NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 11, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, May 11, 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
- 36
- 41
- 56
Down clues & answers
- 22
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
across
- 1. Something needed to play the game depicted in this puzzle: RACKET
- 7. Starts the game depicted in this puzzle: SERVES
- 13. Suzuki with his first name on his jersey: ICHIRO
- 14. Publisher of People: TIMEINC
- 15. Supporters of broken arms: SLINGS
- 16. Kim of "L.A. Confidential": BASINGER
- 17. Avoid a beanball, maybe: DUCK
- 18. Dishwasher need: SOAP
- 20. Tram load: ORE
- 21. Went off, as an alarm: SOUNDED
- 24. Boast: CROW
- 25. Foot, in anatomy: PES
- 28. Meat in a classic Monty Python skit: SPAM
- 29. Under the weather: ILL
- 31. Post-triathlon woes: ACHES
- 33. Output from futuristic weaponry: IONBEAMS
- 38. Wacko: LOON
- 39. Antenna, e.g.: SENSEORGAN
- 41. Not stressed: UNACCENTED
- 43. Toy on a string: KITE
- 44. Beltway insider: POLITICO
- 45. Ed with seven Emmys: ASNER
- 46. Rapper with a line of Fila sneakers: NAS
- 47. Unless, in law: NISI
- 50. Grokked: GOT
- 51. Slow-witted sort: DODO
- 54. President who was imprisoned for 27 years: MANDELA
- 57. Sch. founded by Thomas Jefferson: UVA
- 58. "Star Wars" princess: LEIA
- 59. Ice cream bar brand: DOVE
- 63. More skilled in: BETTERAT
- 67. One atop the standings: LEADER
- 69. Facetious subject of many articles in The Onion: AREAMAN
- 70. Xenophobes' fear: ALIENS
- 71. Call after the 72-Across crosses the 16-Down seven times and lands here: ITSOUT
- 72. Something needed to play the game depicted in this puzzle ... or a hint to the six circled answers: BIRDIE
down
- 1. Providence art inst.: RISD
- 2. Free speech defender, for short: ACLU
- 3. In vogue: CHIC
- 4. "Lola" band, with "the": KINKS
- 5. Joule fraction: ERG
- 6. Even odds: TOSSUP
- 7. Sibling nickname: SIS
- 8. Defunct U.K. label: EMI
- 9. "Footloose" hero ___ McCormack: REN
- 10. Partner of vim: VIGOR
- 11. Start of el año: ENERO
- 12. Prison guard, slangily: SCREW
- 14. Ankle wrap for an athlete: TAPE
- 16. Divider in this puzzle's game: BADMINTONNET
- 19. Lead-in to lark or dare: ONA
- 22. 1940s spy org.: OSS
- 23. Ate in high style: DINED
- 24. Supreme Court aides: CLERKS
- 25. Get chummy (with): PALUP
- 26. Low-budget: Prefix: ECONO
- 27. Maritime hazard: SHOAL
- 30. Certain Wall St. takeover: LBO
- 32. San Fernando Valley community: ENCINO
- 34. Suffix for sugars: OSE
- 35. Gerontology subject: AGING
- 36. San ___ (Bay Area city): MATEO
- 37. Hägar the Horrible's dog: SNERT
- 39. Tsunami cause: SEISM
- 40. Cover letter abbr.: ENC
- 42. 'L' train overseer: CTA
- 45. Be under the weather: AIL
- 48. Uganda's Amin: IDI
- 49. 1960s underwater habitat: SEALAB
- 51. Home of the Burj Khalifa: DUBAI
- 52. For all to see: OVERT
- 53. Sees regularly: DATES
- 55. Shepard in space: ALAN
- 56. Legendary firefighter Red: ADAIR
- 60. Took too much, briefly: ODED
- 61. I came: Lat.: VENI
- 62. Gaelic tongue: ERSE
- 64. Eastern "way": TAO
- 65. Avian source of red meat: EMU
- 66. One violating omertà: RAT
- 68. Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas or Sonia Sotomayor, schoolwise: ELI
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.