NYT Crossword hints and answer for October 3, 2025
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues70
Across35
Down35
ConstructorRebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa
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
Smooths out some rough edges (5)
Starts with S, ends with SSANDS→
6A
Content commonly consumed by commuters (8)
Starts with P, ends with SPODCASTS→
14A
One end of a lap (5)
Starts with K, ends with SKNEES→
15A
Service to foster parents? (9)
Starts with E, ends with EELDERCARE→
16A
Like Miss Piggy and Captain Kirk, by birth (5)
Starts with I, ends with NIOWAN→
17A
Path to the Oscars (9)
Starts with R, ends with TREDCARPET→
18A
Condition that may be treated with SSRIs (4)
Starts with P, ends with DPTSD→
19A
"Bygones will be bygone, ___ fadin' into gray" (Taylor Swift lyric) (4)
Starts with E, ends with SERAS→
20A
They help you get a grip (5)
Starts with V, ends with SVISES→
21A
Slapdash (7)
Starts with H, ends with SHALFASS→
23A
Diploma equivalent, for short (3)
Starts with G, ends with DGED→
24A
Poet who wrote "This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper" (5)
Starts with E, ends with TELIOT→
25A
Animals whose name sounds like a letter that doesn't appear in its name (4)
Starts with E, ends with SEWES→
27A
Graduates in green-and-black regalia, in brief (3)
Starts with M, ends with SMDS→
30A
Stops on a world tour, say (6)
Starts with A, ends with SARENAS→
31A
Something placed by a confident person (3)
Starts with B, ends with TBET→
32A
Choo-choo train sound (4)
Starts with T, ends with TTOOT→
33A
Professional juggling act? (15)
Starts with W, ends with EWORKLIFEBALANCE→
36A
Pest control targets (4)
Starts with A, ends with SANTS→
37A
When repeated, a nonverbal "Can you hear me?" (3)
Starts with T, ends with PTAP→
38A
On deck (6)
Starts with N, ends with PNEXTUP→
39A
"May I help you?" (3)
Starts with Y, ends with SYES→
40A
Vans alternative (4)
Starts with P, ends with APUMA→
41A
Staggering blows? (5)
Starts with G, ends with SGALES→
42A
Set unit (3)
Starts with R, ends with PREP→
43A
Alfresco dining spot (7)
Starts with T, ends with ETERRACE→
45A
Stuffed (5)
Starts with S, ends with DSATED→
48A
Word after trumpet or tiger (4)
Starts with L, ends with YLILY→
49A
Welcoming (4)
Starts with W, ends with MWARM→
51A
Ones who are quick to complain (9)
Starts with C, ends with SCRYBABIES→
53A
Modern-day home of the oldest discovered library in the world (5)
Starts with S, ends with ASYRIA→
54A
"If you don't believe me …" (9)
Starts with A, ends with EASKANYONE→
55A
Fished off the coast of Maine, maybe (5)
Starts with E, ends with DEELED→
56A
Something raised during Oktoberfest (8)
Starts with B, ends with TBEERTENT→
57A
Sprang (5)
Starts with A, ends with EAROSE→
Down
1D
Not listen to, as on Spotify (4)
Starts with S, ends with PSKIP→
2D
"Apparently we weren't done with these" (10)
Starts with A, ends with EANOTHERONE→
3D
Some push notifications (10)
Starts with N, ends with SNEWSALERTS→
4D
Bad internet connections? (9)
Starts with D, ends with SDEADLINKS→
5D
The first one was issued in 1936, for short (3)
Starts with S, ends with NSSN→
6D
"Hold on — we're working as fast as we can" (15)
Starts with P, ends with TPLEASEBEPATIENT→
7D
Chances (4)
Starts with O, ends with SODDS→
8D
Boxing Day mo. (3)
Starts with D, ends with CDEC→
9D
More than wants (6)
Starts with C, ends with SCRAVES→
10D
Stinging the eyes, say (5)
Starts with A, ends with DACRID→
11D
Ones easily fooled (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSAPS→
12D
Cherry, but not strawberry (4)
Starts with T, ends with ETREE→
13D
7-5 and 6-0, e.g. (4)
Starts with S, ends with SSETS→
15D
Forgets to proorfeed, say (4)
Starts with E, ends with SERRS→
19D
Can't get enough of something (8)
Starts with E, ends with PEATSITUP→
22D
One under a mare's care (4)
Starts with F, ends with LFOAL→
23D
Lose it (8)
Starts with G, ends with YGETANGRY→
27D
Luxurious European gambling mecca (10)
Starts with M, ends with OMONTECARLO→
28D
Reality shows? (10)
Starts with D, ends with SDOCUSERIES→
29D
One of 1,665 in the Eiffel Tower (4)
Starts with S, ends with PSTEP→
30D
What comes before we go? (4)
Starts with A, ends with YAWAY→
32D
One skilled at withholding details (9)
Starts with T, ends with RTAXLAWYER→
34D
Besties, maybe (3)
Starts with F, ends with MFAM→
35D
40D
Stickler, of a sort (6)
Starts with P, ends with TPEDANT→
42D
Ridged rod in construction (5)
Starts with R, ends with RREBAR→
44D
"Who ___?" (4)
Starts with E, ends with EELSE→
45D
Not a striking personality? (4)
Starts with S, ends with BSCAB→
46D
British bum (4)
Starts with A, ends with EARSE→
48D
National symbol of England (4)
Starts with L, ends with NLION→
50D
Self-___ (4)
Starts with M, ends with EMADE→
52D
What a wave might mean (3)
Starts with B, ends with EBYE→
53D
Vast amount (3)
Starts with S, ends with ASEA→
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 October 3, 2025?+
70 clues: 35 Across and 35 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Smooths out some rough edges (SANDS); Content commonly consumed by commuters (PODCASTS); One end of a lap (KNEES).
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.
