NYT Crossword · The New York Times

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

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 1:59 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, July 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.

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

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

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Monday, July 30, 2018

across

1. Bouquet holder: VASE
5. Leaf-gathering tool: RAKE
9. Org. that distributes music royalties: ASCAP
14. "SportsCenter" channel: ESPN
15. Better than ___: EVER
16. Hole digger's tool: SPADE
17. *Annual event displaying agricultural products: STATEFAIR
19. Japanese beer brand: KIRIN
20. Unexpressed: TACIT
21. Children's author ___ Asquith: ROS
23. Dog biter: FLEA
24. ___-friendly (green): ECO
25. *Spilling a drink or eating all the guacamole, say: PARTYFOUL
27. Rhythmic pattern: CADENCE
30. Junior ___, 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker: SEAU
31. Rock grp. with the 1977 song "Rockaria!": ELO
32. Sun or planet: ORB
34. Socially assertive types: ALPHAS
38. Original Beatles bassist ___ Sutcliffe: STU
39. *Candy from a candy machine: GUMBALL
41. Miner's haul: ORE
42. Hauling: TOTING
44. Fold-up bed: COT
45. Item in a caddie's bag: TEE
46. Bread served with vindaloo: NAAN
48. Rangers or Flyers: NHLTEAM
51. *Attack from the sky: AIRSTRIKE
55. One might end with .org: URL
56. Roulette playing piece: CHIP
57. Envision: SEE
58. Low voice: BASSO
61. A hot one might be trending: TOPIC
63. Narrow escape ... or what the end of the answer to each starred clue is?: CLOSECALL
66. Met performance: OPERA
67. Brother mentioned more than 70 times in Genesis: ESAU
68. Nonstick cookware brand: TFAL
69. Extend, as a membership: RENEW
70. Peeved: SORE
71. Dreamcast console maker: SEGA

down

1. Word after life or bulletproof: VEST
2. "The Thin Man" dog: ASTA
3. *In a daze: SPACEDOUT
4. Lead on: ENTICE
5. Official with a whistle, informally: REF
6. Screen siren Gardner: AVA
7. Knightley of "The Imitation Game": KEIRA
8. Flubs: ERRORS
9. "___ and ye shall receive": ASK
10. Add some style to: SPIFFUP
11. Monte ___ (gambling haven): CARLO
12. Parisian goodbye: ADIEU
13. Punishment-related: PENAL
18. School founded by King Henry VI: ETON
22. Covertness: STEALTH
25. Request at a hair salon: PERM
26. "You folks," in Dixie: YALL
27. "___ la vie": CEST
28. Midlevel voice: ALTO
29. Middle-aged women with eyes for younger men: COUGARS
33. Original "Monty Python" network: BBC
35. *Vacationer's container for valuables: HOTELSAFE
36. Length x width, for a rectangle: AREA
37. Appear to be: SEEM
39. Pesky flier: GNAT
40. Of the highest rank: AONE
43. Motivate: INSPIRE
47. Siblings' daughters: NIECES
49. It lets things slide: LUBE
50. Expanses of land: TRACTS
51. One in a cast: ACTOR
52. "If there's any justice!": IHOPE
53. Become edible, as a fruit: RIPEN
54. Ashton Kutcher TV role: KELSO
59. Metal refuse: SLAG
60. Widemouthed pot: OLLA
62. Sound like a crow: CAW
64. Rowboat propeller: OAR
65. Take legal action: SUE

Hints and full breakdown for Jul 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.