NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for March 15, 2017
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, March 15, 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
- 17
- 28
Down clues & answers
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
across
- 1. Pop fan?: MOM
- 4. Numbers to crunch: DATA
- 8. Asian gambling mecca: MACAU
- 13. Singer DiFranco: ANI
- 14. Water pitchers: EWERS
- 16. Slender woodwinds: OBOES
- 17. Asian electronics giant: NEC
- 18. Mystery writer Marsh: NGAIO
- 19. Sporty car in a Beach Boys song: TBIRD
- 20. *"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" actor, 1963: SIDCAESAR
- 22. Year, south of the border: ANO
- 23. A pep talk might boost it: MORALE
- 24. *"12 Angry Men" actor, 1957: LEEJCOBB
- 28. Reduce to particles: ATOMIZE
- 30. Online money transfer facilitator: PAYPAL
- 31. Scruff of the neck: NAPE
- 32. Made bird noises: COOED
- 35. Pig's digs: STY
- 36. *"Anatomy of a Murder" actor, 1959: ORSONBEAN
- 40. "Breaking Bad" network: AMC
- 43. It's a size larger than grande at Starbucks: VENTI
- 44. Sounds of satisfaction: AAHS
- 48. Like a toasted marshmallow vis-à-vis a non-toasted one: GOOIER
- 50. Shirt with straps instead of sleeves: TANKTOP
- 53. *"Road Trip" actor, 2000: TOMGREEN
- 56. Rice-based Spanish dish: PAELLA
- 57. PC "brain": CPU
- 58. Youthful time in one's life ... which this puzzle might harken solvers back to?: SALADDAYS
- 60. Did a smith's job on: SHOED
- 62. Prized violin: AMATI
- 63. D.C. ballplayer: NAT
- 64. In and of itself: PERSE
- 65. Mister, south of the border: SENOR
- 66. Prefix with borough: TRI
- 67. Bohemian: ARTSY
- 68. Puts in stitches: SEWS
- 69. Dog breeder's org.: AKC
down
- 1. One admired for his masculinity: MANSMAN
- 2. The tiniest bit: ONEIOTA
- 3. Gesture to punctuate a great performance: MICDROP
- 4. Highest mountain in North America: DENALI
- 5. "What a bummer!": AWGEEZ
- 6. Oolong and Earl Grey: TEAS
- 7. Popular typeface: ARIAL
- 8. Bon ___ (witticism): MOT
- 9. Monastic realm: ABBACY
- 10. Many washers and dryers in apartment buildings: COINOPS
- 11. Stunt pilot: AEROBAT
- 12. Amer. money: USD
- 15. Peeved: SORE
- 21. Hitchcock role in almost every Hitchcock film: CAMEO
- 25. Sporting sword: EPEE
- 26. Actress ___ Pinkett Smith: JADA
- 27. Journalist Nellie: BLY
- 29. "Micro" and "macro" subject, for short: ECON
- 33. Province west of Que.: ONT
- 34. Passing mention?: OBIT
- 37. Winnebago owner, briefly: RVER
- 38. Bone-dry: SERE
- 39. In the buff: NAKED
- 40. F.B.I. employee: Abbr.: AGT
- 41. Sponge: MOOCHER
- 42. Behave: COMPORT
- 45. 1996 Olympics site: ATLANTA
- 46. It stores a synagogue's Torah scrolls: HOLYARK
- 47. Moving jerkily: SPASTIC
- 49. "Um ... O.K.": IGUESS
- 51. "Superbad" producer Judd: APATOW
- 52. Low points: NADIRS
- 54. Those, to José: ESAS
- 55. April, May and June, for example: NAMES
- 59. Swimmer's assignment: LANE
- 60. Where you might hear 44-Across: SPA
- 61. Susan of "L.A. Law": DEY
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.