NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for September 23, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, September 23, 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
- 21
- 22
- 40
Down clues & answers
- 48
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, September 22, 2016
across
- 1. Writer whose wife said he's a "genius, but what a dirty mind he has": JOYCE
- 6. Act the grandparent, perhaps: DOTE
- 10. Batman villain known as "Queen of the Cossacks": OLGA
- 14. Deep dislike: ODIUM
- 15. Something to mouse over: ICON
- 16. A.C.L.U. target: BIAS
- 17. A number of stage items in a French play?: SEPTPIECES
- 19. What you might be taken to: TASK
- 20. It's twisted: ESS
- 21. With 5-Down, creator of 24,000+ miles of road before 1600: INCA
- 22. "The West Wing" speechwriter: SAM
- 23. A number of cocktails in Berlin?: DREIMARTINIS
- 28. Secure, as loosened shoelaces: RETIE
- 31. Palazzo ___, architectural gem of the Renaissance: FARNESE
- 32. Typical after-work times, for short: EVES
- 33. Take big steps: STRIDE
- 36. Strauss's "___ Heldenleben": EIN
- 37. A number of Freudians in Freiburg?: SECHSTHERAPISTS
- 40. The Wildcats of the N.C.A.A., for short: UNH
- 41. Less stuffy: AIRIER
- 42. Olympics host after Melbourne: ROME
- 43. Its capital is Maseru: LESOTHO
- 45. Trig functions: SINES
- 46. A number of chemical rarities in Madrid?: TRESELEMENTS
- 50. IV measures: CCS
- 51. Shock, in a way: TASE
- 52. Tina who won a Mark Twain Prize for American Humor: FEY
- 55. Epsilon follower: ZETA
- 57. A number of grain-producing sites in Normandy?: HUITFIELDS
- 60. Dumpster attribute, often: ODOR
- 61. Org. inspecting 64-Across: USDA
- 62. Who has won more Olympic medals than Michael Phelps: NOONE
- 63. Willa Cather's "One of ___": OURS
- 64. Inspection target of the 61-Across: MEAT
- 65. E. C. ___, creator of Popeye: SEGAR
down
- 1. "No way" man: JOSE
- 2. ___ of Solomon: ODES
- 3. Athlete's sudden loss of ability, informally: YIPS
- 4. Percentage: CUT
- 5. See 21-Across: EMPIRE
- 6. Italian ten: DIECI
- 7. Philosopher with a razor: OCCAM
- 8. Sole end?: TOE
- 9. Chekov, e.g., on "Star Trek": Abbr.: ENS
- 10. Secure: OBTAIN
- 11. Voicer of Aslan in "The Chronicles of Narnia": LIAMNEESON
- 12. Bloviation: GAS
- 13. Part of D.A.D.T.: ASK
- 18. Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 ___ major: INE
- 22. Throat ailment, briefly: STREP
- 23. Provide the juicy bits: DISH
- 24. Lit: AFIRE
- 25. Range of notice: RADAR
- 26. Insecure person's query: ISITME
- 27. Bad decision makers may have lost theirs: SENSES
- 28. Consequence: RESULT
- 29. Less bumpy: EVENER
- 30. Part of the Dow: TECHSECTOR
- 33. Big name in chain saws: STIHL
- 34. Difficult struggle: THROE
- 35. Portuguese king: REI
- 38. Provides enough for: SATES
- 39. Flower whose name means "rainbow": IRIS
- 44. Star-filled night: OSCARS
- 45. Porter supporters?: STEINS
- 47. Summit on Crete where Zeus was born: MTIDA
- 48. Irk: EATAT
- 49. Agcy. that funds major research: NSF
- 52. Whip: FLOG
- 53. Ferber who wrote "Giant": EDNA
- 54. French/Belgian river: YSER
- 55. Bronx attraction: ZOO
- 56. Common URL ending: EDU
- 57. Run smoothly: HUM
- 58. Operate: USE
- 59. Job listing inits.: EOE
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.