NYT Crossword hints and answer for September 16, 2025
Hints that get gradually more specific, then the answer if you need it. Nothing is revealed until you tap.
Clues78
Across37
Down41
ConstructorJonathan Daly
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
Relatives, informally (3)
Starts with F, ends with MFAM→
4A
Carved bit of jewelry (5)
Starts with C, ends with OCAMEO→
9A
Figure out (5)
Starts with S, ends with ESOLVE→
14A
Pub pintful (3)
Starts with A, ends with EALE→
15A
___ Dictionary (crowdsourced online reference) (5)
Starts with U, ends with NURBAN→
16A
Frog's sound (5)
Starts with C, ends with KCROAK→
17A
*High-status American Express offering (9)
Starts with B, ends with DBLACKCARD→
19A
Cause of food poisoning, for short (5)
Starts with E, ends with IECOLI→
20A
Thin and graceful (5)
Starts with L, ends with ELITHE→
21A
Revolutionary Trotsky (4)
Starts with L, ends with NLEON→
23A
Barbie's boyfriend (3)
Starts with K, ends with NKEN→
24A
"Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)" singer (4)
Starts with E, ends with AENYA→
25A
*Task for a locksmith (10)
Starts with K, ends with GKEYCUTTING→
28A
Science fiction princess (4)
Starts with L, ends with ALEIA→
30A
Destiny (6)
Starts with K, ends with TKISMET→
31A
*Motion of receding waves (8)
Starts with B, ends with HBACKWASH→
35A
Office paper fastener (4)
Starts with C, ends with PCLIP→
37A
Spanish article (3)
Starts with U, ends with AUNA→
38A
Miss Havisham's ward in "Great Expectations" (7)
Starts with E, ends with AESTELLA→
42A
Lennon's love (3)
Starts with O, ends with OONO→
43A
Japanese soup flavoring (4)
Starts with M, ends with OMISO→
45A
*Bottom of the ocean (8)
Starts with S, ends with RSEAFLOOR→
47A
Drinking aids (6)
Starts with S, ends with SSTRAWS→
51A
"At Last" singer James (4)
Starts with E, ends with AETTA→
52A
*Product of meat scraps that, despite its name, is dairy-free (10)
Starts with H, ends with EHEADCHEESE→
54A
Not bad, but not great (4)
Starts with S, ends with OSOSO→
58A
Donkey (3)
Starts with A, ends with SASS→
59A
Monk's hood (4)
Starts with C, ends with LCOWL→
60A
Theater employee (5)
Starts with U, ends with RUSHER→
61A
Shade akin to cream (5)
Starts with B, ends with EBEIGE→
63A
Train conductor's cry … or a hint to each word in the answers to the starred clues (9)
Starts with A, ends with DALLABOARD→
66A
Strung along (5)
Starts with L, ends with NLEDON→
67A
Rock with a crystal-filled cavity (5)
Starts with G, ends with EGEODE→
69A
Highly skilled (5)
Starts with A, ends with TADEPT→
70A
Opposite of delete (5)
Starts with E, ends with RENTER→
71A
Floppy part of a beagle (3)
Starts with E, ends with REAR→
Down
1D
Story with a moral (5)
Starts with F, ends with EFABLE→
2D
Bold poker bet (5)
Starts with A, ends with NALLIN→
3D
Substantial (5)
Starts with M, ends with YMEATY→
4D
Long, green veggie (4)
Starts with C, ends with ECUKE→
5D
Curved path (3)
Starts with A, ends with CARC→
6D
Wall St. credential (3)
Starts with M, ends with AMBA→
7D
Premature (5)
Starts with E, ends with YEARLY→
8D
Next to bat (6)
Starts with O, ends with KONDECK→
9D
Aromas (6)
Starts with S, ends with SSCENTS→
10D
Elf's foe (3)
Starts with O, ends with CORC→
11D
A shopper, not a buyer, informally (9)
Starts with L, ends with OLOOKIELOO→
12D
Fashion house named for its founder, Signor Garavani (9)
Starts with V, ends with OVALENTINO→
13D
Scraping (by) (5)
Starts with E, ends with GEKING→
18D
Sidewalk writing medium (5)
Starts with C, ends with KCHALK→
22D
Non's opposite (3)
Starts with O, ends with IOUI→
25D
Soul and Sorento (4)
Starts with K, ends with SKIAS→
26D
Sunrise direction (4)
Starts with E, ends with TEAST→
27D
Cable inits. for cinephiles (3)
Starts with T, ends with CTMC→
29D
Farm mother (3)
Starts with E, ends with EEWE→
31D
Mooch, as a cigarette (3)
Starts with B, ends with MBUM→
32D
Licorice-flavored spice (9)
Starts with A, ends with DANISESEED→
33D
Rejected (9)
Starts with C, ends with ECASTASIDE→
34D
"___ Just Not That Into You" (2009 film) (3)
Starts with H, ends with SHES→
36D
___ favor (3)
Starts with P, ends with RPOR→
39D
Levi's alternative (4)
Starts with L, ends with SLEES→
40D
Behind (4)
Starts with L, ends with ELATE→
41D
Rear, in the boat (3)
Starts with A, ends with TAFT→
44D
Chicago airport code (3)
Starts with O, ends with DORD→
46D
Rodeo rope (5)
Starts with L, ends with OLASSO→
48D
Southern drawl, for example (6)
Starts with A, ends with TACCENT→
49D
Owl's question? (3)
Starts with W, ends with OWHO→
50D
Waste that's been flushed (6)
Starts with S, ends with ESEWAGE→
52D
"Se ___ español" (5)
Starts with H, ends with AHABLA→
53D
Actress Pompeo of "Grey's Anatomy" (5)
Starts with E, ends with NELLEN→
55D
Chicago airport (5)
Starts with O, ends with EOHARE→
56D
Sealy competitor (5)
Starts with S, ends with ASERTA→
57D
Big Mac meal with a Coke, e.g. (5)
Starts with O, ends with RORDER→
60D
Ride from an airport, maybe (4)
Starts with U, ends with RUBER→
62D
Republicans, for short (3)
Starts with G, ends with PGOP→
64D
Place to park (3)
Starts with L, ends with TLOT→
65D
Citrus drink suffix (3)
Starts with A, ends with EADE→
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 September 16, 2025?+
78 clues: 37 Across and 41 Down. The puzzle was constructed by Jonathan Daly and edited by Will Shortz.
What are some answers in today’s NYT Crossword?+
For example: Relatives, informally (FAM); Carved bit of jewelry (CAMEO); Figure out (SOLVE).
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.
