7/31/25
Top 40 Thursday
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
Person with a superiority complex
SNOB
5A
“___ I ever tell you …?”
DID
8A
Spot on a radar screen
BLIP
12A
What a surfboard rides on
WAVE
13A
___ boost (something that makes you feel proud)
EGO
14A
Drink that’s squeezed from fruit
JUICE
15A
Animals that raised Tarzan
APES
16A
___ and reel
ROD
17A
Judge’s command while pounding a gavel
ORDER
18A
“Two Piña Coladas” singer with nine RIAA-certified diamond albums
GARTH BROOKS
21A
Little dude
BOY
22A
Sassy comeback
RETORT
26A
Singer who made a comeback in 1999 with “Believe”
CHER
28A
Cooling appliances: Abbr.
ACS
30A
Dessert cut into slices
PIE
31A
“How Will I Know” singer with three diamond albums
WHITNEY HOUSTON
35A
___ company (business like ExxonMobil)
OIL
36A
Only three-letter sign of the zodiac
LEO
37A
Cozy home for chicks
NEST
38A
John who directed “Polyester” and “Pink Flamingos”
WATERS
41A
Hyundai rival
KIA
42A
“You’re Still the One” singer with three diamond albums
SHANIA TWAIN
48A
Country singer Cline
PATSY
51A
“___ questions?”
ANY
52A
Currency for travelers in Vienna
EURO
53A
Alternate name
ALIAS
54A
Forensic evidence from a cheek swab: Abbr.
DNA
55A
The ___ Tour (Taylor Swift’s 2023–2024 concerts)
ERAS
One Clue Crossword
WordBrain
WordBubbles!
Word Whizzle
Words Crush
56A
Refuse, as an application
DENY
57A
Be inquisitive
ASK
58A
Punctuation mark similar to a hyphen
DASH
1D
Free goodies at a merch table
SWAG
2D
California valley known for cellar tours
NAPA
3D
“Bullets ___ Broadway” (Woody Allen movie)
OVER
4D
Most likely path for success: 2 wds.
BEST BET
5D
Soap Box ___ (annual race for kids)
DERBY
6D
Helper in “Young Frankenstein”
IGOR
7D
Dead as a ___ (extinct)
DODO
8D
Explode, like a bubble
BURST
9D
Sippy cup’s cover
LID
10D
It’s not often served in British drinks
ICE
11D
Beats ___ minute (music term)
PER
14D
It ends with a punch line
JOKE
19D
Spiraled feature of a unicorn
HORN
20D
Roughly: 2 wds.
ORSO
23D
Selects
OPTS
24D
___ squad (group of officers controlling uprisings)
RIOT
25D
Square root of 100
TEN
26D
Novelty “pet” that’s really a plant
CHIA
27D
Handle of a sword
HILT
28D
“I support the motion”
AYE
29D
Comedian Margaret who won a game on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” in 2025
CHO
31D
Really impress
WOW
32D
Disney queen who can freeze things
ELSA
33D
League, liter, or lumen
UNIT
34D
Green wrapping for sushi
SEASWEED
39D
Written book report, for example
ESSAY
40D
“The Tudors” star Jonathan ___ Meyers
RHYS
41D
Narrow boat whose name reads the same forward and backward
KAYAK
43D
Slang term for “nothing” taken from Spanish
NADA
44D
Cozy buildings near rural roads
INNS
45D
General vibe
AURA
46D
Alternatives to 401(k) accounts: Abbr.
IRAS
47D
Quick snack
NOSH
48D
___ thai (Asian dish)
PAD
49D
Alcoholic drink that might be served in a stein
ALE
50D
Metal whose chemical symbol is Sn
TIN