NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for February 2, 2017
Thursday, February 2, 2017
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, February 2, 2017. 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
- 27
- 44
- 45
Down clues & answers
- 42
- 51
- 53
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
across
- 1. Exoskeleton, e.g.: ARMOR
- 6. One who's slow to pick things up?: SLOB
- 10. When repeated, zealous: RAH
- 13. "Likewise": SOAMI
- 14. Leader of the Smurfs: PAPA
- 15. Jam session highlight: SOLO
- 16. Gym bag attachment: STRAP
- 17. "You can say that again!": AMEN
- 18. Seneca Falls orator Lucretia: MOTT
- 19. Friends who go to White Castle in a 2004 film: HAROLDANDKUMAR
- 22. "Didn't I tell you?": SEE
- 23. Main squeeze, in modern lingo: BAE
- 24. Class teaching about DNA: BIO
- 25. Romans who protected the emperor: PRAETORIANGUARD
- 31. See 33-Across: BIBLE
- 32. Go to bed, informally: CRASH
- 33. Follower of Hosea in the 31-Across: JOEL
- 34. Cheese choice: SWISS
- 36. Its diameter is roughly twice that of a basketball: HOOP
- 40. No longer on one's plate, say: EATEN
- 42. Bedtime for a vampire: SUNUP
- 43. Countrymen who met in Philadelphia in 1787: FOUNDINGFATHERS
- 48. Ambulance letters: EMS
- 49. ___-rock: ALT
- 50. Freshness: LIP
- 51. Shakespearean entreaty appropriate for 19-, 25- and 43-Across?: LENDMEYOUREARS
- 57. Nivea rival: OLAY
- 58. Jacques who played Monsieur Hulot: TATI
- 59. Scout's route: TRAIL
- 61. Campbell of "House of Cards": NEVE
- 62. Walked heavily: TROD
- 63. Lady of "My Fair Lady": ELIZA
- 64. Where hogs go hog-wild?: STY
- 65. Sapphic works: ODES
- 66. Luxury brand with a crown logo: ROLEX
down
- 1. Buffoon: ASS
- 2. Kind of I.R.A.: ROTH
- 3. Rooney ___, 2016 Oscar nominee for "Carol": MARA
- 4. Mosque of ___ (Jerusalem shrine): OMAR
- 5. Clever comeback: RIPOSTE
- 6. James who voiced Ultron in "Avengers: Age of Ultron": SPADER
- 7. Prayer wheel turner: LAMA
- 8. Places where spirits flow freely: OPENBARS
- 9. Headwear for some rockers: BANDANAS
- 10. Automated floor cleaner: ROOMBA
- 11. Brightest star in the Eagle constellation: ALTAIR
- 12. Vehicle in a drag race: HOTROD
- 15. Dallas sch.: SMU
- 20. Passionate, outgoing sort, astrologically: LEO
- 21. Beer blast purchases: KEGS
- 25. Basic lunch sandwich, informally: PBJ
- 26. Brazilian-themed Vegas hotel: RIO
- 27. Japanese P.M. Shinzo ___: ABE
- 28. Page in a Hollywood film: ELLEN
- 29. Cake coating: ICING
- 30. "Ri-i-i-ight ...": UHHUH
- 34. Certain high heel: STILETTO
- 35. Hit a home run, in baseball lingo: WENTYARD
- 37. Number of emails sent by Warren Buffett in his entire life: ONE
- 38. Dickens's "___ Mutual Friend": OUR
- 39. And another thing, on a letter: PPS
- 41. Police dispatcher's "A": ADAM
- 42. Noted gatekeeper: STPETER
- 43. Mug shot subjects: FELONS
- 44. "Western" or "Spanish" dish: OMELET
- 45. "Not for self but for country" sloganeer: USNAVY
- 46. What doctors recommend that sick people get a lot of: FLUIDS
- 47. It's mostly nitrogen: AIR
- 52. Clairol product: DYE
- 53. Great Plains tribe: OTOE
- 54. Janis's partner in the comics: ARLO
- 55. Billiards cushion: RAIL
- 56. Carry-on concern: SIZE
- 60. Not really enforcing the rules: LAX
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.