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100 MUST-KNOW WORDS |
Conquer the NYT Crosswords (5) |
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Here are the 100 words used most commonly in Monday and Tuesday New York Times crosswords, in alphabetical order, along with the type of clues you'll see for them early in the week. The three most common three-, four- and five-letter answers are marked with an asterisk.
ABET Aid in crime; help in a heist ACE High card; tennis serve; air hero; whiz ACHE Yearn; over- exercising result; pain/soreness ACRE Farm/land/field/plot unit/measure ADO "Much ____ About Nothing"; hubbub; commotion ADORE Love to bits; be nuts about AGE Grow older; what birthday candles signify AIR Put on TV; lungful; balloon/tire filler ALA Pie ____mode; in the style of; Miss, neighbor ALAS "Woe is me!"; "What a pity!"; word of regret ALE Pub order; ginger ____ ALEC Actor Baldwin; actor Guinness; novelist Waugh ALEE Away from the wind; toward shelter *ALI ____Baba; he "floated like a butterfly"; Clay, now ALIT Touched down; landed (on) *ALOE Natural burn/skin soother; lotion additive; ____ vera AMEN "You said it!"; prayer's end
AMI French friend; "What Kind of Fool ____?" ANA Santa , Calif.; Santa winds ANNE Green Gables girl; Henry VIII s second or fourth wire; author Rice ANT Hill dweller; industrious one; aardvark s morsel ANTE Poker stake; Put a couple of chips in the pot ANTI Pro s opposite; opposed to APE Mimic; gibbon or gorilla; King Kong, e.g. ARE Exist; ____ you nuts? ; You ____ here AREA Neighborhood; square rootage; geometry calculation ARENA Where the action is; fight site; boxing venue ARES Greek war god; Mars counterpart *ARIA Opera solo; La Scala highlight; diva s delivery ART Paintings/sculpture/prints and such; gallery display ASAP Quickly, on a memo; pronto ASEA On the briny; out or port; cruising ASH Baseball bat wood; cigar/fire residue ASIA Largest continent; China setting ATE Chowed down; consumed; put away EAR Musician s asset; corn serving; canal locale EASE Facility; comfort; simplicity ECHO Canyon/cave sound; bounce back EDEN Genesis garden; perfect place EDGE Advantage; upper hand; nose (out) *EERIE Spooky; spine-tingling EGAD Zounds! ; Yikes! ; mild oath ELAN Verve; pizazz; panache ELI Inventor Whitney; actor Wallach; Yale student ELIA Director Kazan; essayist Lamb's alias ELLA Singer Fitzgerald; first name in scat ELSE Otherwise; Or ____! END Finish; terminus ENE Chemical/hydrocarbon suffix; opposite or WSW ENID Oklahoma city; author Bagnold; Geraint s wire EPEE Fencing sword; blunted blade ERA Pitcher's stat; historical period ERAS Historical periods; important times *ERASE Obliterate; rub out *ERE Poetic preposition; afore; before
ERIE Pennsylvania port; Toledo's lake; Niagara source ERR Blow it; slip up ESE Language suffix; compass reading ESS Slalom curve; double curve EST Superlative suffix; ballpark fig. ETA Greek vowel; LAX posting ETAL List-ending abbr.; list ender ETNA Sicilian spouter/volcano EVIL Wicked; demonic; bad to the bone ICE Rink surface; rocks IDEA Brainstorm; notion IDO Altar vow; bachelors last words IDOL Hero; role model IGOR Composer Stravinsky; operatic prince IOTA Smidgen; tiny bit IRA Lyricist Gershwin; author Levin; nest-egg letters IRE Wrath; anger IRON Press; wrinkle remover ISEE "Gotcha"; words of understanding ISLE Capri, e.g.; ____ of Man KNEE Leg joint NEE Society page word; born; maiden name preceder OBOE Double-reed instrument; woodwind ODE Praiseful poem; lyric poem ODOR Aroma; smell OGLE Stare at; gawk at; eye amorously ONCE Formerly; in the past; as soon as OLE Grand ____ Opry; bullring cheer OLEO Bread spread; butter substitute; toast topper ONE Early afternoon; start of a long distance call; small bill ONES Change for a five; small bills ONTO Aware of; not fooled by ORAL Spoken; kind of exam ORE Mine find; pay dirt OREO Sandwich cookie since 1912; Nabisco treat;black-and-white cookie OTTO "Beetle Bailey" dog; director Preminger; Germany's von Bismarck OVER Finished; walkie-talkie word
SPA Health resort; place to relax STAR Headliner; constellation component STET Editor or proofreader's mark; "keep it in"; leave in, as text STY Pig pen; hog's home; mudhole TEA Afternoon break; oolong, pekoe, or Darjeeling; Tetley product TREE Forest unit; elder or alder; elm or oak TSAR Pre- 1917 Russian ruler; Nicholas II, for one; bygone despot USER Addict; manipulator; customer