You’re staring at your phone, the blue grid of the New York Times Crossword app mocking you. You've got the "S" and the "A" at the end of a five-letter word. The clue? Like the biggest stars NYT crossword. You type in "GIANT." It doesn't fit the crosses. You try "SUPER." Still nothing.
Crossword puzzles are basically a psychological war between you and the editor, Will Shortz (or his successors). They want to lead you down a primrose path of literal definitions while the actual answer is hiding behind a bit of clever wordplay or a very specific scientific classification. When a clue asks about the "biggest stars," it’s rarely looking for a Hollywood A-lister like Tom Cruise. It’s looking for something much larger—and much more gaseous.
The Logic Behind "Like the Biggest Stars"
The NYT crossword loves a good double meaning. Most solvers immediately think of fame. We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, so "stars" usually means the people on the red carpet. But in the world of the "Grey Lady" (that's the NYT nickname, for the uninitiated), "stars" usually refers to the things in the sky.
Specifically, the answer is almost always GIANT. Or, more accurately in many puzzles, RGIANTS (Red Giants) or even OSCAR if the clue is being particularly cheeky about awards. However, the most frequent answer to "Like the biggest stars" is GIANT.
Why? Because in stellar evolution, the "biggest" stars are categorized as giants, supergiants, or hypergiants.
Wait. Let's look at the actual physics for a second because the NYT editors are nothing if not pedantic. A star like UY Scuti or Betelgeuse is a "supergiant." If the grid requires five letters, GIANT is your best bet. If it’s six? Look for REMISS? No, that’s a different vibe. Try SOLARS? Unlikely. It’s usually about the physical scale.
When the Clue is a Pun
Sometimes, the clue isn't about size at all. If you see "Like the biggest stars?" with that sneaky little question mark at the end, the rules of the game change instantly. The question mark is the universal crossword symbol for "I am lying to you."
In these cases, "biggest stars" might refer to:
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- A-LIST: Referring to the social tier of celebrities.
- TOPTIER: Another way to describe the elite.
- LEADS: The people at the top of the call sheet.
Honestly, the frustration comes when you can't tell which way the constructor is leaning. You have to look at the "crosses"—the words intersecting your mystery answer. If the cross-word is "OGRE," you know that "G" is solid. If the cross is "ALOE," that "A" is your anchor.
Crosswords are about 30% vocabulary and 70% pattern recognition. You aren't just looking for a word; you're looking for a shape that fits a logic gate.
The Red Giant Factor
Let's get technical. If the clue is "Like some of the biggest stars," the answer is often RED.
Red giants are stars that have exhausted the supply of hydrogen in their cores and switched to thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen in a shell surrounding the core. They are massive. They are bloated. They are the "biggest" in terms of volume, even if they aren't the most massive in terms of weight.
Constructor Joel Fagliano or veterans like Elizabeth Gorski often use these scientific pivots to bridge the gap between "Monday easy" and "Saturday brutal." If it's a Monday, the answer is "GIANT." If it's a Saturday, the answer might be something like ASYMPTOTIC, referring to the asymptotic giant branch of stars. Okay, that might be too long for a standard grid, but you get the point. They want you to think outside the Hollywood bubble.
Why We Get Stuck
It’s the "Like" that does it.
The word "like" in a crossword clue usually indicates an adjective. It’s a descriptor. "Like the biggest stars" = GIANT. It’s a direct substitution. If the clue was "Biggest stars," the answer might be GIANTS (a noun). That tiny grammatical shift is the difference between a "Gold Star" finish and a broken streak.
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I’ve spent hours—genuinely, hours—staring at these grids. You’ve probably done the same. You start doubting your own language skills. You wonder if "star" is a slang term you haven't heard yet because you’re getting older and the "kids" are changing the lexicon again.
But no. Usually, it's just the stars in the sky.
The Evolution of NYT Clue Styles
The NYT crossword has changed. It's more "pop-culture-y" than it used to be. Twenty years ago, a clue about stars would almost always be astronomical or mythological. Today? It could be about TikTok.
If the clue is "Like some big stars," and the answer is FAMED, you're in the modern era. If the answer is NOVAE, you're playing a classic-style puzzle.
Common Answers for "Star" Related Clues
- ASTRA: The Latin root. Shows up all the time.
- SIRIUS: The brightest star (often called the Dog Star).
- RIGEL: A blue supergiant in Orion.
- VEGA: Part of the Lyra constellation.
- CELEB: Short for celebrity, obviously.
- ICON: For those stars that transcend mere fame.
Strategies for Solving
Don't fill it in in pen. Or, if you're on the app, don't commit until you have at least two intersecting letters.
If the answer is five letters and starts with G, it’s GIANT.
If it’s six letters and starts with A, it’s ALISTS.
If it’s three letters, it might just be SUN (the biggest star from our perspective, anyway).
The "biggest" stars are often defined by their luminosity or their radius. In the NYT world, radius usually wins. Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. (Shout out to Douglas Adams). When a constructor wants to fill a gap with a word meaning "huge," they go to the heavens.
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Dealing with "Crosswordese"
"Crosswordese" is the language of words that exist almost nowhere except in puzzles. Think of ORLE, ERNE, or ETUI.
While "GIANT" isn't exactly crosswordese, the way it’s used in relation to "stars" is a specific trope. Once you see it a few times, your brain starts to bypass the celebrity angle entirely. You see "star," you think "nebula," "nova," "giant," "dwarf."
It’s a mental recalibration. You're learning to speak "Shortzian."
Actionable Tips for Your Next Puzzle
Stop looking at the clue in isolation. The "Like the biggest stars" clue is a pivot point. If you’re stuck, move to the corners.
- Check the Tense/Plurality: If the clue is "Like the biggest stars," the answer must be an adjective. If it’s "The biggest stars," it’s a noun. This narrows your options by half.
- Look for the Question Mark: If it’s there, think of puns. Maybe it’s "SUNNY"? Maybe it's "STARRY"?
- Verify the Theme: NYT puzzles usually have a theme on Thursdays. If the theme is "Outer Space," then "GIANT" is almost certainly about astronomy. If the theme is "Oscars," it's about movies.
- Use a Pencil (Metaphorically): In the app, use the "pencil" tool to put in "GIANT" lightly. If the down-clues start making sense, lock it in.
The New York Times crossword isn't just a test of what you know; it's a test of how you think. It's about being flexible enough to move from the galaxy to the red carpet in a single breath. The next time you see a clue about the biggest stars, don't think about who's trending on Twitter. Look up. The answer is likely billions of miles away.
Check the date of the puzzle too. Monday puzzles are straightforward. Saturday puzzles are designed to make you want to throw your phone across the room. If it's a Saturday and you see "Like the biggest stars," prepare for a word you’ve never heard of, or a pun so bad it’s almost good.
To improve your solving speed, start a "cheat sheet" of common astronomical terms used in the NYT. Words like ALTAIR, DENEB, and ANTARES appear frequently because of their vowel-heavy compositions, which are a godsend for constructors trying to link difficult sections of the grid. Mapping these out will save you minutes of staring at blank squares.
Next Steps for Success:
- Memorize the "Question Mark" Rule: Always pause when a clue ends in "?"; it signifies wordplay or a non-literal definition.
- Build a Vowel Bank: Keep a mental list of common 4 and 5-letter stars (VEGA, ALTA, RIGEL) to test against difficult "Like the biggest stars" clues.
- Scan the Grid for Theme Clues: Before tackling a tricky middle-grid clue, find the longest entries in the puzzle to identify the overarching theme, which dictates whether "stars" refers to space or Hollywood.