NYT Crossword hints and answer for February 8, 2025
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues70
Across35
Down35
ConstructorAlina Abidi
Today’s NYT Crossword clues, hints & answers
Every clue from this puzzle with a hint and the answer behind separate buttons, so you only see what you need. Click a clue for its own page.
Across
1A
What may precede a blessing (5)
Starts with A, ends with OACHOO→
6A
School whose mascot is Big Al the elephant, informally (4)
Starts with B, ends with ABAMA→
10A
Studios, say: Abbr. (4)
Starts with A, ends with SAPTS→
14A
Flattering sort (10)
Starts with B, ends with RBROWNNOSER→
16A
Celebrity chef with a role in the 1995 film "Casino" (4)
Starts with N, ends with UNOBU→
17A
It gets inflated and goes straight to your head (10)
Starts with B, ends with TBALLOONHAT→
19A
Sedaris of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (3)
Starts with A, ends with YAMY→
20A
Representation (5)
Starts with M, ends with LMODEL→
21A
Gas-infused coffee order (5)
Starts with N, ends with ONITRO→
22A
Kibitzes (4)
Starts with G, ends with SGABS→
23A
Plant item used in early genetics experiments (6)
Starts with P, ends with DPEAPOD→
25A
Foul moods (5)
Starts with S, ends with SSNITS→
27A
Keyboard shortcut for switching between Windows applications (6)
Starts with A, ends with BALTTAB→
28A
Good, in Italian (5)
Starts with B, ends with OBUONO→
29A
Assessment for dummies (9)
Starts with C, ends with TCRASHTEST→
32A
Capo, e.g. (5)
Starts with C, ends with PCLAMP→
33A
___ Jin-won, Oscar-winning screenwriter for "Parasite" (3)
Starts with H, ends with NHAN→
34A
Kind of rocket that launches satellites (5)
Starts with A, ends with SATLAS→
35A
Crunchy, chocolaty smoothie add-ins (9)
Starts with C, ends with SCACAONIBS→
37A
___ Larsen, Harlem Renaissance novelist (5)
Starts with N, ends with ANELLA→
38A
Leering sorts (6)
Starts with C, ends with SCREEPS→
39A
Hairstyles celebrated in the Black Is Beautiful movement (5)
Starts with A, ends with SAFROS→
40A
Feels for (6)
Starts with P, ends with SPITIES→
41A
River through Bristol, England (4)
Starts with A, ends with NAVON→
43A
Feeling associated with the color red (5)
Starts with A, ends with RANGER→
45A
Middle of a date (3)
Starts with P, ends with TPIT→
48A
Unguarded (4)
Starts with O, ends with NOPEN→
49A
Niche product of Coca-Cola and 7Up (10)
Starts with C, ends with ACHERRYSODA→
51A
Teacup (4)
Starts with M, ends with IMINI→
52A
[This might come in handy later ...] (10)
Starts with N, ends with FNOTETOSELF→
53A
Hill workers (4)
Starts with A, ends with SANTS→
54A
Big Board inits. (4)
Starts with N, ends with ENYSE→
55A
Like some high expectations (5)
Starts with U, ends with TUNMET→
Down
1D
Group that had a 40-year gap between its two most recent studio albums (1981-2021) (4)
Starts with A, ends with AABBA→
2D
Study, study, study! (4)
Starts with C, ends with MCRAM→
3D
Word with cow or Communion (4)
Starts with H, ends with YHOLY→
4D
Lion : pride :: ___ : parliament (3)
Starts with O, ends with LOWL→
5D
Snap, crackle or pop (12)
Starts with O, ends with AONOMATOPOEIA→
7D
"Days of Grace" memoirist, 1993 (4)
Starts with A, ends with EASHE→
8D
Providers of college courses? (9)
Starts with M, ends with SMEALPLANS→
9D
Term of ___ (3)
Starts with A, ends with TART→
10D
Common but often counterproductive response to a recurring problem (11)
Starts with A, ends with NANTIPATTERN→
11D
What a button mushroom becomes when it matures (10)
Starts with P, ends with OPORTOBELLO→
12D
"Thelma & Louise" auto, informally (5)
Starts with T, ends with DTBIRD→
13D
Rikishi's sport (4)
Starts with S, ends with OSUMO→
15D
Inexperienced gamers, in slang (5)
Starts with N, ends with SNOOBS→
21D
2010s satirical reality series starring comedian Fielder (12)
Starts with N, ends with UNATHANFORYOU→
22D
They may be dry or dirty (11)
Starts with G, ends with SGINMARTINIS→
24D
Abbott and Costello in the film "Arrival," informally (3)
Starts with E, ends with SETS→
25D
Title Toni Morrison character who lives in the Bottom (4)
Starts with S, ends with ASULA→
26D
Calculated (10)
Starts with N, ends with TNOACCIDENT→
27D
Many Fertile Crescent residents (5)
Starts with A, ends with SARABS→
28D
Covert field? (3)
Starts with B, ends with CBCC→
29D
Cookie brand whose name is stylized with an exclamation point (9)
Starts with C, ends with YCHIPSAHOY→
30D
"Do the Right Thing" pizzeria (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSALS→
31D
Org. whose workers usually wear gloves (3)
Starts with T, ends with ATSA→
36D
Once called (3)
Starts with N, ends with ENEE→
39D
Turn away (5)
Starts with A, ends with TAVERT→
40D
Chef Jacques ___, holder of 16 James Beard awards (5)
Starts with P, ends with NPEPIN→
41D
Nod, say (5)
Starts with A, ends with EAGREE→
42D
N.Y.C. attraction (4)
Starts with M, ends with AMOMA→
44D
Pro sports team named for some of its equipment (4)
Starts with N, ends with SNETS→
45D
Elegy, e.g. (4)
Starts with P, ends with MPOEM→
46D
What an orange dot might indicate in a chat (4)
Starts with I, ends with EIDLE→
47D
Only U.S. president other than J.F.K. to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery (4)
Starts with T, ends with TTAFT→
49D
Fareed Zakaria's channel (3)
Starts with C, ends with NCNN→
50D
Target of some phishing scams: Abbr. (3)
Starts with S, ends with NSSN→
How to solve the NYT Crossword
Fill the grid so that every Across and Down answer matches its clue. Numbered squares mark where answers begin. Theme answers, usually the longest entries, share a twist that the puzzle's title or a revealer clue explains. Thursday puzzles are known for rebus squares and other tricks that bend the normal rules.
Want the full method? Read our NYT Crossword strategy and tips, or check how to play the NYT Crossword on the hub.
NYT Crossword tips for tomorrow
- Start with Monday-level clues. Even on a Saturday, a handful of clues are straightforward. Find them and build outward from the crossings.
- Hunt for the revealer. A clue that references other entries or ends in "?" often explains the theme. Solving it first unlocks the long answers.
- Respect the day of the week. Thursday means tricks like rebus squares; Friday and Saturday mean long, clever fill with misleading clues.
Done for today? Try The Mini, The Midi, LA Times Crossword, all with hints first and answers behind a reveal.
Previous NYT Crossword puzzles
NYT Crossword FAQ
How many clues are in the NYT Crossword for February 8, 2025?+
70 clues: 35 Across and 35 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Alina Abidi and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: What may precede a blessing (ACHOO); School whose mascot is Big Al the elephant, informally (BAMA); Studios, say: Abbr. (APTS).
What time does the NYT Crossword come out?+
The next day's puzzle is released at 10:00 pm Eastern Time Monday to Friday and at 6:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Where can I find past NYT Crossword answers?+
Every puzzle in our archive has its own page with all Across and Down answers, plus a page for each clue. Click any date above.
