NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 10, 2017
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, May 10, 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
- 24
- 38
- 50
- 72
Down clues & answers
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
across
- 1. Social adroitness: TACT
- 5. City between Gainesville and Orlando: OCALA
- 10. Skateboarder's incline: RAMP
- 14. Radar response: ECHO
- 15. Mushroom variety: MOREL
- 16. Garfield's foil in the comics: ODIE
- 17. View furtively: SNEAKAPEEK
- 19. Main role: LEAD
- 20. Direct, as a collision: HEADON
- 21. John of "Saturday Night Fever": TRAVOLTA
- 23. Amber Alert, e.g., for short: PSA
- 24. Complete the negotiations: SEALADEAL
- 25. Like the number of games in a "best of" series: ODD
- 27. Cut (off): LOP
- 29. Pitchfork point: TINE
- 30. Secure some urban transportation: GRABACAB
- 33. Rejoice: EXULT
- 37. Oscar winner Jared of "Dallas Buyers Club": LETO
- 38. Buy and sell, as stocks: TRADE
- 41. Jacob's biblical twin: ESAU
- 42. Decorative pitchers: EWERS
- 44. Was vaccinated: GOTASHOT
- 46. Pinch in the kitchen: DASH
- 49. Hit with a Taser: ZAP
- 50. Terre Haute sch.: ISU
- 51. Prepare for someone's birthday, perhaps: BAKEACAKE
- 55. Org. for top-notch H.S. students: NHS
- 57. Blue-blooded: WELLBORN
- 58. Hollywood's Diane, Buster or Michael: KEATON
- 61. Seed cover: ARIL
- 62. Briefly put pen to paper, say: WROTEANOTE
- 64. "Don't touch that, honey!": NONO
- 65. Engine capacity unit: LITER
- 66. Increase: GROW
- 67. Poses a poser: ASKS
- 68. Relatively cool red giant: SSTAR
- 69. The second "S" of MS-DOS: Abbr.: SYST
down
- 1. Radio host John: TESH
- 2. Teenage skin malady: ACNE
- 3. Takeout food together with a Netflix movie, maybe: CHEAPDATE
- 4. Garden amphibians: TOADS
- 5. Tip of the Arabian Peninsula: OMAN
- 6. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" figure: COP
- 7. Rocky glacial ridge: ARETE
- 8. Look upon with lust: LEERAT
- 9. High-pH substance: ALKALI
- 10. Obsolescent desktop accessories: ROLODEXES
- 11. "Hello" singer, 2015: ADELE
- 12. Sporty Mazda: MIATA
- 13. Organ part: PEDAL
- 18. Qantas Airways symbol: KOALA
- 22. Barn topper: VANE
- 24. Practice boxing: SPAR
- 25. Look upon with lust: OGLE
- 26. Was the clue giver in Pictionary: DREW
- 28. Start of the fourth qtr.: OCT
- 31. Brothels: BORDELLOS
- 32. Give up on, in slang: BAG
- 34. Class that covers Reconstruction and Prohibition: USHISTORY
- 35. Neighbor of Vietnam: LAOS
- 36. "Swan Lake" article of attire: TUTU
- 39. Nod off: DOZE
- 40. Letter between zeta and theta: ETA
- 43. Swedish aircraft giant: SAAB
- 45. Breathing problem: APNEA
- 47. Frowny looks: SCOWLS
- 48. ___ tweed: HARRIS
- 51. Swahili master: BWANA
- 52. Nestlé bars filled with tiny bubbles: AEROS
- 53. "Hogan's Heroes" colonel: KLINK
- 54. Noted berry farm founder Walter: KNOTT
- 56. Puts up, as a painting: HANGS
- 58. Deborah of "The King and I": KERR
- 59. Plains tribe members: OTOS
- 60. Politico Gingrich: NEWT
- 63. Drink with crumpets: TEA
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.