How to solve the Newsday Crossword Puzzle

What is the Newsday crossword puzzle?

While the Newsday newspaper was founded in 1940, the Newsday crossword took almost half a century to appear across the publication. But since it was launched nearly three decades ago, the puzzle has attracted a lot of attention, especially thanks to its editor Stan Newman. Also a trivia buff, Newman was the protégé of New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz and has been the chief editor of the Newsday Sunday crossword since 1988 and the editor of the daily puzzle since 1992.

The American has also authored over 100 books on crossword, word games, and trivia, and is one of the most respected constructors across the world. That has seen the puzzle soar to popularity in recent times, with it now amongst the most renowned crossword puzzles around. Its increasing level of difficulty over the course of the week also plays a part in that, making it the perfect puzzle for players of every level.

What is the format and rules?

Edited by Stan Newman, the Newsday crossword has become one of the most popular word games around because of Newman himself. His fame and ability as a constructor have been well-known for decades but thanks to the rise of crosswords in the late 2010s and early 2020s, his popularity and thus Newsday crossword’s popularity has risen. So much so, that the crossword now has over a million active players while still improving its base with a significant year-in-year growth.

Here are the rules and format of the Newsday crossword:

• Grid size is the standard 15x15 for the daily puzzle except on Sundays which changes to 21x21.

• The difficulty increases over the week, from Monday to Saturday while Sunday’s puzzles are larger but at a medium difficulty

• Daily puzzles (Monday to Saturday) have a maximum of 76 answers while Sunday’s one can have up to 146

• Puns and various forms of wordplay are allowed but only in small doses in the Thursday and Friday puzzles

• Puzzles avoid obscure or outdated words; focusing more on modern language

How difficult is the puzzle?

One of the main reasons the Newsday crossword has become so popular is because it offers an increasing level of difficulty over the course of the week. Thus, as a result, Monday and Tuesday’s daily crossword puzzles are notably easier, making them a great starting point for novices. The level only increases from there with Wednesday and Thursday considered to be at a medium level while Friday is at a slightly higher level comparatively.

Saturday’s, on the other hand, is considered to be the most difficult puzzle in the weekly run with it said to be on par with the Saturday New York Times’ puzzle. The same cannot be said, however, about the Sunday Newsday crossword as that is usually at a Wednesday or Thursday level. The Sunday crossword does have a larger grid (21x21) and thus tops at a maximum of 146 answers.

Even then, the difficulty level of the Newsday crossword over the course of the week is regarded to be lower than the New York Times’ with it said to be easier for those looking for a less challenging option.

Guide to solving the puzzle

As the Newsday crossword has an increasing level of challenge, it can be difficult to handle, especially for novices in the crossword game. Yet because of its level and format, the Newsday crossword attracts a lot of players on a daily basis. That is especially because its editor, Stan Newman, is well-known in the crossword world for producing the best puzzles in the business.

Here are a few tips to help solve the Newsday crossword:

• Scan the clue list for clues that you can solve easily to gain momentum

• Look for short words (3 to 4 letters) to help build footholds in the grid and also gain momentum

• Pay close attention to the tense and number (singular or plural) in the clue as it will match the answer

• Learn crosswordese in order to help discover commonly repeated words faster

• Use online resources like Sportskeeda’s Only Word Games, dictionaries, and more when you’re stuck

• For themed puzzles, figuring out the theme first will make solving the rest of the puzzle easier.

• Practise on a daily basis in order to improve your vocabulary, and crosswordese and to build confidence.

Conclusion

With Stan Newman at the helm as the editor, the Newsday crossword has become a beloved crossword puzzle amongst novices and expert-level solvers alike. That’s thanks to Newman’s expertise combined with the fact that the puzzle is always fresh, engaging, and challenging. Not only that, but the progressive difficulty level also makes it ideal for solvers of different levels which is why the Newsday crossword’s popularity has risen tenfold over the last few years.

So much so, that the crossword now has over a million active players with the number still rising year in year out. While it is not as tough as its contemporaries in the market, the Newsday crossword still stands out because of what it has to offer while balancing accessibility, education, and a mental challenge on a daily basis.