You’re staring at the grid. The black and white squares are mocking you. It’s a Wednesday—or maybe a particularly cruel Sunday—and the clue reads "Like the motion of the ocean." You think of waves. You think of salt. Maybe you think of that old, slightly cringey pickup line about the size of the boat. But the letter count doesn't fit "wavy" or "tidal."
This is the specific brand of torture curated by the New York Times crossword editors.
The phrase like the motion of the ocean nyt has popped up in various iterations over the years, and it serves as a perfect case study in how Will Shortz and his team (including Joel Fagliano) use colloquialisms to trip up even the most seasoned solvers. Crosswords aren't just about vocabulary; they’re about rhythm and the way we speak when we aren't thinking about grammar.
The Answer You’re Probably Looking For
Most of the time, when this clue hits the NYT app, the answer is RHYTHMIC.
But wait. Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes the grid wants EBBANDFLOW. Other times, if the constructor is feeling particularly cheeky and the clue is "Like the motion of the ocean, supposedly," they are looking for NONSTOP.
Why does this specific clue cause so much grief? It’s because it straddles the line between literal description and metaphorical slang. In the world of the NYT crossword, "motion of the ocean" is rarely about fluid dynamics or lunar gravity. It’s about the vibe.
I’ve seen people lose their streaks over this. One minute you’re flying through the Northwest corner, and the next, you’re stuck on a five-letter word that feels like it should be "salty" but clearly isn't. Honestly, the NYT crossword is less a test of intelligence and more a test of how well you can read the constructor's mind. It's a psychological game.
Decoding the NYT Crossword Style
To understand why like the motion of the ocean nyt is such a common search term, you have to understand the evolution of the "modern" crossword. Back in the day, clues were very "dictionary-definition" heavy. If the clue was "Large feline," the answer was "LION." Simple.
Now? The NYT prides itself on "misdirection."
The Pun Factor
If there is a question mark at the end of the clue—Like the motion of the ocean?—throw everything you know out the window. That question mark is a warning. It means the answer is a pun. It might be WAVY, sure, but it could also be SICKENING (as in seasickness).
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The Era of "New" Slang
Under the current editorial direction, the NYT has started incorporating way more "lifestyle" language. This means clues often reference song lyrics, movie quotes, or common idioms. The "motion of the ocean" phrase is deeply embedded in American pop culture, famously appearing in the 1960s track "Rockin' Robin" and later popularized by various R&B tracks and, yes, that aforementioned boat metaphor.
Constructors love it because it has internal rhyme. Words with internal rhyme or strong meter provide a "hook" for the solver's brain, even if they can't immediately recall the answer.
Real Examples from the Archives
Let's look at some actual data from past puzzles. In a 2018 puzzle, the clue was "Motion of the ocean." The answer? TIDE. Boring. Standard.
But move to a 2021 Sunday puzzle, and the clue shifts. It becomes more descriptive. When you're dealing with a 21x21 grid, the answers get long and weird. We've seen SURGELIKE and UNDULATORY. Who even uses the word undulatory in real life? Nobody. Except maybe a marine biologist or a crossword constructor named Rex Parker would complain about it.
Actually, the blog Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle is a goldmine for this. Michael Sharp (the man behind Rex) often rants about "crosswordese"—those words like ERNE, etui, or ADIT that only exist in puzzles. "Like the motion of the ocean" is the opposite of crosswordese. It's "fresh" fill. It's language that feels alive, which is exactly why it's harder to pin down.
Why Your Brain Freezes on This Clue
There’s a neurological reason why like the motion of the ocean nyt is a "stumper." It’s called the "Einsatz effect." Your brain locks onto the first literal interpretation—water—and refuses to move to the metaphorical one—cadence or rhythm.
You see "ocean," you think "blue." You think "wet."
You don't think "iambic pentameter."
But the crossword wants you to think about the pattern of the movement.
- The Pace: Is it slow? Is it REPETITIVE?
- The Sound: Is it LULLING?
- The Physics: Is it OSCILLATORY?
If you're stuck, look at the crossing words. If you have an "R" and an "H" early on, you're looking at RHYTHMIC. If you have a "C" and an "E," you might be looking at CEASELESS.
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Tips for Tackling Vague Clues
When you encounter a clue that feels more like a poem than a definition, stop. Don't type anything yet.
Look at the day of the week. Monday puzzles are literal. Saturday puzzles are devious. If it’s a Saturday and you see like the motion of the ocean nyt, the answer is probably something like INEVITABLE. Why? because the tide always comes in. It’s that level of abstract thinking that separates the casual solvers from the people who compete in Stamford at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
Check for plurals. If the clue was "Like motions of the oceans," you know the answer must end in "S." It sounds basic, but in the heat of a 10-minute solve, people forget the basics.
Also, consider the "theme." If the rest of the puzzle has a nautical theme—maybe there are other clues about ships, pirates, or fish—then the answer is almost certainly literal. If the theme is about music or dance, the answer is metaphorical. Context is king.
The Cultural Weight of the Phrase
We use "the motion of the ocean" to describe things that are out of our control. It's a phrase about scale. The ocean is massive; we are small. The motion is constant.
In the NYT puzzle, this translates to words that imply a lack of beginning or end. ETERNAL or CONSTANT are frequent flyers here.
There's also the "size vs. motion" debate which has permeated the cultural lexicon. It's a joke about adequacy, basically. Occasionally, a really bold constructor will hint at this. I remember a puzzle where the clue was "It's not the size of the boat, it's this." The answer was THEMOTION.
It was hilarious. It was also a perfect example of how the Gray Lady (the NYT's nickname) has loosened up over the decades. Under the previous editor, Margaret Farrar, you'd never see a hint of a "size of the boat" joke. Today? It’s fair game.
How to Get Better at the NYT Crossword
If you’re tired of Googling like the motion of the ocean nyt, you need to start thinking in synonyms. Not just direct synonyms, but "associative" synonyms.
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Think about what the ocean does.
It heaves.
It swells.
It rolls.
It surges.
Any of those verbs can be turned into an adjective. HEAVING, SWELLING, ROLLING.
If you’re using the NYT Games app, use the "Check" feature sparingly. It's better to leave it blank and come back an hour later. Your subconscious mind keeps working on the clue even when you aren't looking at it. This is a documented phenomenon. You’ll be washing dishes or walking the dog and suddenly—boom—the word WAVELIKE pops into your head.
That’s the "Aha!" moment. That’s why we play these games.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Solve
Next time you hit a wall with a clue like this, try these specific moves:
- Count the vowels. If you have a high vowel count, look for words ending in -IC or -AL (like PERIODIC or COASTAL).
- Say the clue out loud. Sometimes hearing the rhyme "motion/ocean" triggers a linguistic association that reading it silently doesn't.
- Ignore the ocean. Focus entirely on the word "motion." What kind of motion? Circular? Back and forth? Reciprocating?
- Check the "fill." If the words around it are easy, fill them in first. If you get the third and fifth letters, the word usually reveals itself. For example, if you have _ H _ T _ _ C, it's obviously RHYTHMIC.
The NYT crossword is a conversation between the constructor and the solver. The constructor is trying to trick you, but they want you to eventually figure it out. They leave breadcrumbs. "Like the motion of the ocean" is a breadcrumb. It’s a hint that the answer has a certain flow to it.
Stop looking for the "right" answer and start looking for the "fitting" answer. The grid doesn't care about the truth; it only cares about the fit.
Learn the common "tricky" answers for the ocean. PELAGIC is a big one. It means relating to the open sea. It's a favorite of constructors because it has a weird letter distribution. If the clue is "Like the deep ocean," and it’s seven letters, try PELAGIC.
If it's about the sound, try SONOROUS.
If it's about the movement, and it’s eight letters, go with RHYTHMIC.
You've got this. The more you play, the more these "impossible" clues start to feel like old friends. You start to recognize the patterns. You start to realize that the motion of the ocean isn't just a clue—it's a classic bit of crossword architecture designed to make you think just a little bit harder than you did yesterday.