NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 3, 2018
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, October 3, 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.
Across clues & answers
- 14
- 16
- 55
- 60
- 70
- 71
Down clues & answers
- 10
- 13
- 43
- 45
- 62
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
across
- 1. Mends with stitches: DARNS
- 6. Schools of thought: ISMS
- 10. Glasgow girl: LASS
- 14. Heavenly hunter: ORION
- 15. Process part: STEP
- 16. John Irving's "A Prayer for ___ Meany": OWEN
- 17. Megacorporation? [1996, 1970]: BIGCOMPANY
- 19. Singer Suzanne: VEGA
- 20. Sorrowful sound: BOOHOO
- 21. Exception to a "no pets" policy: GUIDEDOG
- 23. Prison sentence: STRETCH
- 25. N's in Athens: NUS
- 26. Pomade? [1968, 1972]: HAIRGREASE
- 32. Where G.I.s fought in the '60s: NAM
- 35. Stitch loosely: BASTE
- 36. Like some pitchers: EARED
- 37. Milan's La ___: SCALA
- 39. Worthless amount: FIG
- 40. Lifted: STOLE
- 41. Electrical unit: FARAD
- 42. Tech support callers: USERS
- 44. Dapper fellow: DAN
- 45. Supreme Court that's corrupt? [2003, 1982]: WICKEDNINE
- 47. Swelled head: EGO
- 48. Language that gave us "boondocks": TAGALOG
- 54. Rectify: MAKEGOOD
- 59. Render harmless: DEFUSE
- 60. Cab competitor: UBER
- 61. Melted? [2018, 2012]: FROZENONCE
- 63. Voice on a phone: SIRI
- 64. Annapolis inst.: USNA
- 65. Roman wraps: TOGAS
- 66. To be, to Bizet: ETRE
- 67. It's sold in bars: SOAP
- 68. Cubic meter: STERE
down
- 1. ___ Ferry, N.Y.: DOBBS
- 2. Running wild: ARIOT
- 3. Severity: RIGOR
- 4. Night, in Nogales: NOCHE
- 5. Elitist sort: SNOOT
- 6. AOL, e.g.: ISP
- 7. Deer sir?: STAG
- 8. Carte that comes before the course: MENU
- 9. Secret agent's activity: SPYING
- 10. Parlor piece: LOVESEAT
- 11. Immensely impressed: AWED
- 12. Utah's state flower: SEGO
- 13. Fly in the ointment: SNAG
- 18. Shade of brown: MOCHA
- 22. A shotgun wedding might be held under this: DURESS
- 24. Doesn't take things too seriously: HASFUN
- 27. Formal response at the door: ITISI
- 28. University official: REGENT
- 29. Star Yankees 3B for 10 seasons: AROD
- 30. Ward of "The Fugitive": SELA
- 31. Fall setting: EDEN
- 32. Office-inappropriate, in web shorthand: NSFW
- 33. ___ na tigela (fruity Brazilian dish): ACAI
- 34. Artist Chagall: MARC
- 35. Ne'er-do-well: BADEGG
- 38. War of 1812 locale: LAKEERIE
- 43. Duane ___ (pharmacy): READE
- 46. Dork: DOOFUS
- 49. Folksy restroom sign: GENTS
- 50. In progress: AFOOT
- 51. Fencing move: LUNGE
- 52. Hollywood honor: OSCAR
- 53. V-formation fliers: GEESE
- 54. Artist's inspiration: MUSE
- 55. Not much: ABIT
- 56. Deborah who starred in "The King and I": KERR
- 57. Guesstimate phrase: ORSO
- 58. Lady of Spain: DONA
- 62. Stick in the microwave: ZAP
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.