. Get stuck: JAM
13. Millennium starter: ONEAD
14. Ward of "CSI: NY": SELA
15. Laundry detergent with Oxi Booster: ERA
16. Brand of colorful footwear: CROCS
17. Used up, with "out": MAXED
18. Showed cowardice, say: RAN
19. First word of many bumper stickers: HONK
20. Where to watch some boxing matches: PAYTV
21. Deep red: RUBY
22. Alternatively: INSTEAD
24. Republic founded in 1836: TEXAS
26. Comics character who once solved a sudoku: ODIE
27. Paperwork?: ORIGAMI
30. "Alice in Wonderland" director, 2010: TIMBURTON
34. Yusuf ___ a.k.a. Cat Stevens: ISLAM
35. "Dragonwyck" author Seton: ANYA
36. What no two people can do?: SOLOS
38. Prefix with -graph: TELE
39. ___ nova: BOSSA
41. Indian chief called King Philip: METACOMET
43. Drive crazy: UNHINGE
45. Yves's yesterday: HIER
46. West African capital: ACCRA
47. Prohibited: ILLICIT
51. Train parts: CARS
53. Some convention organizers: Abbr.: ASSNS
55. Stick by the front door, say: CANE
56. "So that's it!": OHO
57. Offended: STUNG
58. Hebrew letters on dreidels: SHINS
59. ___ name: PEN
60. Nestlé chocolate bar since 1988: AERO
61. Chief belief: TENET
62. Soprano Sumac: YMA
63. Matured: GREW
64. ___ fee: USERS

down

1. Winter Olympics host after Vancouver: SOCHI
2. Successor company to Northern Natural Gas: ENRON
3. Musicians Russell and Redbone: LEONS
4. Encyclopedia volume on education reform?: BACKTOBASICS
5. Drapers' units: Abbr.: YDS
6. "Well, well, well," to a Brit: ISAY
7. Encyclopedia volume on poverty?: NEXTTONOTHING
8. Quick: CLEVER
9. Swindled: HAD
10. It would be "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord," to Isaiah: JERUSALEM
11. Certain 10-Down resident: ARAB
12. ___ moons: MANY
17. Encyclopedia volume on tailoring?: MADETOMEASURE
20. Skating event: PAIRS
21. Encyclopedia volume on wealth accumulation?: RAGSTORICHES
23. URL ending: EDU
25. The last Pope Pius: XII
28. XY: MALE
29. "Since ___ You Baby" (1956 hit): IMET
30. Fragrance from Dana Perfumes: TABU
31. Well aware of: INON
32. 1979 #1 hit whose title is sung with a stutter: MYSHARONA
33. Stadium cry: OLE
37. Sheets on a ship: SAILS
40. Mandela's political party, for short: ANC
42. Bugs might be seen in one: CEL
44. Kitchen tool: GRATER
48. Title ship in a W.W. II film: CAINE
49. Hidden: INNER
50. They sometimes come in batteries: TESTS
51. "Got that": COPY
52. Word of pardon: AHEM
54. White sheet: SNOW
57. Decline in prices: SAG
58. Country singer Phillips: STU

Hints and full breakdown for Mar 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.