11/1/25
Smartypants Saturday
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
Not excited
CALM
5A
Like two ___ in a pod
PEAS
9A
Capture, as a culprit
NAB
12A
Plant product in soothing gels
ALOE
13A
Gardening material made of wood chips or shredded bark
MULCH
14A
Didn’t bat an ___ (showed no surprise)
EYE
15A
Jacobs whose name is on fashion labels
MARC
16A
Take ___ with (argue about)
ISSUE
17A
Married
WED
18A
Private detective investigating a murder with wife Nora in Dashiell Hammett’s “The Thin Man”: 2 wds.
NICKCHARLES
21A
Hunky-dory: Hyph.
AOK
22A
Feature of many nightstand clocks
ALARM
24A
Compete in a downhill sport
SKI
27A
Meat in a cheesesteak
BEEF
30A
Fuel source from a mine
COAL
32A
Private detective investigating a divorce lawyer’s death in Sue Grafton’s “A” is for Alibi: 2 wds.
KINSEYMILLHONE
36A
Younger sister in “Frozen”
ANNA
37A
___ Puffs (cereal based on a cookie)
OREO
38A
“How I ___ Your Mother” (Josh Radnor sitcom)
MET
39A
Wise spiritual advisors
GURUS
42A
Wee sprite
ELF
44A
Private detective investigating a woman’s disappearance in Walter Mosley’s “Devil in a Blue Dress”: 2 wds.
EASYRAWLINS
49A
“Wolf ___” (2025 horror movie)
MAN
51A
Dutch-speaking island in the Caribbean
ARUBA
52A
Shrub’s “anchor”
ROOT
54A
Like senior citizens
OLD
One Clue Crossword
WordBrain
WordBubbles!
Word Whizzle
Words Crush
55A
Small ravine
GULLY
56A
Place to keep valuables secure
SAFE
57A
Chinese chairman whose portrait is displayed at Tiananmen Gate
MAO
58A
Olympic sword
EPEE
59A
“Larger ___ Life” (Backstreet Boys song)
THAN
1D
Video recording device, for short
CAM
2D
“Reacher” star Ritchson
ALAN
3D
Greiner who’s a shark on “Shark Tank”
LORI
4D
Holiest city in Islam
MECCA
5D
“Don’t ___ your luck”
PUSH
6D
Elder sister in “Frozen”
ELSA
7D
Luxury line from Honda
ACURA
8D
Turtle’s protection
SHELL
9D
Where reporters have their desks
NEWSROOM
10D
Nautical “yes”
AYE
11D
No ___ of roses (not at all enjoyable)
BED
13D
Spillane who created hardboiled detective Mike Hammer
MICKEY
19D
Lakers legend Bryant
KOBE
20D
___ and every one
EACH
23D
Homophone of “main”
MANE
24D
Reggae precursor
SKA
25D
Male counterpart to a queen
KING
26D
Subtly sly suggestion
INNUENDO
28D
Genre for the band My Chemical Romance
EMO
29D
Evergreen tree that grows in colder regions
FIR
31D
“Don’t ___ the Sun Go Down on Me” (Elton John hit)
LET
33D
Bareilles who created the musical “Waitress”
SARA
34D
Freedom to move around
LEEWAY
35D
Lie around idly
LOLL
40D
Grammar topic
USAGE
41D
Stuff poured onto pancakes
SYRUP
43D
“The ___ Wives Club” (1996 movie)
FIRST
45D
___ of thumb (guiding principle)
RULE
46D
Qualified
ABLE
47D
Baumbach who directed the upcoming movie “Jay Kelly”
NOAH
48D
Couch potato’s place
SOFA
49D
Family member honored in May
MOM
50D
Brownie ___ mode: 2 wds.
ALA
53D
Number of syllables in the word “counterinstitutionalization”
TEN