NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 8, 2016
Friday, July 8, 2016
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, July 8, 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
- 19
- 31
Down clues & answers
- 12
- 21
- 30
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, July 7, 2016
across
- 1. "___ Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World" (2012 book): IKES
- 5. Prefix with aware or catastrophe: ECO
- 8. It may be a reflection: IMAGE
- 13. What the transept transects: NAVE
- 14. Barrel holder: GUN
- 15. Whip up: FOMENT
- 17. Dean Martin classic: THATSAMORE
- 19. Twice quinze: TRENTE
- 20. Appliance store department: AUDIO
- 21. Jedi defenses: LIGHTSABERS
- 23. Prepared for dubbing: KNELT
- 24. Mollusks once known as lepus marinus: SEAHARES
- 25. Q-Tip target: EAR
- 26. ___ Amin, Oscar-winning role for Forest Whitaker: IDI
- 29. N.L. Central team: Abbr.: STL
- 30. It might give you a lift, briefly: AAA
- 31. A lot of dough can go into them: OVENS
- 33. Short-order orders: BLTS
- 34. Border stops ... or a hint to four squares in this puzzle: CHECKPOINTS
- 38. Focus of quantum mechanics: ATOM
- 40. "I'm With Stupid" shirt feature: ARROW
- 41. Burgundy of "Anchorman": RON
- 42. Venomous viper: ASP
- 45. Resting place: BED
- 46. Series finale?: ETC
- 49. "Pink isn't just a color, it's an ___!": Miley Cyrus: ATTITUDE
- 52. Even more calamitous: DIRER
- 54. Everything, the good with the bad: WARTSANDALL
- 56. ___ Gilbert, protagonist of "The Vampire Diaries": ELENA
- 57. Outs: ALIBIS
- 58. "Really?!": YOUDONTSAY
- 60. Camphor or fructose: KETONE
- 61. Line in the sand?: SOS
- 62. Go it alone: SOLO
- 63. California's Point ___ National Seashore: REYES
- 64. Scratch (out): EKE
- 65. Actor Bremner of "Trainspotting" and "Black Hawk Down": EWEN
down
- 1. Kind of valve: INTAKE
- 2. Bigwig: KAHUNA
- 3. Dodger: EVADER
- 4. Go to sea: SETSAIL
- 5. Swellheadedness: EGO
- 6. Headlock?: CURL
- 7. "___ the loneliest number" (Three Dog Night lyric): ONEIS
- 8. At most: IFTHAT
- 9. Political comic who once had a one-man show on Broadway: MORTSAHL
- 10. Low life?: AMEBA
- 11. Warheads?: GENERALS
- 12. Implore: ENTREAT
- 16. Characters in "Romola" and "The Gondoliers": TESSAS
- 18. Issue in a murder trial: MOTIVE
- 22. Some TVs: GES
- 27. Main mo. in so-called "Oscar season": DEC
- 28. Tats: INK
- 31. Volt per ampere: OHM
- 32. Luxe spot: SPA
- 33. Incidentally, in a txt msg: BTW
- 34. Saying "Sorry," say: CONTRITE
- 35. Spherical symbol of authority: ORB
- 36. Cross state: IRE
- 37. Emulated a bobblehead: NODDED
- 38. Onetime Caribbean native: ARAWAK
- 39. Summer: TOTALER
- 42. When the morning shift might start: ATNINE
- 43. Lathers up: SUDSES
- 44. Something that may make people go "ick," for short: PDA
- 46. Before this moment, in poetry: ERENOW
- 47. Outside clearance event: TENTSALE
- 48. Colorer: CRAYON
- 50. Delivery room announcement: ITSABOY
- 51. "Family Ties" mom: ELYSE
- 53. "How can ___?": ILOSE
- 55. Gander: LOOK
- 59. Employ, as "the Force": USE
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.