NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 5, 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, October 5, 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
- 20
- 41
Down clues & answers
- 10
- 12
- 42
- 50
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, October 4, 2018
across
- 1. Pride Month inits.: LGBT
- 5. Org. defending 1-Across rights: ACLU
- 9. At full speed: AMAIN
- 14. This and that: OLIO
- 15. "Yay!": WOOT
- 16. 1930s vice president John ___ Garner: NANCE
- 17. It might pop out of a kid's mouth: BUBBLEGUM
- 19. Thus far: TONOW
- 20. Seven-time All-Star Dave, who pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays: STIEB
- 21. Wind instrument: OCARINA
- 23. Heavy metal band whose name is a euphemism for "Jesus Christ!": JUDASPRIEST
- 27. Notable times: ERAS
- 31. Pacific Northwest hub, informally: SEATAC
- 32. Main connections, of a sort: GASPIPES
- 34. Going rates?: TOLLS
- 39. Touching: AGAINST
- 40. Carefully explained: LAIDOUT
- 42. Profundity: DEPTH
- 43. Fashion designer whose namesake brand features a rhinoceros in its logo: MARCECKO
- 44. "Count me in!": IMGAME
- 47. Distort: SKEW
- 48. Swinger's club: BASEBALLBAT
- 53. Eponymous regatta-winning yacht of 1851: AMERICA
- 54. Bumbling: INEPT
- 59. Occupy, as a table: SITAT
- 60. Ingredient in some cocktails ... or a hint to the last words in 17-, 23-, 32-, 43- and 48-Across: SODAMIXER
- 64. Occupied: INUSE
- 65. Long nap?: SHAG
- 66. Actress Dobrev of "The Vampire Diaries": NINA
- 67. Bounded: LOPED
- 68. "This is probably dumb but I'm doing it anyway" hashtag: YOLO
- 69. Online handicrafts marketplace: ETSY
down
- 1. High shots: LOBS
- 2. Overabundance: GLUT
- 3. Benjamin Netanyahu's nickname: BIBI
- 4. Choice A for Hamlet: TOBE
- 5. Flabbergasted feeling: AWE
- 6. Minor player, metaphorically: COG
- 7. Comedian Costello: LOU
- 8. Greatest extent: UTMOST
- 9. Southern, and then some: ANTARCTIC
- 10. An official language of New Zealand: MAORI
- 11. 2014 movie musical starring Quvenzhané Wallis: ANNIE
- 12. Phone tapping targets?: ICONS
- 13. Unused to: NEWAT
- 18. Great Society prez: LBJ
- 22. Audit expert, for short: CPA
- 24. "We deliver for you" org.: USPS
- 25. Off! ingredient: DEET
- 26. Penlight powerers, often: AAS
- 27. "My word!": EGAD
- 28. Fury: RAGE
- 29. Rush order: ASAP
- 30. Stick in the fire?: SPIT
- 33. Under restraint: INHIBITED
- 35. "To ..." things: ODES
- 36. Stone-cold cinch: LOCK
- 37. Gospel with the Prodigal Son parable: LUKE
- 38. Put in a hold: STOW
- 40. Epitome of gentleness: LAMB
- 41. Calculus calculation: AREA
- 43. Evil, in Laval: MAL
- 45. High Sierra runner: MAC
- 46. Like a blank stare: GLASSY
- 48. Herb with "sweet" and "holy" varieties: BASIL
- 49. ___ acid: AMINO
- 50. Institute: SETUP
- 51. Wipe away: ERASE
- 52. Senator Kaine of Virginia: TIM
- 55. Soccer striker's jersey number, traditionally: NINE
- 56. Out: EXIT
- 57. Female swans: PENS
- 58. Server load?: TRAY
- 61. "Well, what have we here?!": OHO
- 62. Indian lentil dish: DAL
- 63. Before this time: AGO
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.