About the New Yorker Crossword Puzzle
The New Yorker magazine published its first "cryptic crossword" in its June 2, 1997 edition. This crossword forwent the typical grid format of most crosswords and replaced it with a more difficult variation more commonly played in the U.K. On April 30, 2018, the magazine introduced its new crossword variation, which uses the more typical grid format.
The New Yorker crossword puzzle is a 15x15 blocked grid with various clues, including fill-in-the-blanks, cryptics, and more. The New Yorker crossword uses a mixture of current-day pop culture and more complex words that are less used today. The creators of the puzzles are a group of contributors to the magazine.
The New Yorker also has other games, like Cryptic Crossword, published every Sunday, and Name Drop, which occurs Monday through Friday on the publication's online version.
Where to play
In the print version of the magazine, which is published once per week, the New Yorker Crossword can be found on the back of the magazine.
In the digital version of The New Yorker, the crossword puzzle is published five times a week, Monday through Friday, at 6 a.m. ET. These puzzles decrease in difficulty Monday through Thursday, and on each Friday, the magazine publishes a special themed puzzle. Cryptic crosswords can be found every Sunday at 6 a.m.
Tips to Solving the New Yorker Crossword
Many solutions to the New Yorker crossword puzzle involve pop culture, political references, or more complex words. Here are a few other tips and tricks that may assist you:
- Skip over tougher clues you can’t solve.
- Use your solved letters to help solve additional clues.
- Complete the fill-in-the-blank clues first, as they are easier.
- Use the internet to help you solve historical or political clues.