9/6/25
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
Woodwind instrument with a haunting sound
OBOE
5A
Service charge
FEE
8A
Like a brainiac
SMART
13A
“Mad Max: ___ Road” (2015 film)
FURY
14A
Not strict in enforcing the rules
LAX
15A
High voice part for a man
TENOR
16A
“___ Willy” (1993 movie)
FREE
17A
Resource found in a mine
ORE
18A
Tattered and shabby
RATTY
19A
2024 Team USA gymnast who wrote the best-selling 2025 memoir “I’m That Girl”: 2 wds.
JORDANCHILES
22A
Word that can follow “knock” or “strike”
OUT
23A
Rival of DHL and FedEx
UPS
24A
What two intersecting lines form
ANGLE
27A
Gretchen of “Boardwalk Empire”
MOL
29A
What birthday candles signify
AGE
32A
TV comedian who wrote the best-selling 2025 memoir “I’ll Have What She’s Having”: 2 wds.
CHELSEAHANDLER
36A
Tree with spreading branches
ELM
37A
Cock-a-doodle-___ (rooster’s call)
DOO
38A
Hockey player Mark Messier was one from 1979 to 1991
OILER
39A
Bikini top
BRA
41A
Joke that involves wordplay
PUN
42A
“Mayor of Kingstown” star who wrote the best-selling 2025 memoir “My Next Breath”: 2 wds.
JEREMYRENNER
48A
“Garfield” creator Jim
DAVIS
49A
Have a nosh
EAT
50A
Major test such as a midterm
EXAM
52A
Discus or long jump, for example
EVENT
One Clue Crossword
WordBrain
WordBubbles!
Word Whizzle
Words Crush
53A
Comedic talent
WIT
54A
Puerto ___ (US territory)
RICO
55A
Gets smaller over time, like the moon
WANES
56A
Devious
SLY
57A
Skinny part of a wineglass
STEM
1D
Paid time ___ (what “PTO” stands for)
OFF
2D
___ Khalifa (Dubai skyscraper that’s more than 2,700 feet tall)
BURJ
3D
Black-and-white sandwich cookie
OREO
4D
Upward glance of boredom or contempt: 2 wds.
EYEROLL
5D
Treat with ice cream and soda
FLOAT
6D
Get through hard work
EARN
7D
Company bigwig, for short
EXEC
8D
New York ___ steak
STRIP
9D
What “board” means in “room and board”
MEALS
10D
Payment to get into a card game
ANTE
11D
Becomes inedible, like old fruit
ROTS
12D
“Don’t ___ this at home!”
TRY
20D
Club members’ recurring payments
DUES
21D
Hawaiian dance style
HULA
24D
Get a perfect score on
ACE
25D
The Philadelphia Flyers’ group. Abbr.
NHL
26D
Aquamarine or amethyst, for example
GEM
27D
20th-century Chinese chairman
MAO
28D
“Well, what do you know!”
OHO
29D
1
ALL
30D
“___ whiz!”
GEE
31D
Make a typo, for example
ERR
33D
Type of cheese from the Netherlands
EDAM
34D
Person, place, or thing
NOUN
35D
Evening banquets
DINNERS
39D
Pickling liquid
BRINE
40D
Takes a nap
RESTS
41D
Small-minded
PETTY
42D
Slang for coffee, or a programming language
JAVA
43D
“___ as we speak…” (“Right now …”)
EVEN
44D
Trees with red berries
YEWS
45D
Stairway banister
RAIL
46D
Opposite of enter
EXIT
47D
The Tour de France, for one
RACE
48D
Moisture on blades of grass
DEW
51D
Carol Brady, to Marcia, Jan, and Cindy
MOM