NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for February 2, 2016
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, February 2, 2016. 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
- 32
- 61
Down clues & answers
- 3
- 9
- 34
- 40
- 55
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Monday, February 1, 2016
across
- 1. Switch that changes bands on the radio: AMFM
- 5. Memo: NOTE
- 9. Frequently: OFTEN
- 14. ___ Crawley, countess on "Downton Abbey": CORA
- 15. One of the Great Lakes: ERIE
- 16. Cut, as a pumpkin: CARVE
- 17. Like most college dorms nowadays: COED
- 18. Title locale in a 1987 Oliver Stone drama: WALLSTREET
- 20. U-turn from WNW: ESE
- 21. Animal hide: PELT
- 22. Four-baggers: HOMERS
- 23. Sandbars: SHOALS
- 25. Any old Joe: BUB
- 26. Title locale in a 1950 Billy Wilder film noir: SUNSETBOULEVARD
- 33. Youth org. since 1910: BSA
- 34. Make a selection: OPT
- 35. Longtime N.B.A. coach Pat: RILEY
- 36. Hawaiian shindig: LUAU
- 38. "$500 on the roan nag," e.g.: BET
- 39. "You and who ___?" (fighting words): ELSE
- 40. "Love Story" author Segal: ERICH
- 42. "Hey ___, what's up?": BRO
- 43. A, in Berlin: EIN
- 44. Title locale in a 2001 David Lynch thriller: MULHOLLANDDRIVE
- 49. Doctor's charge: FEE
- 50. "Time is money" and "Knowledge is power": ADAGES
- 51. Floating aimlessly: ADRIFT
- 55. "Well, what do we have here!": MYMY
- 57. F.D.R.'s successor: HST
- 58. "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Thelma & Louise" ... or a hint to 18-, 26- and 44-Across: ROADMOVIES
- 60. Lead-in to boy or girl: ATTA
- 61. Sleep disorder: APNEA
- 62. Dot on an ocean map: ISLE
- 63. Trounce: BEAT
- 64. Started: BEGAN
- 65. Topic of a pre-election news story: POLL
- 66. Detective fiction writer ___ Stanley Gardner: ERLE
down
- 1. Means of entry: ACCESS
- 2. Kind of pork at a Chinese restaurant: MOOSHU
- 3. Conditionally released from custody: FREEONBAIL
- 4. Seeing red: MAD
- 5. Most modern: NEWEST
- 6. Spoken, not written: ORAL
- 7. ___ at windmills: TILT
- 8. Sushi selection: EEL
- 9. Month with Columbus Day: OCTOBER
- 10. Old MacDonald's place: FARM
- 11. Arborist's focus: TREE
- 12. "Have I ___ told you ...?": EVER
- 13. Brooklyn hoopsters: NETS
- 19. Jewish house of worship: SHUL
- 21. Earnest request: PLEA
- 24. In that capacity: ASSUCH
- 25. Campaign giveaway: BUTTON
- 27. Move up and down, as a doll's head: BOBBLE
- 28. "Carmen" or "Rigoletto": OPERA
- 29. Meredith of daytime TV: VIEIRA
- 30. Crammer's last chance: ALLNIGHTER
- 31. Hi-___ image: RES
- 32. Easter egg coating: DYE
- 36. Moon landing craft, for short: LEM
- 37. Neighbor of Arg. and Braz.: URU
- 41. Dustin who won an Oscar for "Rain Man": HOFFMAN
- 43. Mini-whirlpool: EDDY
- 45. Actor Jared of "Dallas Buyers Club": LETO
- 46. Distressed maiden, in fairy tales: DAMSEL
- 47. ___ virgin: VESTAL
- 48. Home for a Rockefeller or a Vanderbilt: ESTATE
- 51. Mideast native: ARAB
- 52. Narcotize: DOPE
- 53. Tolled, as a bell: RANG
- 54. Notion: IDEA
- 55. Japanese soup: MISO
- 56. Scream: YELL
- 59. Big cheese: VIP
- 60. Face on a fiver: ABE
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.