1/16/26
Sports Fan Friday
Are you stuck with the Crosswords With Friends Puzzle Today? Stuck No More. We offer complete solutions as well as “no spoiler” mode to give you that little extra push. Or simply use this cheat sheet to help you get the best and fastest completion time possible.
1A
Extra money for a waitress
TIP
4A
Excessive speed
HASTE
9A
Muscles sometimes described as “rock-hard”
ABS
12A
Letters before an alias
AKA
13A
Religion whose followers observe Ramadan
ISLAM
14A
Restroom, in Great Britain
LOO
15A
British driver who has the second-most Formula One race entries: 2 wds.
LEWISHAMILTON
18A
___ of Opportunity (nickname for Arkansas)
LAND
19A
Test version of a video game
BETA
20A
Like a breakup song
SAD
23A
Hair over the forehead
BANGS
28A
Part of a rock band’s gear
AMP
31A
Synonym and rhyme for “defeat”
BEAT
34A
Objective discussed in a performance review
GOAL
35A
Spanish driver who has the most Formula One race entries: 2 wds.
FERNANDOALONSO
39A
Kazakhstan’s continent
ASIA
40A
No great shakes: Hyph.
SO-SO
41A
Decide
OPT
42A
Inclined features of skate parks
RAMPS
44A
Mountain such as the Matterhorn
ALP
46A
___ off (overcharges)
RIPS
50A
Regulation
RULE
54A
Finnish driver who has the third-most Formula One race entries: 2 wds.
KIMIRAIKKONEN
59A
“Penny Dreadful” actress Green
EVA
60A
Like self-funded movies
INDIE
61A
Martin Sheen, to Emilio Estevez
DAD
62A
Prefix meaning “new”
NEO
63A
Shabby and run-down
SEEDY
One Clue Crossword
WordBrain
WordBubbles!
Word Whizzle
Words Crush
64A
Gives one’s blessing to
OKS
1D
Having a lot of height
TALL
2D
Furniture chain that opened its first store in New Zealand in December 2025
IKEA
3D
Least valuable piece in a game of chess
PAWN
4D
That gentleman’s
HIS
5D
Sooty powder
ASH
6D
Piece of granite for a countertop, say
SLAB
7D
Mild rather than wild
TAME
8D
Send forth, as vibes
EMIT
9D
___-weekly (non-mainstream newspaper)
ALT
10D
Ghost in “Luigi’s Mansion,” or a ghost’s sound
BOO
11D
Emilio Estevez, to Martin Sheen
SON
16D
Proofs of age: Abbr.
IDS
17D
Dog sometimes crossbred with a poodle, for short
LAB
21D
Lawyers’ organization: Abbr.
ABA
22D
Refuge for a bear
DEN
24D
Earlier in time
AGO
25D
Something to avoid doing: Hyph.
NO-NO
26D
Sound of astonishment
GASP
27D
Opening in a parking meter
SLOT
28D
A great distance away
AFAR
29D
Hill with a flat top
MESA
30D
Stiffly formal
PRIM
32D
TV or radio commercials
ADS
33D
Overly
TOO
36D
Snooze during the workday, maybe
NAP
37D
“There’s no such thing ___ free lunch”: 2 wds.
ASA
38D
Chortle in a text
LOL
43D
___ Lanka
SRI
45D
Athlete who’s paid to play
PRO
47D
Flower featured in a famous van Gogh painting
IRIS
48D
Piece of glass in a window
PANE
49D
One of six on a hexagon
SIDE
51D
“Revert” command in an Edit menu
UNDO
52D
Tire or pipe problem
LEAK
53D
Conclusions
ENDS
54D
“I’m Just ___” (song in “Barbie”)
KEN
55D
“___ created a monster!”
IVE
56D
Leader depicted in the Forbidden City
MAO
57D
Girl or boy
KID
58D
Something pressed on a piano
KEY