9/5/25
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
Crumple (up)
WAD
4A
Don’t feel well
AIL
7A
Stan’s last name, on “South Park”
MARSH
12A
Paul Bunyan carried one
AXE
13A
North Carolina university where the Blue Devils play
DUKE
14A
State whose capital is Boise
IDAHO
15A
Liquor in a Negroni
GIN
16A
Stroke of inspiration
IDEA
17A
Type of bed comforter
DUVET
18A
Former Lynx and Sky center being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025: Sylvia Fowles
SYLVIAFOWLES
21A
Bit of grain in granola
OAT
22A
Professional who might administer a distemper shot, for short
VET
23A
2025 Pixar title character whose last name is Solís
ELIO
26A
Enemies
FOES
28A
Metal whose adjectives are “stannous” and “stannic”
TIN
31A
Former Knicks and Nuggets power forward being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025: Carmelo Anthony
CARMELOANTHONY
35A
Photo ___ (events often featuring celebrities)
OPS
36A
Follow on social media without engaging
LURK
37A
***-in-a-lifetime opportunity
ONCE
38A
Victor Hugo’s “*** Misérables”
LES
39A
Woman at a hoedown
GAL
41A
Former Magic and Lakers center being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025: Dwight Howard
DWIGHTHOWARD
47A
Large athletic or concert venue
ARENA
48A
Sound from a lion
ROAR
49A
Museum of Modern ___
ART
51A
Safe place
HAVEN
One Clue Crossword
WordBrain
WordBubbles!
Word Whizzle
Words Crush
52A
It’s ___ a matter of time
ONLY
53A
***-hoo (chocolate soda)
YOO
54A
Celebrity’s representative
AGENT
55A
___ Moines International Airport
DES
56A
Intelligence operative
SPY
1D
Shake, like a finger
WAG
2D
World War II group consisting of Germany, Italy, and Japan
AXIS
3D
Say no to
DENY
4D
Dreaded examination from the 25-Down
AUDIT
5D
Store whose most popular item is the Billy bookcase
IKEA
6D
Maple ___ (symbol on Canada’s flag)
LEAF
7D
Part of the US where Nebraska and Michigan are
MIDWEST
8D
Person who’s past adolescence
ADULT
9D
Extremely positive review
RAVE
10D
“*** Leaving Home” (Beatles song)
SHE’S
11D
Cold’s opposite
HOT
13D
Prima donna
DIVA
19D
Weaving apparatus
LOOM
20D
Kitchen appliance that includes metal racks
OVEN
23D
Prefix used by many environmentalists
ECO
24D
Fall into your ___ (appear suddenly)
LAP
25D
Federal tax office: Abbr.
IRS
26D
Run ___ the hills
FOR
27D
Tree that makes acorns
OAK
28D
2,000-pound weight
TON
29D
Magazine that has annual Best in Business awards
INC
30D
Bill ___ the Science Guy
NYE
32D
Chic and refined
ELEGANT
33D
Abundantly green, like a rainforest
LUSH
34D
Hi,” in Spanish
HOLA
38D
Tablecloth or bedsheet
LINEN
39D
Scoring three of these is called a “hat trick” in hockey
GOALS
40D
Haywire
AWRY
41D
Word that can go before “queen” or “race”
DRAG
42D
“___ grown apart” (breakup line)
WE’VE
43D
Walked heavily
TROD
44D
Make sharper, as a blade
HONE
45D
Tampa Bay team that lost the 2020 World Series
RAYS
46D
Release, as a new single
DROP
47D
“Now I’ve got it!”
AHA
50D
Child’s plaything
TOY