NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 18, 2022

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Thursday, August 18, 2022

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 1:09 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, August 18, 2022. 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.

76 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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Wednesday, August 17, 2022

across

1. Repo job: TOW
4. ___ gel (drying agent that comes in small packets): SILICA
10. Upscale hotel amenities: GYMS
14. "Nasty!": UGH
15. Sneaker brand in a Run-D.M.C. hit: ADIDAS
16. Gather: REAP
17. Breakfast cereal with a toucan mascot [69-Across!]: FROOTLOOPS
19. Mediterranean erupter: ETNA
20. Cause of a mascara streak: TEAR
21. "Star Wars" cantina patrons, for short: ETS
22. Hold sway: REIGN
23. Team that broke the "Curse of the Bambino" in 2004 [69-Across!]: BOSTONREDSOX
27. Reef dweller: EEL
30. Group that often elects officers in Sept.: PTA
31. Aurora's Greek counterpart: EOS
32. Reward for giving a paw: TREAT
34. Didn't move: SATTIGHT
39. Triple Crown winner of 2015 [69-Across!]: AMERICANPHAROAH
42. Time for parting shots?: LASTCALL
43. "Buffalo soldier, dreadlock ___": Bob Marley: RASTA
44. Fury: IRE
45. "Clear now?": SEE
47. Ax: HEW
48. Video game franchise featuring Sub-Zero and Sonya Blade [69-Across!]: MORTALKOMBAT
54. Word with green or pearl: ONION
55. "Traffic was terrible," maybe: FIB
56. Designer Gucci: ALDO
60. One-term president: TAFT
61. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" rockers [69-Across!]: DEFLEPPARD
64. Mahjong piece: TILE
65. Largish jazz combos: OCTETS
66. National Gallery architect: PEI
67. A lot of these tend to go to waste: ORES
68. Like the smell of fresh pine: WOODSY
69. [not my typo]: SIC

down

1. Clump of grass: TUFT
2. Dungeons & Dragons monster: OGRE
3. "Easy there!": WHOA
4. H.S. hurdle: SAT
5. Least active: IDLEST
6. Ray of "GoodFellas": LIOTTA
7. "Not true what you say about me!": IDOSO
8. Gown go-with: CAP
9. Buffoon: ASS
10. King Midas's vice: GREED
11. Hairy cryptids: YETIS
12. Tropical flavor: MANGO
13. Big name in shapewear: SPANX
18. Planet, to a poet: ORB
22. Place for a pit stop: RESTAREA
24. A sight for sore eyes?: OPTICIAN
25. Like a half-moon tide: NEAP
26. With 35-Down, savings plan option: ROTH
27. And others, for short: ETAL
28. Humorist Bombeck: ERMA
29. Some jeans: LEES
33. Verb with thou: ART
34. NBC hit since 1975, in brief: SNL
35. See 26-Down: IRA
36. "Gee whiz!": GOSH
37. "It has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet," per Maya Angelou: HATE
38. Sign of spring: THAW
40. Fast Lewis: CARL
41. Supermodel Wek: ALEK
45. Said "cheese," say: SMILED
46. Field where Jackie Robinson played: EBBETS
48. "Carpe diem," for one: MOTTO
49. Sign in a radio booth: ONAIR
50. Rummage (through): RIFLE
51. "___ adorbs": TOTES
52. Leaving for: OFFTO
53. Like some water: TAP
57. Track units: LAPS
58. Trois : French :: ___ : German: DREI
59. Like many of Horace's works: ODIC
61. Business index, with "the": DOW
62. Prefix with friendly: ECO
63. "Gangnam Style" rapper: PSY

Hints and full breakdown for Aug 17

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.