29. Took the wheel
Trace: Previous tense of working a automobile. 5 letters.
30. Thor and Baldr, to Odin
Trace: Norse household tree. 4 letters.
31. Yankees legend Jeter
Trace: Quantity 2, retired by the Bronx Bombers. 5 letters.
Down Hints
1. Interrogation room excuse
Trace: “I used to be some place else.” 5 letters.
2. Start-related
Trace: Suppose prenatal, however for the precise occasion. 5 letters.
3. Service with an “undo ship” choice
Trace: The e-mail platform that saves you from embarrassment. 5 letters.
4. Breakfast gadgets that style just like delicate pretzels
Trace: Chewy, salty, and sometimes topped with sesame or poppy seeds. 9 letters, house included.
5. Not surrender
Trace: Hold going, try once more. Three letters.
6. Yoga pants and efficiency tops, e.g.
Trace: The Lululemon part of your closet. Ten letters.
7. Courtroom infraction
Trace: A whistle blows, a ref factors. 4 letters.
8. Play half
Trace: Stage function. 4 letters.
9. “Sounds affordable!”
Trace: Informal settlement. 4 letters.
15. Comfort at a cash-only restaurant, maybe
Trace: That machine close to the register. Three letters.
17. Wedding ceremony vow phrases
Trace: Two phrases each associate hopes to listen to. Two letters plus an area.
19. Follow downside supplier
Trace: The individual serving to you with calculus. 5 letters.
20. Kitchen strainer
Trace: What you employ to empty pasta. 5 letters.
21. Belongings you would possibly research earlier than a geography check
Trace: Atlases are stuffed with them. 4 letters.
22. Samosa ingredient, in Indian cooking
Trace: The potato inside that crispy triangle. 4 letters.
23. Lunchtime-ish
Trace: Noon, when the solar is highest. 4 letters.
25. Troublesome hike
Trace: Lengthy, arduous path. 4 letters.
27. “Very uncommon …”
Trace: Not even. Three letters.
Full Solutions
Spoilers under. Scroll solely once you’re prepared for the options.
—
—
—
—
—
Throughout Solutions
1. Frequent teen feeling
Reply: ANGST
6. Pure coiffure as soon as referred to as a blowout
Reply: AFRO
10. Rapper Kendrick
Reply: LAMAR
11. Confiscated
Reply: TOOK
12. Nation with a “boot”
Reply: ITALY
13. Dance wherein Hawaiian oral traditions are handed down
Reply: HULA
14. Rage ___ (Oxford College Press’s 2025 Phrase of the 12 months)
Reply: BAIT
15. Avenue characteristic unusual in Manhattan
Reply: ALLEY
16. “Certain, inform me extra …”
Reply: I’LL BITE
18. Concedes
Reply: ADMITS
21. Tropical fruit usually crosshatched into cubes
Reply: MANGO
24. Matching blazer and skirt, e.g.
Reply: SUIT
26. ___ vera gel
Reply: ALOE
27. ___ Boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island)
Reply: OUTER
28. Neighborhood amenity that may shut for winter
Reply: POOL
29. Took the wheel
Reply: DROVE
30. Thor and Baldr, to Odin
Reply: SONS
31. Yankees legend Jeter
Reply: DEREK
Down Solutions
1. Interrogation room excuse
Reply: ALIBI
2. Start-related
Reply: NATAL
3. Service with an “undo ship” choice
Reply: GMAIL
4. Breakfast gadgets that style just like delicate pretzels
Reply: SALT BAGELS
5. Not surrender
Reply: TRY
6. Yoga pants and efficiency tops, e.g.
Reply: ATHLEISURE
7. Courtroom infraction
Reply: FOUL
8. Play half
Reply: ROLE
9. “Sounds affordable!”
Reply: OKAY
15. Comfort at a cash-only restaurant, maybe
Reply: ATM
17. Wedding ceremony vow phrases
Reply: I DO
19. Follow downside supplier
Reply: TUTOR
20. Kitchen strainer
Reply: SIEVE
21. Belongings you would possibly research earlier than a geography check
Reply: MAPS
22. Samosa ingredient, in Indian cooking
Reply: ALOO
23. Lunchtime-ish
Reply: NOON
25. Troublesome hike
Reply: TREK
27. “Very uncommon …”
Reply: ODD
Grid Breakdown
Here is what made as we speak’s puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: “Rage ___ (Oxford College Press’s 2025 Phrase of the 12 months)” for BAIT. The clue calls for solvers to know that Oxford picked “rage bait” because the 2025 Phrase of the 12 months, a nod to how web outrage drives engagement. It rewards solvers who sustain with language developments.
Wordplay Winner: “Certain, inform me extra …” for I’LL BITE. The phrase works on two ranges: the literal that means of taking a chunk (connecting again to BAIT at 14A) and the conversational idiom of being hooked right into a story. A pleasant thematic echo throughout the grid.
Fast Fill: “Rapper Kendrick” for LAMAR. A music trivia gimme for anybody who’s listened to hip-hop within the final decade. 4 letters, no guesswork.
Velocity Solver Ideas
Seeking to shave seconds off your time? Here is what as we speak’s puzzle teaches:
Take note of clues that reference current cultural occasions. “Rage ___” with the Oxford Phrase of the 12 months tag requires 2025-2026 cultural literacy. The NYT Crossword repeatedly pulls from modern language, so staying present pays off.
Quick fillers like TOOK, TRY, OKAY, and ODD are Monday staples that construct momentum. Knock out the three- and four-letter phrases first to disclose crossing letters for the longer entries like ATHLEISURE and SALT BAGELS. The 9×9 grid rewards early sample recognition.
Tomorrow’s Puzzle
The subsequent Midi drops tomorrow. How did as we speak’s grid deal with you? The ANGST-to-ALOE run within the top-left nook is a strong warm-up for any solver. Each puzzle sharpens your instincts for the subsequent one.
See you on the subsequent grid.
