NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 29, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, October 29, 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
- 5
- 15
- 43
- 49
- 51
- 68
- 71
Down clues & answers
- 10
- 25
- 27
- 38
- 47
- 54
- 61
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
across
- 1. "The ___ is up!": JIG
- 4. Corrodes: RUSTS
- 9. What tiny fish and eyes do: DART
- 13. Hunky-dory: ACES
- 15. What might lead you to say "Whatever": ENNUI
- 16. Spy Aldrich: AMES
- 17. 34-Across case involving ... wrongful termination?: CANNEDCORN
- 19. Like stallions: MALE
- 20. Prepares to tie one's shoes, say: KNEELS
- 21. Put a strain on: TAX
- 23. Multiplication sign, in math class: DOT
- 24. Some razors: ATRAS
- 25. ... divorce proceedings?: SPLITPEAS
- 28. Washing machine cycle: SOAK
- 29. Political group unlikely to be swayed: BASE
- 30. Give the slip: ELUDE
- 31. Fa follower: SOL
- 32. Far from fat: BONY
- 33. Peeved: CROSS
- 34. Legal setting for 17-, 25-, 45- and 53-Across?: FOODCOURT
- 36. Big gulps: SWIGS
- 38. Hip dance: HULA
- 39. Hip: MOD
- 42. Ouzo flavoring: ANISE
- 43. Main point: GIST
- 44. Subject of much Dave Chappelle humor: RACE
- 45. ... political corruption?: DIRTYRICE
- 47. North Dakota city: MINOT
- 48. Unlock, in verse: OPE
- 49. Fixed: SET
- 50. Common antiseptic: IODINE
- 51. Catches: NETS
- 53. ... marijuana possession?: BAKEDBEANS
- 56. Asia's ___ Sea: ARAL
- 57. Summer month in South America: ENERO
- 58. ___-free: SCOT
- 59. Kids' road trip game: ISPY
- 60. True-blue: LOYAL
- 61. AARP members: Abbr.: SRS
down
- 1. Onetime MTV reality stunt show: JACKASS
- 2. Confident counterclaim: ICANTOO
- 3. Word in the names of two of the top 10 Fortune 500 companies: GENERAL
- 4. Jazzberry Jam and Razzmatazz in a Crayola box: REDS
- 5. Ma's his sis: UNC
- 6. Chemical formula for tin monoxide: SNO
- 7. Slowpoke: TURTLE
- 8. 1950s Mideast hot spot: SINAI
- 9. Stop for water: DAM
- 10. Famous middle name that means "love of God": AMADEUS
- 11. Prepares for another round of shots: RELOADS
- 12. Flying transmitter: TSETSE
- 14. Tiptoer, e.g.: SNEAK
- 18. What can take people for a loop?: ELS
- 22. Nissan S.U.V.: XTERRA
- 25. Contents of some banks: SAND
- 26. Pro with a deck of cards, maybe: PSYCHIC
- 27. Cook up a conspiracy: PLOT
- 29. Chorus that's not nice to hear: BOOS
- 32. Unidentified hostile aircraft: BOGEYS
- 33. ___ of personality: CULT
- 34. Punch ingredient?: FIST
- 35. "Great" river of England: OUSE
- 36. Ones taking potshots: SNIPERS
- 37. Invasive bug: WIRETAP
- 39. Crazies: MANIACS
- 40. Alito succeeded her on the bench: OCONNOR
- 41. Cannot stand: DETESTS
- 42. Hebrew name for God: ADONAI
- 43. Big name in 1980s jeans: GITANO
- 44. Tilt-a-Whirl and Ferris wheel: RIDES
- 46. Insurgent: REBEL
- 47. Underworld group: MOB
- 50. "American ___": IDOL
- 52. Like a 14-Down: SLY
- 54. "The Star-Spangled Banner" writer: KEY
- 55. Measure opposed by Phyllis Schlafly, for short: ERA
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.