NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for January 31, 2018

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:05 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, January 31, 2018. 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.

70 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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Previous The Crossword answer

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

across

1. Sun Devils' sch.: ASU
4. Like the Llwynywermod royal estate: WELSH
9. One free carry-on bag, for many domestic flights: LIMIT
14. Large body of eau: MER
15. Welcome on Waikiki: ALOHA
16. Light-footed: AGILE
17. Collar: NAB
18. Japanese soup tidbit: RAMENNOODLE
20. "Frozen" snowman: OLAF
22. Like the lion's share: LARGEST
23. Pavarotti, for one: TENOR
25. Part of a barn where hay is stored: MOW
26. Ones approving fin. statements: CPAS
30. Hot and arid: SAHARAN
33. Iota preceder: THETA
34. Wisconsin city that's home to Lawrence University: APPLETON
36. Coco of couture: CHANEL
37. ___ Spiegel (German newsmagazine): DER
38. Piglet producer: SOW
39. Something to shoot for: PAR
40. Hip-hop artist with the #1 album "Hip Hop Is Dead": NAS
41. Study, with "on": READUP
43. Large Greek olive: KALAMATA
45. Actor Cary of "The Princess Bride": ELWES
46. Dictionary: LEXICON
47. Bombard: PELT
48. Red Sox archrival, on scoreboards: NYY
49. Jazzy James and Jones: ETTAS
52. Historically significant: EPOCHAL
56. Land celebrated on March 17: ERIN
57. Like most pet dogs ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled letters: HOUSEBROKEN
61. Big fuss: ADO
62. Evicts: OUSTS
63. O'Connor's successor on the Supreme Court: ALITO
64. Company V.I.P.: CEO
65. Extract forcefully: WREST
66. Title for un hombre: SENOR
67. Medium power?: ESP

down

1. Juvenile retort: AMNOT
2. Bobby who co-founded the Black Panthers: SEALE
3. Growing problem in cities?: URBANSPRAWL
4. "___ is hell": WAR
5. Israeli carrier: ELAL
6. ___ Linda, Calif.: LOMA
7. General who said the quote at 4-Down: SHERMAN
8. "Not so fast!": HANGON
9. Vientiane's country: LAOS
10. "Ha! You fell for my trick!": IGOTCHA
11. Central: MID
12. Feeling down: ILL
13. Simple top: TEE
19. Unfamiliar: NEW
21. Stable newborn: FOAL
24. Monkey often used in research: RHESUS
27. Subject of some September sports reporting: PENNANTRACE
28. Irritated no end: ATEAT
29. Lively Latin dance: SALSA
31. Riding, say: ATOP
32. Ticket info: ROW
33. Ancient Balkan region: THRACE
34. "Mad Men" type, informally: ADREP
35. "Get Out" director Jordan: PEELE
36. City WSW of Bogotá: CALI
39. Opposite of bellum: PAX
42. Hates: DETESTS
43. Peeper's vantage point: KEYHOLE
44. Speck: MOTE
46. Stretchy materials: LYCRAS
48. San Francisco's ___ Hill: NOB
50. West Wing workers: AIDES
51. Poke around: SNOOP
53. Annoyance: PEST
54. Similar (to): AKIN
55. Jared who won an Oscar for "Dallas Buyers Club": LETO
57. Word after show or know: HOW
58. Sharer's word: OUR
59. "It's no ___!": USE
60. Neither's partner: NOR

Hints and full breakdown for Jan 30

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.