Ordinary run. Crossword Clue (2024)

FAQs

How does the nyt crossword work? ›

The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases that cross each other, by solving clues in the Across and Down columns which lead to the answers. The New York Times Crossword increases in difficulty from Monday to Saturday.

However, many times the blank space can be filled in with two or more words. In easier crosswords, multiple words will be indicated with (2 words) or (2 wds.), but more often than not it will be up to the solver to determine how many words fill in the space. Another hint sometimes used in clues is (hyphenated).

Some solvers love them, some solvers hate them, but rebus elements pop up fairly often in late-week crosswords. A rebus can be a letter, a number or a symbol that represents a word, but in many crosswords, the rebus will be a word or group of letters that needs to be written inside a single square.

For those new to the game, we reveal the secret in a nutshell: The clues each have two parts. One part is a normal definition of the answer; the other is an additional hint using wordplay. Having two hints in each clue might seem a big giveaway to solvers.

The crosswords are designed to increase in difficulty throughout the week, with the easiest on Monday and the most difficult on Saturday. The larger Sunday crossword, which appears in The New York Times Magazine, is an icon in American culture; it is typically intended to be as difficult as a Thursday puzzle.

Tackle the easiest clues first.

Scan through the clues, and knock out all the easiest ones. Not only will this give your gameplay some structure, but also it'll give you an ego boost! Typically, fill-in-the-blank clues are the easiest. For example: “___ of Oz.”

Improves Cognitive Functioning

That's because crossword puzzles require you to use your brain to make connections between words and clues, which can help strengthen the neural pathways in your brain.

Don't be intimidated by crossword puzzles. “ERA” is the most common entry in crosswords, as well as “ARE,” “AREA,” and “ORE.” If a clue is in plural, the word will probably end in “S.” “Cheating” by checking a letter or word is encouraged if you're stuck.

Mondays have the most straightforward clues and Saturday clues are the hardest, or involve the most wordplay. Contrary to popular belief, the Sunday puzzles are midweek difficulty, not the hardest. They're just bigger.

Force = f, n. Former = ex. Fort = ft. French = fr.

What does rebus mean in the nyt crossword? ›

A rebus in a crossword is a specific square in which multiple letters should be input to form part of the solution. For example a player may see squares for 5-letters to be input, but the final square could contain a word or multiple letters instead of just one letter.

For example – EG (e.g., short for the Latin exempli gratia)

1. Monday is the easiest puzzle day, Saturday is the hardest. Most people assume the iconic Sunday NYT puzzle is the most challenging, but most crossword enthusiasts find Saturday's puzzles have the highest level of difficulty.

As you gain confidence and experience, you can gradually move on to more challenging puzzles. Work on the Clues You Know When you start a crossword puzzle, focus on the clues you know first. Fill in the answers to the clues that you're confident about, as this will give you a foundation to build upon.

Within each clue will be a number of different elements. Remember that there will always be a definition and a wordplay; either can come first in the clue sentence (in a Times crossword, the definition is almost always either at the beginning or end of the clue); either could be used first to get to the solution.

Although not present in all crossword types, circles are typically placed around letter squares in crosswords to refer to squares that will form part of a theme. After solving the crossword, the circled letters can be combined together to spell a word associated with the theme, or name the theme itself.

The Saturday crossword is actually the hardest puzzle of the week. Mondays have the most straightforward clues and Saturday clues are the hardest, or involve the most wordplay. Contrary to popular belief, the Sunday puzzles are midweek difficulty, not the hardest. They're just bigger.

You can solve the puzzle by answering the clues in any order. Click on either a clue or a box in the grid to enter an answer. Clues marked in gray indicate that a word has been entered.