NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 31, 2015
Friday, July 31, 2015
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, July 31, 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
- 26
- 46
- 47
- 50
Down clues & answers
- 4
- 11
- 12
- 32
- 38
- 39
- 43
- 45
- 51
- 52
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, July 30, 2015
across
- 1. Chronicler of the English Restoration: PEPYS
- 6. Open a crack: AJAR
- 10. Player for big laughs: HAM
- 13. Crack, as a code: UNLOCK
- 15. Baby ___: MAMA
- 16. Back: AGO
- 17. Hardy brown spice?: TOUGHNUTMEG
- 19. Tell: RAT
- 20. Shambles, e.g.: GAITS
- 21. Bring to light: UNEARTH
- 23. Many homecoming attendees, informally: ALUMS
- 25. Booster for a band: AMP
- 27. Not just deception: LIES
- 28. Company that will get you a second spouse?: BIGAMYBUSINESS
- 32. Corn ___: BELT
- 33. School closing?: ELL
- 34. Deli stock: LOX
- 35. "Take your pick": ANY
- 36. Rang: KNELLED
- 38. Real blast: GAS
- 41. Deal maker: Abbr.: AGT
- 42. Like some baseball: AAA
- 43. Lexington's ___ Arena: RUPP
- 44. Extremely tacky production of a Shakespeare play?: MACBETHNCHEESE
- 48. Ill-looking: PALE
- 49. Network with "Suits" and "Royal Pains": USA
- 50. Whaling ship that inspired "Moby-Dick": ESSEX
- 51. Increase in interest: ACCRUAL
- 54. Pop-___: TARTS
- 56. Man cave invitee: BRO
- 57. Country instrument played by a migrant?: TRAVELBANJO
- 61. Rummy: SOT
- 62. Actress Gunn of "Breaking Bad": ANNA
- 63. Calm swimming spot: LAGOON
- 64. Sticks in an abandoned building?: TNT
- 65. "Follow": HEEL
- 66. Don't bother: LETBE
down
- 1. Situate: PUT
- 2. Musician who coined the term "ambient music": ENO
- 3. Downright homely: PLUGUGLY
- 4. Something to meditate on: YOGAMAT
- 5. Deep divide: SCHISM
- 6. Small price to pay?: AMT
- 7. Printing problems: JAMUPS
- 8. Revival reply: AMEN
- 9. What's really hot: RAGE
- 10. TV news host Melissa ___-Perry: HARRIS
- 11. Swirly-colored marbles: AGATES
- 12. Ones in the closet?: MOTHS
- 14. Chess piece: Abbr.: KNT
- 18. Worth keeping: USABLE
- 22. To whom "I'll take ..." is often said: ALEX
- 23. "Rock Me" group, 1975: ABBA
- 24. What a title may come with: LIEN
- 26. Muslim V.I.P.s: MULLAHS
- 29. One doing the dishes?: YENTE
- 30. Relating to part of the small intestine: ILEAC
- 31. Quick approval: NOD
- 36. Source of some shadows, for short: KGB
- 37. Woolly: LANATE
- 38. "Looks like I was wrong": GUESSNOT
- 39. Vault locale: APSE
- 40. Glasses, informally: SPEX
- 41. Taiwan-based computer giant: ACER
- 43. Put on again: RESTAGE
- 44. Long vowel indicator: MACRON
- 45. Creator of the characters added in 17-, 28-, 44- and 57-Across: ALCOTT
- 46. University that was originally the Medical College of Louisiana: TULANE
- 47. Like some tea: HERBAL
- 48. "The way beer was meant to be" sloganeer, once: PABST
- 52. Home of Bountiful: UTAH
- 53. Duncan of Obama's cabinet: ARNE
- 55. "___ I'm saying is ...": ALL
- 58. Cartoonist Mayerik who co-created Howard the Duck: VAL
- 59. Book before Psalms: JOB
- 60. Last ___: ONE
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.