NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for September 1, 2017
Friday, September 1, 2017
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, September 1, 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
- 20
- 46
Down clues & answers
- 11
- 12
- 42
- 52
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, August 31, 2017
across
- 1. Transporter with sliding doors: BOXCAR
- 5. Saddle accessories: PADS
- 9. Kicker's target: GOALPOST
- 14. Consumer's boon: SALE
- 15. "How ___ Your Mother": IMET
- 16. First lady with a popular recipe for "million-dollar fudge": MAMIE
- 17. School founded by Henry VI: ETON
- 18. Refuge: SAFEHARBOR
- 20. Mitt Romney's wife: ANN
- 21. Pilot's surroundings: GASOVEN
- 22. Business add-on?: INC
- 23. Alternative to a gun: TASER
- 25. Futurist: SEER
- 26. Situation with equal losses and gains: WASH
- 27. "Precisely!": SPOTON
- 29. Soccer star Chastain with two Olympic gold medals: BRANDI
- 31. With 44-Across, V.I.P. area represented four times in this puzzle: CORNER
- 35. Microsoft offering: EXCEL
- 36. Fish ___: FRY
- 39. Gavin of "The Love Boat": MACLEOD
- 41. What a Möbius strip lacks: END
- 42. Rehm of public radio: DIANE
- 44. See 31-Across: OFFICE
- 46. Capital on an Asian peninsula: ANKARA
- 48. ___ Tomb: LENINS
- 52. Without modification: ASIS
- 53. Jack who was quick with a quip: PAAR
- 57. Odd group of musicians?: NONET
- 58. Extra cost for an airline passenger: PET
- 59. Shift+5 on a keyboard: PERCENT
- 61. "This puzzle is relatively easy," say: LIE
- 62. Not a good example: POOREXCUSE
- 64. High-quality cotton: PIMA
- 65. Like most of Maine: RURAL
- 66. Holder of the Obama cabinet: ERIC
- 67. Bargain: DEAL
- 68. Popular drink: OVALTINE
- 69. Like some cellars: DANK
- 70. Alison Bechdel memoir made into a hit 2015 Broadway musical: FUNHOME
down
- 1. Luxuries for theatergoers: BOXSEATS
- 2. Quick break: CATNAP
- 3. King in "The Tempest": ALONSO
- 4. Kylo ___ of "The Force Awakens": REN
- 5. City with a famous bell tower: PISA
- 6. Collect: AMASS
- 7. Author who did part of his work on Friday: DEFOE
- 8. Jobs once in California: STEVE
- 9. F.B.I. agent, informally: GMAN
- 10. Conjunction in a rebus puzzle: OAR
- 11. Atmosphere: AMBIANCE
- 12. Locale of hostile criticism, metaphorically: LIONSDEN
- 13. Archetype: POSTERCHILD
- 19. Cannabis, e.g.: HERB
- 21. Shelter staffer: GROOMER
- 24. Alternative to "...": ETC
- 26. Material for Icarus' wings: WAX
- 28. F.D.R.-created program with the slogan "We Do Our Part": NRA
- 30. Pittance: REDCENT
- 32. Base fig.: NCO
- 33. "The Lord of the Rings" figure: ELF
- 34. Certain whistle blower: REF
- 36. Need for drugs: FDAAPPROVAL
- 37. De-suds: RINSEOUT
- 38. Japanese style of chicken: YAKITORI
- 40. Palm ___: OIL
- 43. Rapper who famously feuded with Jay-Z: NAS
- 45. "Music for Airports" composer: ENO
- 47. Tiptop: APEX
- 49. Taking the place (of): INLIEU
- 50. Artist LeRoy: NEIMAN
- 51. Sneakily advance from third: STEALHOME
- 54. Parabolic, e.g.: ARCED
- 55. Automaker whose current models all end in "X": ACURA
- 56. Material used in mummification: RESIN
- 59. "The King of Football": PELE
- 60. Make out: NECK
- 63. Controlled: RAN
- 64. Common email attachment: PDF
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.