Staring at those little white squares is a special kind of torture. You’ve got the Northwest corner filled in, the bottom right is looking solid, but then you hit a wall. You see it. Four letters. Five letters. Maybe more. The clue says killed time nyt crossword. You think "waited"? No. "Lingered"? Too long. You’re stuck in that mental purgatory where the answer is on the tip of your tongue but your brain is currently a dial-up modem trying to load a high-res image. It’s frustrating.
Crosswords are basically a language of their own. The New York Times, specifically under the long-standing editorship of Will Shortz (and the evolving influence of the digital team), loves to play with tenses. When you see "killed time," you aren't just looking for a synonym. You’re looking for a specific linguistic fit that matches the vibe of the day. Monday? It's simple. Saturday? It’s probably a pun that’ll make you want to throw your phone across the room.
The Most Common Answers for Killed Time NYT Crossword
Usually, the answer is IDLED.
That’s the big one. It fits the four-letter or five-letter slot depending on the day's grid. If the clue is "Killed some time," it might be WAITED. But crossword constructors are sneaky. They love the word LOITERED. If you’re looking at a longer span, maybe SATITOUT.
Here’s the thing about "idled." It’s a classic "crosswordese" staple. It uses common vowels (I, E) and useful consonants (D, L). It’s the bread and butter of grid construction. If you see "killed time" and you have an 'I' and a 'D', just ink it in. You’re probably right. Honestly, the NYT crossword is as much about pattern recognition as it is about actual vocabulary. You start to see the matrix after a few years of doing the Daily.
Sometimes, though, the clue is more literal. If the grid is themed around, say, a murder mystery, "killed time" could be a pun. I've seen puzzles where the answer was STABBEDACHRONOMETER. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but they do love a good "rebus" or a "punny" theme on Thursdays. Thursday is the day where the rules go out the window and you have to think sideways.
Why "Idled" and "Waited" Rule the Grid
Constructors like Joel Fagliano or Robyn Weintraub have to balance the difficulty. If they use a word like TARRY, it’s usually for a later-week puzzle. Tarry is an old-school word. Nobody says "I tarried at the Starbucks" anymore unless they’re wearing a Victorian waistcoat. But in the NYT crossword world? People tarry all the time.
Then there’s AWAY.
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Wait, how does "away" mean killed time? Think about the phrase "idled away" or "whiled away." Often, the clue will be something like "Killed time, with 'away'." The answer is WHILED. Note the spelling! It’s not "wiled." To "wile" is to lure or trick. To "while" is to pass time. If you get that wrong, the whole section collapses. It’s a common trap. Even seasoned solvers trip up on the "Wile vs. While" distinction because, let’s be real, we don't write these words down in physical ink much these days.
Breaking Down the "Whiled" vs. "Wiled" Confusion
It's a trap. A total trap.
The New York Times editors know you’re going to want to put a 'W' and then maybe an 'I'. If the clue is "Killed time (with 'away')," and you put WILED, you're going to have a bad time when the down clues don't match. "While" comes from the Old English hwīl, meaning a space of time. It’s literally the act of making time pass.
"Wile," on the other hand, is related to "wily" (like the Coyote). It’s about craftiness. You don't wile away the hours unless you're actively plotting a heist while sitting on a park bench. Most crossword solvers aren't heist planners. Usually.
The Impact of the Day of the Week
Monday puzzles are the ego boosters. They’re designed to be finished in five minutes over coffee. If "killed time" appears on a Monday, it's almost certainly IDLED.
By Wednesday, it gets weirder.
Saturday? Forget about it. The clue might be "Didn't exactly rush." Or "Sat on one's hands." The answer could be something completely abstract like STAYEDPUT. The difficulty curve of the NYT crossword isn't just about harder words; it’s about more vague clues. The relationship between the clue and the answer becomes more "tenuous" as the week progresses.
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Semantic Variations You’ll Definitely See
If you’re stuck on the killed time nyt crossword clue right now, look at your crossing letters.
- P-A-S-S-E-D: Simple, direct, often used in early-week puzzles.
- S-A-T: Used when the clue is "Killed time in a chair."
- L-A-G-G-E-D: Often used if the context implies falling behind.
- D-A-L-L-I-E-D: This is a favorite for the mid-week puzzles. It’s got great letters. It sounds slightly whimsical.
Constructors love words with alternating vowels and consonants. D-A-L-L-I-E-D is a dream for them. It allows for easy "down" clues. If you see "killed time" and it’s seven letters long, try "dallied." It’s a high-probability guess.
Understanding the "Shortz Era" Logic
Will Shortz has been the editor since 1993. Under his tenure, the puzzle moved away from "dictionary definitions" and toward "conversational clues." This is why "killed time" is such a common clue. It’s a common idiom.
In the pre-Shortz era (the Margaret Farrar or Eugene Maleska days), clues were often much more academic. You might have seen "Spent hours inactively." Shortz changed that to "Killed time." It’s punchier. It feels like how people actually talk. But that conversational tone hides a lot of ambiguity. "Killed time" could mean you were bored, or it could mean you were intentionally waiting for something.
The crossword reflects the culture. Nowadays, you might even see a clue like "Killed time on TikTok" with the answer being SCROLLED. This is the evolution of the NYT puzzle. They are increasingly incorporating modern tech and social habits. If you’re doing a puzzle from 2024 or 2025, don't just look for 19th-century verbs. Think about what you do when you're bored. You BROWSED. You STREAMED.
The "Hidden" Clues
Sometimes the NYT uses "killed" in a way that doesn't mean "passed."
If the clue is "Killed, as time," it might be a reference to a specific phrase. Or if there’s a question mark at the end—Killed time?—that question mark is the international symbol for "I am lying to you." A question mark means the clue is a pun or a non-literal interpretation. In that case, the answer might be MURDERED, as in "The butler murdered Time in the clock tower." Okay, that’s a bit dark for a crossword, but you get the point.
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Strategy for Solving Tricky Clues
When you hit a clue like killed time nyt crossword and you're drawing a blank, the best thing to do is leave it. Seriously.
The "crosses" are your best friends. In the NYT, the "down" clues that intersect with your "across" word are designed to provide the scaffolding. If you get the first letter, and it's an 'I', you're 80% sure it's "idled." If the second letter is an 'A', you're looking at "waited."
Don't guess unless you have to. If you're playing on the app, guessing incorrectly can mess up your "Gold" streak. And we all know that the streak is the only thing keeping some of us tethered to reality at 10:00 PM on a Tuesday night.
Real-World Example: The "Stood" Trap
I remember a puzzle from a few years back where the clue was "Killed time at the corner." Everyone wanted it to be "loitered." It turned out to be STOOD.
It’s so simple it’s frustrating. We tend to overthink crosswords. We want the answer to be complex and intellectual, but often the constructor is just looking for a simple verb that fits the geometry of the grid. "Stood" is a boring word, but it fits. It’s the "Occam's Razor" of crosswords: the simplest answer that fits the letters is usually the right one.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Puzzle
If you want to stop getting stuck on these types of clues, you need to build a mental library. Crosswords aren't just about knowing facts; they're about knowing crossword facts.
- Memorize the "While/Wile" rule. You "while" away the time. You "wile" someone into doing your chores.
- Watch the Tense. If the clue is "Killed time" (past tense), the answer must be in the past tense (Idled, Waited, Sat). If the clue is "Kill time," the answer is "Idle" or "Wait." This sounds obvious, but when you're frustrated, you'd be surprised how often you try to shove a present-tense word into a past-tense slot.
- Look for the Question Mark. If you see "Killed time?", start thinking about clocks, watches, or puns. Maybe the answer is CHOPPED (like "chopping time").
- Use "Wordplay" tools sparingly. Sites like XWordInfo or Wordplay (the NYT’s own blog) are great for learning why an answer was what it was. Don't just look up the answer. Read the explanation. Understanding the constructor's logic will help you solve the next one faster.
- Check the "Crosswordese" Lists. There are certain words that only exist in crosswords. "Epee," "Aerie," "Etui," and "Idled." Learn them. Love them. They are the structural pillars of the New York Times grid.
The NYT crossword is a daily ritual for millions. It’s a way to keep the brain sharp and, ironically, a way to kill time. Whether you’re a "pencil and paper" purist or an app-scroller, the "killed time" clue is a rite of passage. It’s that moment of friction that makes the eventual "click" of the solve so satisfying.
Next time you see it, don't panic. Check the length. Check the tense. And for heaven's sake, remember it’s probably "idled." It’s almost always "idled."
Once you’ve mastered these common verbs, start paying attention to how the NYT uses "hidden" indicators in their clues. A clue that looks like a definition might actually be a hint toward a theme. For instance, if "killed time" appears in a puzzle where other answers include "broken records" or "wasted space," you know you're dealing with a theme centered on idioms. This is where the real fun—and the real challenge—begins. Keep your eyes open for those patterns, and you'll find your solve times dropping significantly as you stop fighting the grid and start flowing with it.