You’re staring at your phone, the New York Times Crossword app is open, and you’ve got four letters to fill for "curve on a score." It’s frustrating. Truly. You know the answer is likely musical, but your brain keeps drifting toward statistics or maybe baseball. Is it a bell curve? A slider? No. It’s almost always ARC or SLUR.
Crossword puzzles are a weird psychological game played between you and the constructor. When Will Shortz or the current editing team at the NYT approves a clue like curve on a score, they aren't just testing your vocabulary. They are testing your ability to pivot. In the world of music notation—the "score" in question—a curve isn't a graph. It's a line connecting notes.
Decoding the Curve on a Score NYT Clue
Language is slippery. In a Sunday puzzle, "score" might refer to twenty of something, or it might refer to a grievance you're trying to settle. But more often than not, the NYT Crossword uses "score" to mean sheet music. Once you realize that, the "curve" becomes a technical term.
If the answer is three letters, you are looking for ARC. If it’s four, it is almost certainly SLUR or TIE.
Wait, why a slur? In music, a slur is a curved line placed over or under a group of notes. It tells the musician to play those notes smoothly, or legato, without any breaks between them. For a singer, it means one syllable stretched over multiple pitches. For a violinist, it means one long stroke of the bow. It’s a physical, visual curve on the page.
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Then there is the TIE. While a slur connects different pitches, a tie connects two notes of the same pitch to create one longer sound. Visually? They look nearly identical. They are both curves. This is the "aha!" moment that solvers live for, or the "oh come on!" moment that makes you want to toss your phone across the room.
The Evolution of NYT Wordplay
The New York Times crossword hasn't stayed the same over the decades. It has evolved. In the Margaret Farrar era, clues were more straightforward, almost dictionary-like. Today, under the influence of editors like Sam Ezersky and the long-standing legacy of Shortz, the "curve on a score" style of cluing is the gold standard of "misdirection."
Misdirection is the art of making a word seem like a different part of speech.
Think about the word "score." Most people think of a football game or a test result. By the time your brain reaches "musical composition," you've already wasted thirty seconds. That is intentional. Constructing a puzzle is about building a maze. If you find the exit too fast, you feel cheated. If you never find it, you quit. The curve on a score NYT clue sits right in that sweet spot of difficulty.
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It's also worth noting that "score" can sometimes lead you to SLUR in a different context. A slur can be a mark against someone's reputation—a "score" to settle. But the NYT leans heavily into the musical definition because it feels more sophisticated, more "NYT."
Why Some Clues Keep Coming Back
You might notice that certain clues repeat. This isn't laziness. It's "crosswordese." Certain words are just incredibly useful for constructors because they are vowel-heavy or consist of common letters like R, S, and T.
- ARC: Three letters, two vowels. A constructor's dream.
- SLUR: Four letters, fits into tight corners.
- TIE: Three letters, very common.
When you see "curve" in a clue, your first instinct should be to check the length. If it's short, think geometry or music. If it’s long, maybe you’re looking for BEND or PARABOLA. But "on a score" is the dead giveaway. It locks the context into a concert hall.
Real Examples from Recent Puzzles
Look at the archives. On October 25, 2022, a Tuesday puzzle used "Curve on a musical score" for SLUR. Tuesday puzzles are supposed to be easy. But for someone who doesn't read music, that's a wall. You're left guessing.
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Compare that to a Saturday puzzle. A Saturday might clue SLUR as "Legato marking." That’s much harder because it requires specific technical knowledge. The "curve on a score" phrasing is actually the "easier" version of the clue because it describes what the thing looks like rather than what it is.
The Mental Shift: From Logic to Lateral Thinking
Solving crosswords is a skill you can actually get better at. It isn't just about knowing facts. It’s about pattern recognition. When you see "score," your brain should automatically fire off a list:
- Music (Slur, Tie, Arc)
- Twenty (Score of years)
- Revenge (Settle a score)
- Test results (Grade, Mark)
If you can cycle through that list in two seconds, you're a pro. Most people get stuck on the first thing they think of. They see "curve" and "score" and they think of a grading curve in a college statistics class. They try to fit BELL into a three-letter space and get mad when it doesn't work.
Crosswords are a lesson in humility. They remind you that you don't know as much as you think you do, but also that you're capable of learning the "language" of the puzzle.
Actionable Tips for Mastering NYT Clues
Stop guessing and start analyzing. If you're stuck on a clue like this, look at the crossing words first. The "crosses" are your best friend. If you have the 'S' and the 'U' from other words, SLUR becomes obvious.
- Check the "Fill": If the clue is a "curve on a score," and you have _ L _ _, it's almost certainly SLUR.
- Think Visually: Don't just think about what words mean. Think about what they look like on paper. A curve is a physical shape.
- Learn the Staples: Words like ALOE, ERNE, and SLUR are the bread and butter of NYT puzzles. Memorize their common clues.
- Use the App's Features: If you're really stuck, use the "Check Square" feature. It’s not cheating; it’s learning.
The next time you sit down with the NYT Crossword, remember that the constructor is trying to have a conversation with you. They aren't your enemy. They’re just a person who really, really likes puns. When you finally type in those letters—S-L-U-R—and the little gold music plays because you finished the puzzle, you'll realize that the curve wasn't just on the score. It was the learning curve you just climbed.