https://crosswordcluetutor.com/feed.xml2026-09-15T00:00:00Zhttps://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/floor-measurements-nyt/2026-09-15T00:00:00Z2026-09-15T00:00:00Z

AREAS fits Floor measurements because a floor's area describes how much surface it covers. Measurements is plural, so the five-letter answer is AREAS rather than AREA. It is not asking for a single side length or the distance around the edge.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/pixar-fish-name-latin-no-one-usa-today/2026-09-14T00:00:00Z2026-09-14T00:00:00Z

NEMO satisfies both parts of the clue: it names the Pixar fish and matches the Latin word for no one. The clue asks for the character's name, not the fish species or an English translation to enter in the grid.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/change-my-address-org-usa-today/2026-09-13T00:00:00Z2026-09-13T00:00:00Z

USPS answers the organization part of the clue. Its official service pages offer Change My Address and explain postal forwarding. The abbreviated org. signals that the organization's initials, rather than its full name, fit the entry.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/hold-on-a-blank-nyt-midi/2026-09-13T00:00:00Z2026-09-13T00:00:00Z

MINUTE completes Hold on a minute! The phrase asks someone to pause or wait briefly. It does not necessarily demand a precisely measured sixty seconds, and the grid takes only the missing six-letter word.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/utopian-places-nyt-mini/2026-09-12T00:00:00Z2026-09-12T00:00:00Z

EDENS uses Eden figuratively for an ideal place and makes it plural to match places. The answer is five letters, not the four-letter EDEN used when a clue asks for one paradise or the biblical garden.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/xm-radio-provider-named-for-a-star-usa-today/2026-09-12T00:00:00Z2026-09-12T00:00:00Z

SIRIUS supplies the six-letter name associated with XM radio. The naming clue refers to the actual star Sirius, not a celebrity: SiriusXM's own branding announcement identifies that stellar connection.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/ostriche-italian-menu-nyt-mini/2026-09-12T00:00:00Z2026-09-12T00:00:00Z

OYSTERS translates the Italian menu word ostriche. Its resemblance to the English word ostrich is misleading: the menu is offering shellfish, not large birds. The plural these matches the plural answer.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/clue-does-not-contain-e-l-i-nyt-midi/2026-09-12T00:00:00Z2026-09-12T00:00:00Z

LIE classifies the quoted statement as untrue. The word clue already contains L and E, and This contains I, even before the statement explicitly lists those letters. The claim fails a direct reading of its own text.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/toothbrush-handle-nyt-daily/2026-09-12T00:00:00Z2026-09-12T00:00:00Z

ORALB reads handle as a name attached to a toothbrush. It is not asking for a grip or shaft. The brand is written Oral-B outside the grid, but its hyphen is omitted from the five-letter crossword fill.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/your-mileage-may-blank-usa-today/2026-09-11T00:00:00Z2026-09-11T00:00:00Z

VARY completes Your mileage may vary. Here mileage can stand for the results someone gets, not just distance travelled. After may, English uses the base verb vary rather than varies.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/nods-at-a-lot-nyt-daily/2026-09-11T00:00:00Z2026-09-11T00:00:00Z

BIDS treats a lot as an auction item. A nod can signal a bid to the auctioneer. The clue is not saying that someone nods frequently: a lot names what is being offered for sale.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/insurance-company-named-for-a-volcano-usa-today/2026-09-11T00:00:00Z2026-09-11T00:00:00Z

AETNA is the company name, while ETNA is the usual English spelling of the volcano. The clue asks for the insurer, so the five-letter entry includes the initial A rather than using the four-letter mountain name.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/blue-attire-made-of-one-down-nyt-mini/2026-09-10T00:00:00Z2026-09-10T00:00:00Z

JEANS is the five-letter clothing answer at 4-Across. The referenced 1-Down answer is DENIM, the fabric. Both entries have five letters, so length alone does not distinguish them: attire asks for the garment, while material asks for what it is made from.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/severance-and-big-little-lies-actor-scott-usa-today/2026-09-10T00:00:00Z2026-09-10T00:00:00Z

ADAM completes the actor's name: Adam Scott. Scott is already supplied, so enter only his four-letter first name. The two quoted series identify the same performer; they do not ask for a character's name.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/little-piggy-nyt-midi/2026-09-10T00:00:00Z2026-09-10T00:00:00Z

TOE refers to the traditional This Little Piggy rhyme, recited while counting a child's toes. The clue uses a playful name for a body part, not the literal name of a young farm animal.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/pitching-staff-nyt-daily/2026-09-10T00:00:00Z2026-09-10T00:00:00Z

AD AGENCY answers the business sense of pitching: presenting ideas to win a client's approval. The clue initially suggests baseball pitchers, but its question mark points to a different kind of team that makes pitches.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/avid-war-advocates-nyt-mini/2026-09-09T00:00:00Z2026-09-09T00:00:00Z

HAWKS is the five-letter plural in this clue. War advocates identifies people, so hawk is being used figuratively rather than naming a bird. The final S matches the plural noun advocates.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/all-feature-of-this-clue-nyt-midi/2026-09-09T00:00:00Z2026-09-09T00:00:00Z

CAPS completes ALL CAPS. The clue is itself printed in uppercase, so its appearance supplies the evidence. Only the missing word goes in the four squares; ALL is already given.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/worker-whos-behind-the-times-nyt-daily/2026-09-09T00:00:00Z2026-09-09T00:00:00Z

EDITOR is the six-letter verified answer. Behind the times ordinarily means out of date, but the capital T turns Times into a newspaper name. An editor is one of the people behind its production, so the question mark flags a change in reading.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/no-mountain-high-enough-usa-today/2026-09-09T00:00:00Z2026-09-09T00:00:00Z

AINT supplies the missing opening of the Motown song title. Write the four letters A I N T: the apostrophe belongs to ordinary prose, not an extra crossword square. A grammatically different contraction that also has four letters would not reproduce the title.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/word-before-clash-or-cure-usa-today/2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-09-08T00:00:00Z

The quoted, capitalized names point to the bands The Clash and The Cure. Both take THE before the supplied name, so the answer is the three-letter article. The previous CULTURE answer was incorrect: culture clash is an expression, but culture cure is not the second band's name.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/plus-one-score-in-golf-nyt-mini/2026-09-08T00:00:00Z2026-09-08T00:00:00Z

BOGEY is the five-letter answer. In this clue, +1 means one stroke above the hole's par, not one stroke in total or a one-point bonus. For example, taking five strokes on a par-four hole makes a bogey.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/sport-whose-competitors-known-as-rikishi-nyt-midi/2026-09-08T00:00:00Z2026-09-08T00:00:00Z

SUMO is the four-letter sport. Rikishi names the competitors, not the activity to enter in the grid. The Japan Sumo Association uses the term for wrestlers across its professional ranking system.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/cvs-rival-perimeter-phonetic-hint-nyt-daily/2026-09-08T00:00:00Z2026-09-08T00:00:00Z

WALGREENS answers the pharmacy clue and sounds like “wall greens.” The perimeter entries sit along the grid's outer edges and can also name green shades. The brand name therefore links the literal CVS rival to the placement and alternate meanings of those entries.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/wicked-star-cynthia-usa-today/2026-09-08T00:00:00Z2026-09-08T00:00:00Z

ERIVO is the five-letter surname. Cynthia is already supplied by the clue, and the studio's cast guide identifies Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Enter the performer's family name, not the character's name.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/sea-blank-animal-builds-conch-shell-nyt-mini/2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

SNAIL fills the five-letter blank to make “sea snail.” A conch is a marine snail: its shell is part of its own growth, not simply a home it finds on the seabed.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/network-launched-1994-scent-of-a-woman-nyt-daily/2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

STARZ is the five-letter network. It began broadcasting on February 1, 1994, with “Scent of a Woman” as its first movie. The date refers to the channel's launch, not the film's release.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/cruelty-free-target-of-poaching-la-times/2026-08-29T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

PEAR is the four-letter answer. “Poaching” first suggests illegal hunting, but a pear can be poached by cooking it gently in liquid. “Cruelty-free” tells you to make that switch.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/helpful-guide-for-sightseers-nyt-midi/2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

The answer is STREET MAP, entered as STREETMAP in nine squares. Here “guide” is something that helps sightseers navigate streets, not a person leading a tour.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/discredit-nyt-midi-august-27/2026-08-27T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

DEMEAN is the six-letter answer here: to lower someone in reputation or esteem. Read “discredit” as damaging a person's standing, rather than disproving a claim.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/back-talk-nyt-midi/2026-08-30T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

LIP is the three-letter informal noun for rude or defiant talk. In “give someone lip,” the mouth supplies the name for the disrespectful speech. This is the August 30 NYT Midi fill; on another puzzle, check the length and crossings rather than assuming every “Back talk” clue uses it.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/attire-for-a-black-tie-wedding-nyt-mini/2026-09-07T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

TUX is the three-letter shortening of TUXEDO. Black tie points to formal dinner wear, while the three-square entry selects the short form. The clue names one outfit associated with the dress code, not a complete clothing rule for every guest.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/semper-fi-group-nyt-midi/2026-09-07T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

MARINES is the seven-letter group identified by Semper Fi, the shortened form of Semper Fidelis. The Marine Corps' own public material explains the motto as always faithful. The answer names the members collectively, so the plural ending matters.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/today-means-blank-sierra-demulder-poem-usa-today/2026-09-07T00:00:00Z2026-09-07T00:00:00Z

AMEN completes Today Means Amen. The named poet and quoted title identify the exact missing word, rather than asking for a synonym of today or means. The publisher confirms that the poem gives its title to the collection.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/alaska-quarter-grizzly-salmon-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ALASKA is identified by the coin design: its state quarter pairs a grizzly bear with a salmon, imagery tied to the state's wildlife. The clue asks for the six-letter state, not either animal.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/run-of-the-mill-nyt-mini-sep5/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

COMMON matches the idiom run-of-the-mill in its ordinary or unexceptional sense. The hyphenated phrase functions as an adjective, so the answer does too.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/needing-a-friend-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

LONELY describes someone who may need a friend because they feel alone. The clue describes an emotional condition rather than merely being physically solitary.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/grazing-animal-rockies-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ELK fits both the grazing behavior and Rocky Mountain habitat. The three-letter singular animal is more specific than the broad category deer.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/freestanding-kitchen-center-counter-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ISLAND names the central freestanding workspace, borrowing the geographic idea of something separated from its surroundings. The clue asks for the six-letter kitchen feature.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/knee-injury-site-short-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ACL is the requested short form for a commonly injured knee ligament. For short explicitly signals initials rather than the full anatomical name.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/refrain-opening-link-office-initialism-nyt-midi/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

NSFW condenses the warning described by the clue into four initials. The word Initialism confirms that the answer should be read letter by letter rather than as a normal word.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/sign-scrape-healing-nyt-midi/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

SCAB is the visible sign that a scrape has begun to heal. The four-letter noun names the temporary covering, not the scar that may remain later.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/designer-wang-nyt-midi/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

VERA supplies the given name because the surname Wang is already in the clue. The profession separates Vera Wang from other people who share the surname.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/californias-blank-valley-nyt-midi/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

NAPA completes the California place name Napa Valley. The possessive geographic wording asks for the four-letter region name rather than a general kind of valley.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/midmonth-day-nyt-midi/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

IDES gives the historical calendar term for a midmonth day, most famously the Ides of March. Although the word ends in S, it denotes the named day rather than a modern plural of ide.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/tis-a-pity-nyt-midi/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ALAS is the natural old-fashioned exclamation that can introduce the quoted lament. The quotation and ellipsis call for a spoken reaction, not a noun meaning pity.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/made-chitchat-nyt-daily/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

SCHMOOZED is the past-tense verb matching made chitchat. It can suggest purposeful social mingling, but the core action is casual conversation.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/underground-rock-nyt-daily/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

MAGMA is rock material while it remains underground. Once similar molten material reaches the surface, it is called lava, so the location is the decisive clue.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/slow-down-a-second-nyt-daily/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

WHOATHERE renders the quoted command as a natural two-word interjection. The grid removes the space; the phrase does not refer literally to a duration of one second.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/hear-when-get-someones-goat-nyt-daily/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

BLEAT answers the clue literally: if you get possession of someone's goat, you may hear the animal's cry. The question mark signals that the idiom get someone's goat is being playfully reinterpreted.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/nay-sayers-nyt-daily/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ALLTHOSEAGAINST treats nay sayers as the people who vote against a motion, not merely habitual pessimists. The long entry expands the procedural side of saying nay.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/actor-nick-prince-of-tides-nyt-daily/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

NOLTE supplies the surname of actor Nick Nolte. The quoted film credit identifies which Nick the clue means and fixes the five-letter family name.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/like-sashimi-steak-tartare-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

RAW describes both sashimi and steak tartare because each is served uncooked. The three-letter adjective applies to the foods rather than naming an ingredient.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/energy-unit-symbol-j-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

JOULE is the five-letter unit represented by J. The capital symbol and explicit energy context distinguish it from other scientific quantities and from the physicist's surname.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/debate-back-and-forth-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ARGUE matches debate as a verb. Back and forth emphasizes the exchange between sides rather than a one-way speech or the noun argument.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/online-source-health-diagnoses-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

WEBMD is the five-letter site name suggested by online source and health. Its own policy says its information is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment, so the clue identifies the familiar resource rather than endorsing self-diagnosis.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/yo-blank-spanish-i-am-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

SOY completes yo soy, Spanish for I am when expressing identity or an inherent quality. The supplied pronoun and translation make this a three-letter language fill, not the English food word soy.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/national-sport-new-zealand-nyt-mini/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

RUGBY is the five-letter sport intended by the clue. New Zealand's international identity is especially linked with rugby union and the All Blacks.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/frozen-desserts-nyt-midi-sep6/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

ICES uses the plural dessert sense rather than the verb meaning covers with frost. The plural clue and food context select small frozen confections.

https://crosswordcluetutor.com/explainers/funny-reaction-nyt-midi/2026-09-06T00:00:00Z2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

HAH represents the brief laugh-like reaction in the quotation. Punctuation and quotation marks indicate spoken sound rather than an adjective meaning humorous.