NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for September 27, 2017

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:10 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, September 27, 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.

78 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Tuesday, September 26, 2017

across

1. Fruity soft drink: NEHI
5. Stir-fry cookers: WOKS
9. Puts into English, say, as movie dialogue: DUBS
13. Schiff on the House Intelligence Committee: ADAM
14. Things teeth and hair have: ROOTS
16. Rights org. of which Helen Keller was a co-founder: ACLU
17. Comedian Kevin after having a sloppy jelly snack?: PURPLEHART
19. Writer Lowry with two Newbery Medals: LOIS
20. Restaurateur Paula: DEEN
21. Lion observed at night: LEO
22. Naysaying: ANTI
23. Fashion flair: STYLE
25. Get frisky with comedian Freddie?: PAWPRINZE
27. Intricate trap: WEB
28. Azure expanse: SKY
30. Mule in an Erie Canal song: SAL
31. School for young royals: ETON
33. Irritating criticism: FLAK
36. "The Phantom of the Opera" city: PARIS
40. Comedian Richard being sent to a psychiatric facility?: PRYORCOMMITMENT
43. Sample: TASTE
44. Swimmer Diana: NYAD
45. Away on a submarine, say: ASEA
46. "___ the fields we go ...": OER
48. Séance sound: RAP
50. Blubber: CRY
51. Cause of comedian Roseanne's black eye?: BARRFIGHT
56. Touches geographically: ABUTS
58. "Superfood" Amazon berry: ACAI
59. Captain Hook, to Peter Pan: FOE
60. Big unicycle part: TIRE
61. Sulk: MOPE
62. Result of comedian Eric's untied shoelaces?: FALLENIDLE
66. Subject of Queen Elizabeth, informally: BRIT
67. John le Carré heroes: SPIES
68. Timely benefit: BOON
69. "500" race, familiarly: INDY
70. Take one's leave: EXIT
71. Breakfast brand for the toaster: EGGO

down

1. Forty winks: NAP
2. Prof's URL ender: EDU
3. Robust-sounding teens of children's books: HARDYBOYS
4. Incite to action: IMPEL
5. St. Paul's Cathedral architect: WREN
6. "Would you look at that!": OOH
7. Nocturnal marsupial: KOALA
8. Scatter: STREW
9. Spiritual leader with a Nobel Peace Prize: DALAILAMA
10. NE basketball powerhouse: UCONN
11. Football rush: BLITZ
12. Essman of "Curb Your Enthusiasm": SUSIE
15. Comes to a standstill: STOPS
18. Alternative to Levi's: LEES
23. Took the entire series: SWEPT
24. Colorful aquarium fish: TETRA
25. Tall supporting tower: PYLON
26. Totally captivated: RAPT
29. "Finger-lickin' good" food establishment: KFC
32. Achievement for Bernie Madoff or Al Capone: NOTORIETY
34. Youngest of the fictional March sisters: AMY
35. "Attention ___ shoppers!": KMART
37. St. Bernard during an avalanche, maybe: RESCUEDOG
38. Chemically nonreactive: INERT
39. Remains: STAYS
41. Coral formation: REEF
42. Hollywood's Lupino: IDA
47. Repeated jazz phrases: RIFFS
49. Big nuisance: PAIN
51. Thumper's deer friend: BAMBI
52. Tidbit for a squirrel: ACORN
53. Quick: RAPID
54. What Tarzan's friends advised him to do?: GOAPE
55. Half of a genetic molecule: HELIX
57. Illegal payment: BRIBE
60. Trial balloon: TEST
63. Hawaiian gift: LEI
64. Fireplace item: LOG
65. Ambient musician Brian: ENO

Hints and full breakdown for Sep 26

More daily puzzle hints

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.